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A Place For Product Placement In Games?
Thanks to GameSpy for its CES 2004 report, which includes coverage of a roundtable regarding product advertising in videogames. The writer points out: "The Super Monkey Ball simians gobble Dole bananas. Jet Moto features a giant Mountain Dew billboard. The alien-fighters in RLH drank Bawls", and goes on to cite research that "30% of in-game ads are recalled in the short-term, which is impressive. Even more amazing is the fact that 15% are recalled after five months - unheard of in advertising." But, of course, "if a placement ticks off the gamer, there's not much a company can do to negate that negative." What are the most appropriate and least appropriate advertising placements you've seen in games?
Well, there's that annoying Honda Element in SSX3. That's gratuitous if you ask me. But, hey, I remember it so I guess it's effective. Not as if I'd ever buy one of those dork boxes.
Oh! And let's not forget all the Duff beer ads in Simpsons Hit & Run. Mmmmm... Duff beeeeer.
Tie Fighter (old game): Had an ad for the Dodge Neon in it. Yeesh.
Pre-Alpha Half-Life: Has Coke and Fruitopia machines in it.
Chocobo Racing: Advertises Chocobo's Dungeon 2 in the game script.
Tron 2.0, UT2003: Advertises nVidia.
Rainbow Six 3: Raven Shield: Advertises ATI ingame, advertises Alienware in the box.
Frink: Nice try floyd, but you were designed for scrubbing, and scrubbing is what you shall do.
It was available for the SNES, Genesis and GB. A couple of screens available here. It even had sequels.
www.degenatron.com has an emulator of the classic Degenatron system, including all 3 games!
Blimey squire, you'll not be a comics reader then.
DC have ads every third page, which in a visual medium rather detracts from the content.
But product placement isn't like this - you're not interrupting the game for an advert, it's just something there in the background.
Better, I'd say - limited subliminal effect (unless you're very easily influenced), and far less intrusive. Course, if it's been paid for by advertisers I'd like to see the benefit in the game quality or in the price I pay being subsidised...
I remember reading somewhere that if you use licensed vehicles in a game, the licensers generally don't allow you to destroy them. I guess with GTA they decided it would be too much trouble convincing Ferrari that their cars would still be effective adertisements with broken doors, windows, and hoods. Probably even harder to convince SUV makers to allow their vehicles to be the easiest to roll over.