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A Place For Product Placement In Games?

Posted by simoniker on from the zombies-say-drink-coke dept.

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?

9 of 152 comments (clear)

  1. It doesn't affect me by ObviousGuy · · Score: 5, Funny

    I don't let pixels on a screen determine my emotional state. Unless it's porn.

    --
    I have been pwned because my /. password was too easy to guess.
    1. Re:It doesn't affect me by Graelin · · Score: 4, Insightful

      You're not supposed to. In-game advertising is all about Branding. No, NBA 2004 doesn't make you want that new pair of Nike Pumps but next time you're in a Foot Locker the brand will stick out more.

      If done right, advertisments in a game can add to the realism. GTA3 wouldn't have been so real if they didn't play Pogo The Monkey ads on the radio occasionally.

      Need for Speed Underground (an excellent game btw) has TONS of stickers representing REAL brands you can decorate your car with. This is not a bad thing. It makes the game more real. And hey, if I'm looking for neon next time I'll know some brands to look for. Great for me.

  2. One worrying point about advertisments in games. by jkcity · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This really only applies to the uk, but I am fairly sure other countries have similar laws.

    If an ad is wrong/offensive they can be forced to stop distributing it, this could be really expensive if you have already printed a million cd's.

    I'd also like to know if they ads in games evan fall under regulatory controls.

    I also don't like the idea of playing a differnt game to eevryone else, cause I assume any paid advertising will probably be localised to specific countries.

  3. Pogo the Monkey by Cosmik · · Score: 4, Funny

    Best advertising campaign in a video game: Pogo the Monkey in GTA.

    Ever since I heard those radio ads, I've been looking for the game everywhere. I want to swing from blue dot to blue dot with my red square monkey!!!!

  4. GTA by Molina+the+Bofh · · Score: 4, Funny

    If they intended to sell more cars, it didn't work for me. I swear I didn't buy any car since I ran GTA. However, I just drive the fanciest Jaguars, Mercedes and Ferraris.

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    Roses are #FF0000, Violets are #0000FF, find / -name '*base*' |xargs chown -R us && mv zig greatjustice
  5. The Best and the Worst by illuminata · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The most appropriate would have to be the Pizza Hut posters in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II. The media marriage between the Turtles and Pizza Hut was sheer genius. Everyone ate so much damn pizza during that era.

    The absolute worst would be Darkened Skye, where you use Skittles to create spells. In fact, the whole game is based around Skittles. I'm not just talking a web game, this game was released for PC and Gamecube.

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    Until Slashdot fixes the funny modifier, use insightful or interesting. The poster knows your intentions.
  6. Rainbow Six 3 by Cosmik · · Score: 4, Funny

    Rainbow Six 3 has the best product placement. Ever since I played that game I can't stop visiting Interracialporno.

    Best. Advertisement. Ever.

  7. Re:Microsoft Fury 3 by Trillian_1138 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Clearly your blindingly witty placement of a dollar sign for the "S" in Microsoft highlights your superior mental ability. Likewise, your logic is flawless: Microsoft puts a THEIR OWN LOGO in THEIR OWN GAME (according to you it's not even an ad, but just their logo) and you refuse to purchase any more Microsoft games. It's not as if they sold huge ad-space in the game but, gosh darnit, if their logo is visible for a single second the game has to go! One of the things I always hated about Age of Empires was the Microsoft product placement that plagued the game.

    Oh wait...it didn't.

    And I take it you still use other Microsoft products? You said you only haven't purchased _games_ from Microsoft. Or maybe you take the moral high road by downloading them from Kazaa? Surely you can justify THAT position!

    If you were attempting to be funny, you failed. If you're honestly serious, then you're a prime example of why people who dislike Microsoft are called extremist zealot idiots.

    -Trillian

  8. Realistic placement by AllenChristopher · · Score: 4, Insightful
    "I much prefer for the generic Cola cans in my ultra realistic game."

    The problem is not that they are branded. As you say, it might be better in a realistic game to have SOME brands about that are inescapable. Say, Pepsi or Coke cans.... not a day goes by that I don't see one of those.

    The problem is when the product placement has put me in some strange otherworld where every can of pop is a Mountain Dew. It's distracting. And it usually is these fine products which are less ubiquitous that do the insane product placement trick.

    I wouldn't mind, though, if the Pepsi company paid to have its entire range stocked... I'm used to stepping between the Coke universe and the Pepsi universe as I browse the stalls in the food court.

    Product placement in a realistic game should be realistic.