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Electronic Arts 'Scores' With Product Placement
Thanks to the San Francisco Business Times for its article discussing Electronic Arts' increasing use of product placement in its videogames. The article explains: "In EA's games, basketball players wear Adidas or Nike and run past a McDonald's banner on the court; Old Spice deodorant highlights football college players of the game; a snowboarder swooshes past Honda Motor Co.'s newest vehicle, the Element." It's also pointed out that "a six-figure deal with an advertiser defrays some of the costs of game development, which can run up to $10 million in the industry", but it's claimed: "Video-game makers said they try to take care when incorporating products in games, not wanting to overwhelm game players with product spots."
"Video-game makers said they try to take care when incorporating products in games, not wanting to overwhelm game players with product spots."
/. reader would love to repeatedly play a level that featured an MS billboard, provided the game had destructible terrain...
Yeah, right. Remember this when you're playing Quake 4, and a rocket goes flying past your head with an ad for Coke on the side of it.
On the other hand, I'm sure any
EA are money hungry pigs anyway, so anything for a buck is hardly surprising.
This is why I like period stuff or fantasy stuff like LOTR. Kinda hard to make Aragorn say "You know, I just defended Helms Deep against the massed hordes of Sauron... I need a Mountain Dew!" without completely selling out your integrity.
I like this idea. Especially if I can send tornadoes after all the frickin' WalMart superstores and make Godzilla stomp all the McDonalds.
I watched C-beams glitter in the dark near the Tannhauser gate.