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In-Game Advertising Coming to Anarchy Online

Posted by Zonk on from the slippery-slope dept.

Swedish company Funcom has signed a deal with Massive, Inc to stream advertising into public areas of Rubi-Ka, the online world within Anarchy Online. Gamespot has the story. The ads are likely a direct result of the recent subscription free business model that the company has adopted for new players. From the article: "As consumers spends less time watching television and more time playing games (as indicated by numerous studies, including one from Nielsen), the game industry is turning its attention to understanding the potential to drive additional revenue from in-game advertising." Are all massive games going to be moving in this direction, or the direction that Guild Wars will take?

4 of 48 comments (clear)

  1. Already done by NetDanzr · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Anarchy Online has bilboards across all cities at Rubi-Ka, and Alienware has been an advertiser there for a long time. If the new adverts are limited to those bilboards, I wouldn't mind. In fact, I'd see it as a nice distraction, at least for a while.

  2. It's okay. by kereira · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Well as long as they don't detract from the game ;) I've seen sponsor brands subtly advertised in some movies.

    --
    I don't not believe there isn't a God.
  3. Advertising like this will work... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Insightful

    Advertising like this will work, but ONLY if the player gets something in return. In this case, the player does not have to pay a subscription fee. That seems like a fair trade.

  4. Careful! by segal_loves_pandas · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Yeah this is ok if it makes it free - but only then.

    This could well be part of the slippery slope of making computer games into tv. With tv you pay for cable and then have to pay for it again in adverts. And don't say they're seperate things because there not. If I have to pay extra a month to get a channel like e4 (UK) then i shouldn't be made to watch adverts. Full stop. At least have two rates of pay - cheap with adverts and expensive without them.

    Pretty soon you'll be paying for games and watching adverts while they load - and it won't make them cheaper to buy! Why do you think there touting £60 for a next-gen game? So they can charge them at the same prices as before but with more adverts in. Mark. My. Words.

    P.S. This is an off hand prediction based on emotion and guesswork rather than science, logic and stock trends - so back off!