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Games As The New Advertising Frontier

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the dance-dance-mcdonald's-mix dept.

TechnoPulp wrote to mention an article running on the CBS News site discussing Gaming and the New Advertising Frontier. From the article: "Advertising in video games isn't like marketing on television or radio. Since each video game title is a world unto itself, advertisements placed inside that world can pollute it and make it uninhabitable. Gamers won't touch it if it becomes fouled with evil ads. To that end, there are companies whose business is to guide other businesses through the gaming universe. Two such chaperons are IGN Entertainment and Massive Inc."

4 of 33 comments (clear)

  1. Reporter's opinions != fact... by MBraynard · · Score: 2, Insightful
    But he still reports it as a fact:

    gamers won't touch it if it becomes fouled with evil ads.

    Any examples of gamers not buying any game because it had advertising in it, much less ALL, a majority, or a plurality even?

    I'm glad that there are so many blogs out there because they collectively lift the IQ of the average reporter. But that still doesn't help CBS news.

    1. Re:Reporter's opinions != fact... by alvinrod · · Score: 2, Insightful
      Burnout 3 comes to mind. I recall seeing a few Axe ads in the game. Do these ads make me want to stop playing the game? No. Obviously this is an overstatement. I think buying a game or not has to do with how well it's made, and not if there's advertising in it.

      If advertisements in games are used appropriately, then I really won't care. If you're going to put a billboard in a game by a road because it's realistic, you might as well put an add on there. To a certain extent it makes a game seem more realistic. Just look at games like Gran Turismo, where there are logos of actual manufacturers plastered all over.

      If you start plastering them on loading screens it might get a little annoying though. That's one example of where it's inappropriate to place an ad.

  2. Think of the loading screens! by wuie · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Someone needs to patent the idea of an advertisement on a loading screen and then never use it. ;D

  3. Games are a big enough revenue already by white1827 · · Score: 2, Insightful

    With average games that cost $50+ these days, there is no excuse for placing ads in them.