Massive Ads In Matrix Online

Gamespot has the word that ads from Massive, Inc. will now be incorporated into The Matrix Online. The ads, like those in sister-MMOG Planetside, will be in the form of billboards and signage. From the article: "One big difference that players will notice is that the Massive ads will be refreshed and updated with greater frequency. Sony notes that current ads in the game for fictional products and services will continue to remain a part of the game. Sony has also said that the ads will not be animated, and will not affect the game's performance. Another effect of the inclusion of Massive ads into The Matrix Online is that player advertising in Mega City will be possible, and Sony might run contests in the future to select player-generated ads and incorporate them in the game. "

Comments

Having played Matrix Online

[CrazyJim1]

I think the addition of advertisements into the game would make it more entertaining.

Why should I be bothered by this?

[triptogn]

The "One more reason to avoid Sony" comments throw me off a bit. I don't see how the real advertising in game versus the fake advertising in game on billboards is any worse. It has about the same impact and print on your brain when you glance at it while killing gangmember05 and AgentSmith09. If anything it would help with the idea that the game takes place in a modern american city somewhere. If you are trying to take a moral stance on advertising in your entertainment, you would have to avoid every tv show and movie you have ever watched because they are riddled with product placements if you actually look for them. The subscription argument doesn't really hold that well either. "I pay a subscription, so I shouldn't have to see advertisements". Paying for cable television isn't any different. Holes in my argument? Yup, but I'm only really playing devil's advocate here, as I could care less one way or the other. I play games to have fun, and I don't think seeing a coke ad on the wall in the Matrix is going to ruin my good time.

Re:Why should I be bothered by this?

[forkazoo]

While your analogy to cable TV has some merit, I'm going to overextend it as a means of disagreeing with you. :) I think that paying for cable TV is basically just paying for access, sort of like ISP fees. I am okay with seeing ads on web pages because the web page doesn't get a cut of my ISP bill. Likewise, sci-fi channel doesn't get a cut of the cable bill, so they need ads to pay for battlestar galactica.

Now, an MMORPG is a premium service. In this analogy, I'd compare it to HBO or Showtime. I have paid for basic access, but then I pay extra for a premium service, and the content creator gets a direct cut of the extra fee. Sony bills me directly for the MMORPG, HBO gets added to my cable bill, but it is still similar.

So, if I actually played TmO, I'd be annoyed at the ads. Sony is double-dipping. They set a fee, where they thought they would turn a tidy profit. I play TmO because I'd rather avoid all the ads on television and whatnot. Now, Sony is making more money - I have to deal with more ads - and the fee I pay doesn't go down. If HBO started carrying ads, people would be pissed, and they wouldn't be likely to pay extra for it. Personally, I think real-ads in a matrix world would sort of hurt the illusion that it is a fantastic netherworld of the imagination. If the fantasy world is exactly like our world, why do I have to pay extra to be in it?

Though, obviously, the Matrix is a much more appropriate setting for real ads than WoW or Everquest. "Dial Ye Olde Telephone ..." just wouldn't see quite right in a traditional fantasy setting. :)

Re:Did IQs just drop sharply while I was away?

[Kaimelar]

Who would pay for a game with ads?

The same people who pay for cable television with ads?

Viagra ads?

[HTH NE1]

Ask your nearest Agent if the Blue Pill is right for you.

Re:Effectiveness?

[TubeSteak]

Advertising works for two reasons:
1. Brand recognition. If you see enough ads for a product, then go shopping, you may recognize the advertised brand and consider purchasing it over similar products.

2. Repetition. When things get hyped over and over and over, people tend to try it out just because its something they've heard about so many times. Imagine being beaten over the head with adverts for some new drink, then when you go to a gas station or restaurant or wherever, you see another advertisement or the product itself. The odds are high that you will give it a try just to see what all the fuss is about.

Hopefully you don't find the product disgusting (vanilla pepsi) and will buy again.