More Advertising in Your Next Xbox Game

ejwong writes "TheGameFeed is reporting on Microsoft's plans to offset Xbox360 game costs with more in game advertising under its subsidiary, Massive. In-game ads are gaining popularity and the wave isn't going to stop. Publishers see this as a huge potential for increased game revenues to help offset the rising development costs for the Xbox 360, PS3 and Wii. The question is how far will they go, and how much are gamers willing to take?." From the article: "If you plan on picking up an Xbox 360 title this month, then you're probably picking up one with Massive's in-game ads. Titles such as Crackdown, Def Jam: Icon, MLB 2K7, and Ghost Recon Advanced Warfighter 2 are all part of the Massive network showing off ads from Dell, Intel, Discovery Channel, Intel, NBC, Verizon and even the Navy among others. "

Comments

Just like cable TV

[maynard]

We pay an obscene amount of money for the content, and then pay again in eyeballs for advertising. Anybody feeling screwed yet?

Re:Just like cable TV

[sfnate]

This is the thin wedge of advertising--let it in and it will grow to dominate the virtual landscape in the same why it dominates the real. No question. Those who argue that the market will correct any excesses are a bit naive. One of the reasons I gave up television altogether was that the advertising was completely out of control. The advertising won't stop or be curtailed by these gaming companies once they realize it's going to pump a lot of money into their coffers--they'll come to depend on the revenue stream like a crack addict and will keep expanding the ad space by degrees, slowly so you won't notice what you're losing and unconciously become accustomed to it. And just like on TV the shows are there to keep your eyeballs focused until the next ad appears, games will become yet another way to keep you sitting still and passively taking in adverts. At least with Tivo you can fast forward--I don't think a similar workaround will be available to gamers. Charge me a price that covers your costs and keep the ads out.

Console gaming

[linvir]

Seems that every day, another piece of news shows up telling me that I got out of console gaming at exactly the right time.

This generation just gets more underwhelming by the minute.

Re:Console gaming

[linvir]

I have a whole great big rant about how the upcoming generation sucks far more than most

Let me guess:

• Needless obsession with "realistic" graphics
• Market saturated by cookie-cutter sequels, remakes and franchises
• Too little focus on fun
• Fear of innovation
• Games now cost a fortune to make
• A bunch of other stuff

I bet I have the same rant as you.

but it just makes me sound like an old man

It certainly does. I showed my cousin our old Amstrad CPC464 the other day. He was not impressed by the tape deck, the five minute loading times, or the simplistic gameplay. I think there's a happy medium though, somewhere around the SNES era.

I have a guess...

[RightSaidFred99]

Gamers will be willing to take it until the point where they won't, then the producers will stop at exactly that point. Yeah, I know, it's not rocket surgery.

Games are getting more and more expensive to produce. This seems like a reasonable extra revenue stream, unless taken to extremes. The market will adjust itself so it's not taken to extremes.

Re:I have a guess...

[edwardpickman]

The profit margins are very high on successful games. This isn't about profit as you mentioned it's about "extra" profit. This comes out of brainstorming sessions where execs are trying to figure out how to squeeze a bit more profit out of a game. It's the same logic as putting 49 olives in a jar instead of 50. It's nickell and diming to make money all the while screwing the customer. It's also like putting four or five trailers in front of DVDs. Generally they are from the same company so they are just taking advantage of free advertising. I paid for the DVD so why should I be subjected to their ads everytime I watch the DVD? The joke is with DVDs they aren't even selling the space they are annoying the hell out of me just to take advantage of a captive audience.

What's The Problem

[wolff000]

As long as the ads are done well I don't care if they are in my game. We see all kinds of stuff in games that would normally have an ad on it in real life. I don't know how many games have fake ads for products that don't exist to ad to the realism. It doesn't make a difference to me if the vending machine my character walks by says Soda or Cocoa-Cola. Honestly if done correctly in game advertising could really add to the realism of games. Yes it could be very easily overdone and become invasive but if done correctly it could improve games. How you say? Extra income! If the game developers themselves got cash for incorporating real world products in games they could spend more money developing the games and afford to hire better talent. This could be a very good thing for games then again if done wrong it could be the worst thing ever. Only time will tell.

Re:What's The Problem

[cliffski]

why stop with games then? why not do this in movies too? and books, and plays, and music?
I think pink floyds dark side of the moon would been better if they had managed to get 'pepsi' into the lyrics don't you think?
And why have lammas bread in lord of the rings, when frodo could have just feasted on a pizza hut pizza instead?

Seriously, games are in some ways an artistic endeavour, they should be designed to be fun, and immersive. Anything that compromises that ideal will make a worse game. Do I *really* think this level will play / feel / look better with yet another vending machine in it? Or has my boss told me we need 16 coke machines in the game, and so I don't have a choice in the matter?

Don't let the ad dollars become a factor in map design. And trust me they DO become a factor. I've worked on games with billboard ads, I've heard the design decisions change to fit in more billboards.
I will NEVER put ads in my games.

marketing everywhere

[miyako]

I mourn the fact that the floodgates have been opened, because I think this will lead to the inevitable decline of the quality of games. For the moment- sure, it doesn't hurt anything, it might even add realism by having actual products in the game, but how long until some game developers are sitting around going "ok, so then we have this level where they walk through a forest and..." "what are you thinking bob? a forest? we can't stick ads in the middle of a forest, how 'bout a 10 minute long cutscene where they are on a subway instead, and ads flash by" "But Jim, the game takes place in 1047AD!" "Hmm, you're right, this whole setting needs to be changed"...etc. Of course, that's the more subtle way that ads will ruin games, the obvious fact is that advertisers don't f*cking realize that people get tired of their f*cking ads, and they keep pusing more and more intrusive ads on us. For people who say "ads will only go as far as players are willing to put up with them" - see the internet. People develop pop-up blockers and flash blockers and ad blockers to avoid ads, and marketers just keep comming up with new ways to spew their crap forth into our minds- single mindeldly bent on infesting every single facet of our lives with ceaseless messages to buy buy buy their soda and pills and toothpaste.