APB To Use In-Game Audio Advertisements

Rock, Paper, Shotgun reports that upcoming action MMOG APB: All Points Bulletin will use in-game audio advertisements as part of its business model. The number of ads you hear will be limited: "you'll only hear an ad when you go into a new zone, and that's only once every three hours." Nevertheless, some gamers are upset that these ads will be included on top of APB's already unusual payment plans. The game is set for release next Tuesday. Producer Jesse Knapp says of Realtime Worlds' goals for APB, "We looked at other online action games, and we saw things we felt could be better. Only 12 to 32 players in a match, bad connection due to peer-to-peer, dead cities, way too much time in lobbies, things like that. So what we set out to do was to make a game that has that online player vs. player action game experience in a large city with other players around, no lobbies, dynamic matchmaking, dedicated servers, great experience, and that's been one of the driving factors of APB from the very beginning." CVG recently previewed the game.

Comments

Oh goodie

[Tridus]

So I get to pay full game price for the game, then get to pay for hours (or a normal subscription) to play it... AND I get annoying ads on top of that?

Gee, these guys sure know how to get me excited about playing a game!

Re:Oh goodie

[apoc.famine]

I'm starting to feel like an old, ornery codger, but you know, fuck this shit. I used to blow tons of money on games. In the last 5-7 years or so, it's become less and less and less. In the last year, I've purchased 8 games, which cost me a total of about $100. Most of these were either indie or older titles. None had a subscription. None had in-game advertising. None cost more than $30.

They adequately fill the time I have to waste on them, and they don't rip me off, nor piss me off.

I guess I'm old enough now that I don't need to buy any games. I don't need to have the latest shiny thing. In looking at all the fools who will pay way more for the game than it's worth, pay way more per month to play than is reasonable, and despite all that, sit through in-game ads, I feel like an idiot. I should be trying to sell them some useless garbage, rather than doing what I'm doing for a job now. There seems to be an endless supply of stupid people with too much money.

ads should only have a place in free products

[agrif]

As far as I'm concerned, ads have no place in something you're already paying for. This applies to television, radio, newspapers, phone applications, and websites. Advertisements have been creeping in to paid services more and more recently. I'm fine with ads in free things; I accept that's part of why they are free. But it pains me when I buy something that forces me to see any ads.

Now, the question is, how many of these things could be supported without any ads?

Re:ads should only have a place in free products

[ubersoldat2k7]

Video games are already ridiculously cheap in terms of entertainment time per dollar. They don't need to be any cheaper.

I'm not sure about this. Compared to what? With movies? Yes. With music? Probably. With throwing rocks at birds? I Don't think so! With sex? Depends.

Re:Pardon?

[Anonymous Coward]

Unusual in the sense of "not common".

Not common != crappy payment plans.

You defense was unnecessary.

Re:Pardon?

[Dachannien]

Have you heard of Guild Wars?

Re:Nice info getting after pre-ordering

[Tridus]

Moral of the story: pre-orders are for suckers.

The game will be easy to buy at release, or even better, two weeks after release. By then, all these little details marketing would rather you not know when buying will be public, along with the bugs and problem lists.

There is no good reason to shell out money for a game months in advance with no idea what you're really going to get on release day. If you do and stuff like this happens, you get what you deserve.

Lowest Common Denominator

[pandrijeczko]

I don't know why these types of stories actually get posted on Slashdot because the comments on here are in no way going to be a reflection of what happens in the real world.

If you read Slashdot then the chances are you're part geek & part interested in technology, maybe even techically savvy. That probably makes you above average intelligence (and that's not just trying to pander to everyone on Slashdot BTW) which therefore means that you're probably less susceptible to marketing "tricks of the trade" and advertising.

However, I suspect *most* of the people (including young kids or teenagers) who play games don't read Slashdot - and are probably not too bothered about adverts in games, especially if it's their parents who have forked out the money to pay for them.

Personally, I hope that marketing and advertising people will be the first against the wall when the revolution comes, but I do give them some credit in being able to justify their own salaries by generating product sales through their methods of advertising - which are ultimately aimed at the lowest common denominator of games players.

So whatever the view on Slashdot about in-game advertising (and I myself have a black & white view that stuff should be free with adverts or paid for without adverts), it is not going to be an indicator of what will really happen in terms of games sales.

Re:W T F

[swordgeek]

Unfortunately, this is true. You can't say "don't double-dip" to a company. If it's profitable, they'll double-dip, triple-dip, and then sell you an expansion pack every six months. This isn't gaming though, this is life. Companies will do whatever they can get away with to bump up their profits.

I disagree with the statement that 'gamers have a high tolerance for this sort of thing', though. People in general have a fairly short "outrage window." Kick them in the groin, they complain bitterly and swear they won't do business with you. Then you can apologise and kick them in the shins, and they'll be grateful (or at least tolerant) because you're not kicking them in the groin anymore. Of course a year later you can start kicking them in the head, and when they complain bitterly, go back to "only" kicking them in the groin.