In-Game Advertising: Like HELL it's okay.

[Argon]

Gamasutra, Gamespot, and just about every other gaming site has at some point listed that gamers would be "okay" with in-game advertising.

Now, that depends very heavily on what we mean by advertising.

If, instead of the "Choka-cola" machine, we have a Cocacola machine in Max Paine, that's fine. If, instead of going to McFries or whatever in GTA, we can rob McDonald's and make away with a bag full of big macs, I guess that's not really okay, but as far as adverts go no one would find it wrong.

But large-spanking shiny billboards with toothpaste commercials, some big plane that flies over telling you to by the newest XPS computer, or attacking us with blatant ads during "loading screens" or "before the game starts"?

I don't care how much money that would save off a game, the only games I play and are willing to suffer through things like that are exactly FREE.

There's a fine line between licensing (what games do to put real products in the video game world) and advertising, and the only real difference is who pays who. So if gaming is so big these days that licensing is now seen as a form of advertising, no one has anything to complain about, and I know for a fact that people might start robbing the GTA Mickey D's for fun. But if we're talking about the stuff that attacks us on TV, the popups that try to install malware on our PC, or those annoying door-to-door people who want a handful of your cash for something you didn't know exists but can't live without,

No Thank You.

Everyone agrees, right? Advertising is out, period. "Licensing" is different, and if done appropriately doesn't change a game at all. But I don't think the marketing departments in major companies are making that distinction.

The only thing I would like to see is in games like GTA is that we would be driving a "Mustang" not a "Stallion", that kind of thing, more realistic. I could really care less about in game adverts like billboards and stuff. I would rather not see ads in loading screens and what have you but honestly I could care less. These things are trivial at best and don't have anything to do with gameplay, therefore I don't care.

Would I prefer no ads? yes would I buy the game if it had ads at the load screens and billboards everywhere? Yes. It really depends on the game. if its an awesome game then well I would put up with more stuff to get to play it. the other question is. is this the price you pay for the high cost of developing for the PS3 and everything after? are dev costs getting so high that the risk is not worth it and so ads soften the blow for the devs?

[chedabob]

I really don't care. As long as it isn't annoying or intrusive. If I can get a game cheaper by having ads in it, I'll go for it.

[Romanc]

What you call licensing, I call product placement. I guess I can live with that in games, seeing that I've become quite used to it in movies and TV, I barely notice it anymore unless it's to blatant.

What I don't want is, like you said, advertising that interrupt gameplay or distracts from it. I'm against anything that dilutes the gaming experience.

[Fyrus]

My other thread explains what I don't like. I don't care about a billboard with circuit city on it, or a Coke machine in a game. But when they shove it down your throat it does the opposite of what they want. I could be saying, "Hey Mcdonalds thanks for giving me a free game." INstead I hate mcdonalds and am more likely to go to BK.

[Argon]

As I said:

You guys who think in-game advertising is going to shave off significant amounts of money, like anymore than $5 bucks off going price, may have a big surprise in for you. I'm guessing any more than $5 bucks and we're talking in-game commercials, not advertising.

Consider: the average TV show is, what, 30 minutes? About 6~8 minutes are usually commercials. that makes it a 6/30~8/30 ratio, or 20%~26% of your total watching time. How many of you guys are looking forward to spending 20% of your time in a game watching commercials? It would make the game a LOT cheaper, I promise you that. And it would suck balls.

[PirateThom]

Cool Spot, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Arcade Game, Zool...

All featured advertising, Cool Spot being an advertisement for 7UP in its self.

These were all good games though, advertising doesn't harm games when it's pushed to the back and not replacing gameplay.

[boffo]

I really don't expect anyone to be dropping the game prices just because there is advertising in the game. About all it does is help pay some of the cost in making the game. Until the time comes when we get massive advertising in games, ie. Halo 3 only for Xbox and presented by Mountain Dew, games will likely be the same price as all the other ones coming out for the same console. A billboard here, and a Big Mac there is not going to be enough to offset the price of a game.

[mhadf]

2 examples from the 360 are fight night round 3's sheff sponsored tournament and the blatant samsung product placement in perfect dark zero.

both were blatant and annoying, I play games to escape this sort of shit