Ads in Games? Good or Bad?

[Guest keta]

2 years ago I did an online survey about ads in games and I am now updating that data. I would therefore be happy if some of

you would participate in the new survey:

 

http://www.creativeforge.net/survey/

 

Thank you!

 

The results will be displayed at the same address.

[World's Worst Man 0]

The problem with a question like "Does the appearance of advertising enhance the realism of a game?" is that it really depends on how and where it's presented. I have no problem with in-game advertising, especially if it helps defers the cost of the game, but only if the advertising isn't gratuitous or invasive towards gameplay. For example, if I'm playing some FPS game set in the real world, the appearance of billboards or other forms of advertisement is perfectly reasonable, and actually adds to the realism of the game. Rainbow Six Vegas being a prime example of that. But if I'm playing some fantasy game in a non-modern setting, those advertisements are unrealistic and superfluous. If the advertisements are interrupting the game, it's a different story obviously, and in-game advertising should never go that far. Otherwise, if the advertisements are presented in a proper fashion and context, I think it's quite acceptable, and even a positive in some cases.

[yankovic fan 0]

The problem with a question like "Does the appearance of advertising enhance the realism of a game?" is that it really depends on how and where it's presented. I have no problem with in-game advertising, especially if it helps defers the cost of the game, but only if the advertising isn't gratuitous or invasive towards gameplay. For example, if I'm playing some FPS game set in the real world, the appearance of billboards or other forms of advertisement is perfectly reasonable, and actually adds to the realism of the game. Rainbow Six Vegas being a prime example of that. But if I'm playing some fantasy game in a non-modern setting, those advertisements are unrealistic and superfluous. If the advertisements are interrupting the game, it's a different story obviously, and in-game advertising should never go that far. Otherwise, if the advertisements are presented in a proper fashion and context, I think it's quite acceptable, and even a positive in some cases.

 

 

I think he wants you to click his little link haha.

 

I had no problem with advertisements as long as they don't interrupt the game play. I'd hate to be, for arguement sake, on world 8-4 and Mario look at me and says "Buy Snacky Smores." But if there was a Snacky Smores sign in Mushroom Kingdom, then hey, whatever... just not over the top stuff.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

You can count on us, Mr. President. Major Nougat! Gooey! Cocoa! Put down those entertaining Mattel products! Colonel Kataffy is up to his old tricks!

 

[AndrewTS 0]

Fake advertisements, plz. No good really ever comes of real ones.

 

And most of the games that *are* ads are terrible (lousy licensed movie-cash-in games).

 

EA should be under no circumstances permitted to do it, especially.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

I read an article (I think in EGM) awhile back that pretty much scared me into believing ads in games were the best thing ever. The gist (which funny enough seems to be something I've only heard out of the above mentioned EA) is with every generation's upgrades, production becomes costlier and the lack of savings are passed on to the consumer.. but ads, those wonderful ads, will help us not pay $100 for a Xbox 360 game.

[AndrewTS 0]

Yeah, "passing the savings on to the consumer." Suuure.

 

Which games have actually done that?

[World's Worst Man 0]

I read an article (I think in EGM) awhile back that pretty much scared me into believing ads in games were the best thing ever. The gist (which funny enough seems to be something I've only heard out of the above mentioned EA) is with every generation's upgrades, production becomes costlier and the lack of savings are passed on to the consumer.. but ads, those wonderful ads, will help us not pay $100 for a Xbox 360 game.

 

It's not a bad idea in theory, but the developers don't seem to be passing any of that financial onto the consumers as of yet. There's also the problem that only a few games can have in-game advertising without it seeming totally gratuitous. Like I said, when it's in the right context, it can actually add to the realism and environment of a game, but if it's not, then it's a giant annoyance and slap in the face to the consumers. Unless the game is free of course.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Drew (who hasn't added me to his Wii list yet!), I believe I said "production becomes costlier and the lack of savings are passed on to the consumer".

[AndrewTS 0]

Drew (who hasn't added me to his Wii list yet!), I believe I said "production becomes costlier and the lack of savings are passed on to the consumer".

 

Oh, I'd thought the article was that old chestnut about how games are going to become cheaper(!) because of ads. So it's changed to "it'll help keep the games at current costs!"? I guess I haven't been keeping up with large publishers' pro-ad claptrap.

 

Why is Shadowrun 50 bucks on PC and 60 on 360? Oh yeah, just because.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

I wouldn't say it was pro-ad, it was basically EA saying "Godfather on 360 should cost $100" (or games that would require similar production costs in the future) and that game ads in sports games and such help keep costs normal.

[AndrewTS 0]

I wouldn't say it was pro-ad, it was basically EA saying "Godfather on 360 should cost $100" (or games that would require similar production costs in the future) and that game ads in sports games and such help keep costs normal.

 

Yeah, a real trustworthy source.

 

I thought EA's creative exploitation of the XBLA marketplace, slave-driving their developers, refusal of OT pay, removal of their football game competition, cheap/high-profit licensed cash-in titles, *and* the yearly 50/60 dollar Madden roster updates (among likely many, many others) are what helped keep costs normal.

 

They'd sell Godfather on 360 for $100 if they could get away with it, regardless of production costs. I'm shocked they haven't released a $70+ version of Madden, yet.

[AlexPuma 0]

I don't mind as as long as their not intrusive. And only in games where it would make sense too. In games like Gran Turismo, it actually enhances the game to see in game ads on the side of the road. It would seem out of place, though, if I was playing Zelda and there happened to be a McDonalds in Kakariko Village.

 

Fake ads seem to work in games that try not to present itself as real life. Grand Theft Auto and Mario Kart 64 are both games that used fake ads wonderfully.

[luke-o 0]

Some advertising is really subtle

[El Psycho Diablo 0]

I'll agree with one of the earlier posts: If it makes sense like Rainbow Six Vegas, I'm okay with it.

 

Like EA does it though, no. I remember one of the Need for Speed games had a big honking cellphone logo (Cingular, IIRC) at all times.

[dubq 0]

As said above, if it's in games where it makes sense.. ie: billboards in GTA, or signs in Rainbow Six, etc. then it's fine.

 

A big NO to it if it's in:

- fantasy / rpg games or any other game that doesn't take place in "this world/realm/time period"

- the form of loading screens - it doesn't sound so bad at first, but it would easily annoy the shit out of me to see an ad for Pepsi or something every time a scene or level was loading.

 

[Jingus 0]

I would therefore be happy if some of you would participate in the new survey:

I would therefore be happy if questions # 6, 7, 9, and 11 would actually work and give me a way to answer them. I see nothing but a blank space underneath 'em.

 

 

But in general, yeah, ads in games are BAD things. Not as bad as commercials before movies in theaters, but pretty damned bad.

[DrVenkman PhD 0]

Apparently quoting something you read in 2005 without ever stating you believed it or not is grounds to be spoken back to with a tone of attitude.

 

Anyway, I thought that KFC and Taco Bell being in Crazy Taxi - which was over 7 years ago now - was pretty cool. Again, it all goes to how the advertising is presented, which has been said at least 6 times already but unless you're just dead set against it (without bothering to state why or what the problem with proper, contextual ads are), it should be the view of the majority.

 

It would be a sad day if a load screen in a game was plastered with a "Subway - Eat Fresh " logo for absolutely no reason, but if that's where the main character gets his food from (assuming it's set in our world), or it's mentioned in an unforced manner in dialogue, or a billboard, or the like, what's the harm?

[World's Worst Man 0]

DrVenkman gets the square.

[Maztinho 0]

What you wouldn't want Chicken McNugget Bombs in an RPG setting? Or a spell called King Size Me? Come on.

 

 

I'll just parrot what the majority have said, if the game is in a modern context and isn't a load screen or what not. I see no problems with it.

[Darthtiki 0]

I'll agree with one of the earlier posts: If it makes sense like Rainbow Six Vegas, I'm okay with it.

 

Like EA does it though, no. I remember one of the Need for Speed games had a big honking cellphone logo (Cingular, IIRC) at all times.

 

I think it depends on the EA game, like Need for Speed I see the arguement for no ads. In the case of sports games, I'd rather see the real ads in a venue than the developer or one single sponsor. For example, in NHL I want to see ads for Tim Hortons (for Canadian teams) or in the case of my beloved Ducks a Del Taco, OC Register, Carls Jr and Broadcom ad on the boards.

[Karnage 0]

I'm fine with something like a hockey game with ads for Bauer or something on the boards but generally, games should avoid real advertising.

Something like Gratuitous shots of a Sony Ericsson in Splinter Cell isn't necessary. Fake ads on the other hand are brilliant. Like Freckle Bitches in Saints Row, Wigglys Gum in some old DOS basketball game, etc.

[Jericholic82 0]

I wouldn't say it was pro-ad, it was basically EA saying "Godfather on 360 should cost $100" (or games that would require similar production costs in the future) and that game ads in sports games and such help keep costs normal.

 

Yeah, a real trustworthy source.

 

I thought EA's creative exploitation of the XBLA marketplace, slave-driving their developers, refusal of OT pay, removal of their football game competition, cheap/high-profit licensed cash-in titles, *and* the yearly 50/60 dollar Madden roster updates (among likely many, many others) are what helped keep costs normal.

 

They'd sell Godfather on 360 for $100 if they could get away with it, regardless of production costs. I'm shocked they haven't released a $70+ version of Madden, yet.

they have, the collectors edition of madden for 360 last year was 69.99 plus tax

[AndrewTS 0]

Oh--*unshocked.*

 

Ah yes, forgot about "collector's editions." Fine if the extras are pointless fluff, lame if they include anything I'd actually want.

[Guest keta]

wow. I did not expect so many people to respond to the survey. Thank you !

 

As for the questions, they all seem to work at the computers and browsers I tested them. The 2005 reference is a glitch though. As I said it is the same survey I did in 2005, and I apparently missed to update the title Anyway, the results seem to differ quite from the 2005 survey, so this is getting really interesting.

 

I will make the results publicly available (for free of course!!!) at the same address, so please go on filling out the survey!

 

[Jingus 0]

As for the questions, they all seem to work at the computers and browsers I tested them.

I guess you never tested it on an iMac using Safari, then.

 

For those questions, this is what I see:

Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement:

The appearance of a brand enhances the realism of a game.

 

 

 

 

 

Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement:

Brand appearances and advertisements in a game are a good thing if they lower the cost of the game or make it freely available.

 

 

 

 

 

Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement:

An option to turn advertisments / brand appearances in a game completely off should only be made available for players who pay for the game.

(Please select only one of the following)

 

 

 

 

 

Please indicate the extent to which you agree or disagree with the following statement:

In-game advertisements for non-real-life brands are an enhancement for the game if the advertised product is available in-game.

[Guest keta]

As for the questions, they all seem to work at the computers and browsers I tested them.

I guess you never tested it on an iMac using Safari, then.

ugh....on a what?!

Well then. My apologies to all Safari users. You will never ever get the pleasure to know what those most important questions were. That is... unless you check back in two weeks time or so, when the results will be published. For the rest of the world: please go on filling out the survey!

 

The McDonalds Gladiators box cracked me up

[AndrewTS 0]

As for the questions, they all seem to work at the computers and browsers I tested them.

I guess you never tested it on an iMac using Safari, then.

 

Neither do most banking sites.

 

-------------> mozilla.com

[Guest keta]

Rejoice fellow Safari users. From next week on you will be able to see the results.

 

And for all the others : please go on filling it out !

[Mike wanna be 0]

Why's it bad to have logos on the loading screens? I mean, if it's a designated "Loading..." screen anyway, realism's snapped anyway by the frozen-in-time thing, so if they slap an ad on there, go for it. I probably flipped over back to Vid1 to watch TV 2 seconds into the load anyway.

 

And what good are in-game advertisements anyway? The only way they'd get me to buy something is if they offered a sale or a coupon somewhere. I'm not going to go get a sub at Subway just because Frank West picked one up, said "Mmm" and gained six health bars.