In-Game Advertising/Product Placement in Games

[DMKA]

So I just got InFamous 2 and I jumped off a building and when I landed and turned around to my utter dismay I was standing in front of....a Subway restaurant.

http://i1199.photobucket.com/albums/aa478/ZBlacktt1/SAM_0690.jpg

ITT discuss product placement/in game ads you've seen while playing.

[Mo-Nercy]

If it's there in a way that doesn't affect the gameplay, such as a billboard in a sandbox game or in a racing game, I'm not bothered by it at all. If that ad revenue has gone towards making the game better than it otherwise may have been, it can only be a good thing.

If it ever gets to the stage when we're buying a game called Pepsi Max Presents GTA 12, that's probably a bit overboard. =]

[Madonna]

The loading screens in Wipeout HD have commercials built into them.

[Jessweeee♪]

I don't mind it as long as it's natural. Like on billboards in a game like Mirror's Edge, or actual restaurants on the streets like in the screenshot you provided. It could potentially be pretty neat. I'd be annoyed if they started showing commercials during loading screens--that could lead to a trend of purposefully making them longer to gain more ad revenue. Little pop-ups like you see in Youtube videos would also be annoying.

[Iceglow]

I think that product placement in games can be both done well and badly. Stuff like that which you've posted is when it's done well. When it's something totally obnoxiously intrusive to the game play then it's not done well and well then I get put off the game. I will say, a very good example of it I've seen is actually the Gillette Fusion vans in Burnout Paradise City you see driving around. Considering the game actively rewards you for smashing your competitors off the road, it's not obnoxiously intrusive at all.

[Ouch!]

Frankly, I don't see what's wrong with what you pictured at all.

[NorthernChaosGod]

Stuff like billboards or restaurants wouldn't bother me if they make sense being there. Most of the games I tend to play could not pull it off though; blatant advertisement in games like Halo or Gears of War would piss me off.

[Polnareff]

Run Like Hell had Bawls vending machines everywhere.

Jet Moto had Mountain Dew barriers along the courses.

That's all I can really think of. Oh, and Crazy Taxi has actual franchises all over its town, like KFC, Pizza Hut, etc.

[Iceglow]

Stuff like billboards or restaurants wouldn't bother me if they make sense being there. Most of the games I tend to play could not pull it off though; blatant advertisement in games like Halo or Gears of War would piss me off.

You never know, in the 2500s Mountain Dew might still be drunk. Or Budweiser, so Halo could pull of some digital advertisements/billboards for it's backgrounds/battlefields but it would need to be subtle and look natural.

[Jessweeee♪]

To amend what I said in my previous post about billboards in a game like Mirror's Edge, if it actually popped up in a sequel, I hope it in no way clashes with the whole white and primary color scheme. It's just so pretty!

[Shattered Dreamer]

Every single EA Sports title has tons of advertisements. I think one of the Spiderman titles on the PS2 had adverts for other Activision on billboards dotted all over New York.

[Carl the Llama]

TBH I am surprised games companies do not advertise their other titles in game, completely free advertising and in a format I think most gamers would not object to.

[DMKA]

Frankly, I don't see what's wrong with what you pictured at all.

I...never said there was anything wrong with it...I just don't particularly fancy Subway. :p

[Hollycat]

In 3rd birthday, SE put an ad for itself in level 4. In rachet and clank games there are jak ads and visa versa

[Carl the Llama]

In 3rd birthday, SE put an ad for itself in level 4. In rachet and clank games there are jak ads and visa versa

I was wondering if someone would pick up on that, Kudos to you Mr. HC

[Timekeeper]

It's probably a little too blatant, but I have these two games for my Mega Drive :D

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/e/ec/Cool_spot_box_art.jpg/250px-Cool_spot_box_art.jpghttp://cdn0.spong.com/pack/m/i/mickmackgl187680m/_-Mick-Mack-Global-Gladiators-Sega-Master-System-_.jpg

[KentaRawr!]

In 3rd birthday, SE put an ad for itself in level 4. In rachet and clank games there are jak ads and visa versa

icwutudidthar

[Del Murder]

I have no problem with product placement in games or TV. Whatever lets them make their money and they don't have to get it from me.

[NorthernChaosGod]

You'd be okay with commercials in games?

[VeloZer0]

I'd be ok if the extra revenue made games cheaper. I would still prefer paying more for the game, but I think it is a reasonable trade off.

[Carl the Llama]

I'd be ok if the extra revenue made games cheaper. I would still prefer paying more for the game, but I think it is a reasonable trade off.

I seriously doubt that this would ever happen, can you say that if you were a the owner of a games company that you would turn down extra cash, of course you wouldn't, I seriously doubt games would ever get cheaper because of some adverts.

[VeloZer0]

No, but as games get more expensive it could help off set development costs. In all honesty you are probably right about it not fitting in with the conventional off the shelf box model. But gaming is also adopting many other revenue models (digital transaction/subscription/freemium/ect..) and I don't think it is unreasonable that advertisements could play a role in some future model, as they do in TV already.

[Caelheim]

I'm firmly against product placement and advertisement in games simply because I believe that such things should not be forced upon us in every aspect of our often hectic lives. Whenever I play a game, I want to immerse myself in the setting for a few hours at a time...which is pretty much why I favour RPG's.

Then again, I have a rather dark view of society as a whole. To me, advertisement is nothing more than a subtle means of brainwashing the masses and ensuring their attention is drawn to purchasing or wanting particular things. It's also troubling just how much wealth and resources are wasted on creating advertisements each year.

[Giga Guess]

So long as it's done in an organic fashion, I have no issue. A real life restaurant, rather than having to cook up a lawyer-friendly name, or something on a billboard, where a billboard should be? Fine. Changing "Potions" to "Coca-Cola," I would object to.

[Mirage]

It has to be done in a way that fits with the setting of the game world, such as stores or advertisements that could actually exist in the area you're playing. Mt. Dew billboards in FF13-2? No thanks. Motorsport-related billboards in GT5? No problem, it even adds to the realism.

[Del Murder]

You'd be okay with commercials in games?
Not at all. I mentioned TV because I would prefer they use product placement instead of commercials.

[Polnareff]

TBH I am surprised games companies do not advertise their other titles in game, completely free advertising and in a format I think most gamers would not object to.

Capcom actually did this with several of their games. The Rival Schools series comes to mind first though.

[Del Murder]

So...you like Castlevania, don't you?

[KentaRawr!]

For that line to appear in MGS, you have to actually have a Castlevania save file on your system, so it's not exactly advertisement. :p