I wonder if we'll eventually wind up with people who just like gaming aesthetics, but have little love for the actual games themselves. Like teenagers who dress like ravers and listen to Top 40?

-sigh- This is that bittersweet feeling you get when you hear a good indie band play behind a commercial for Volkswagen or the NFL.

Video games provide a great outlet for advertising, because, in a way, they let you try new products without really having it in your face, as is the case with television. I can hear new music in my sports games, I can test-drive cool cars in my racing games, and dress my characters in hip brands of clothing in Tony Hawk (and no, I don't care if skateboarding has been ruined by advertisers). Yet, all this advertising isn't intrusive as a commerical on TV.

I'm not saying advertising is good or bad for games. But using the brands in a proper context within the framework of the game could be a really effective way to advertise. I just hope I don't see Link getting his hearts filled at McDonalds or Solid Snake training for his new mission at a Crunch gym.

And "Game Over" is a terrible show. I'm actually waiting for the series creators to be tried at Nuremberg.

"Video killed the radio star"

I can't tell you the last time I listened to the radio. It became so annoying between the "playlist" and the ads I couldn't take it anymore. The DJ's doing one anothers shtick (sp?), morning radio became the corniest of all (strippers, crank calls, etc). Mainstream TV sucks too and I'm thrilled to see them both on the run. The tide will turn and maybe these mediums will step it up. Thankyou Gamers, one and all!

"Video killed the radio star"

I can't tell you the last time I listened to the radio. It became so annoying between the "playlist" and the ads I couldn't take it anymore. The DJ's doing one anothers shtick (sp?), morning radio became the corniest of all (strippers, crank calls, etc). Mainstream TV sucks too and I'm thrilled to see them both on the run. The tide will turn and maybe these mediums will step it up. Thankyou Gamers, one and all!

"Video killed the radio star"

I can't tell you the last time I listened to the radio. It became so annoying between the "playlist" and the ads I couldn't take it anymore. The DJ's doing one anothers shtick (sp?), morning radio became the corniest of all (strippers, crank calls, etc). Mainstream TV sucks too and I'm thrilled to see them both on the run. The tide will turn and maybe these mediums will step it up. Thankyou Gamers, one and all!

To reference Jane's earlier appology to her college radio friends, I have to say that college radio stations basically the only good radio left in the United States. My personal favorite, RadioK, broadcasting out of my home town of Minneapolis are the only reason I hold a soft place for radio in my heart these days (other than nostalgia for my time as a college radio DJ in Chicago). Real radio is community focused, peppered with local music that you can listen to live this weekend for less than $10 cover.

P.S. RadioK is in the middle of a pledge drive this week. So if you listen, be prepared.

Over here in Belgium, radio is still big. This is because radio-stations here deliver quality: few adds, good dj's, great music.

Video games don't kill radio, crappy radio kills radio.

"Over here in Belgium, radio is still big."
Yes, I live in Germany next to the Belgian border and you have some great stations there. Even German stations go there because of the taxes... ;)

I think the problem of television and radio is advertisement. People download mp3s or movies at Kazaa. Digital reveivers are able to block ads. The people are going to destroy their media, that is the big problem. We live in a society where everybody wants to get everything for free...

"Over here in Belgium, radio is still big."
Yes, I live in Germany next to the Belgian border and you have some great stations there. Even German stations go there because of the taxes... ;)

I think the problem of television and radio is advertisement. People download mp3s or movies at Kazaa. Digital receivers are able to block ads. The people are going to destroy their media, that is the big problem. We live in a society where everybody wants to get everything for free...

Have y'all seen this news about Nielsen's decision to develop ranking technology that can measure the impact of in-game advertising?

This strikes me as one more factor nudging the industry towards a best-seller/franchise-driven business model. High ad rankings will drive higher ad prices for the next installment in the series, while less popular titles will languish.

I think that if the sums involved are large enough, it could really skew development decisionts. Would Sega have done Panzer Dragoon Orta if they knew that they could get a couple of million for in-game advertising in a new Crazy Taxi game?

What do you think?

yeah, i saw that... and it's disheartening because in the infancy of video game culture, we are so sophisticated about comsumerism that we have the tools to consign gaming forever into a commercial ghetto. by contrast (and i know you're all tired of this analogy but) marketing was not nearly so technically advanced in the early days of film, which allowed cinema room, i think, to branch out into many different directions - of course there were highly commercial films (and still are, obviously) but there is also space for material not at all interested in promoting a product.

i hope that video games will be afforded that chance, in spite of the current climate.

It will be very interesting to see how this whole advertising in video games plays out. The thing about product placement in movies is that the products have to fit in with the setting of the film, otherwise they stand out as glaring breaks in the fantasy and the benefit of the placement is canceled out by the ill-will caused by the intrusion.

I imagine that it'll be the same with video games. There's plenty of room for 'authentic' advertising in sports games and racing games. In fact, there might even be player demand for it. They want their Hockey rinks to look as close to the real thing as possible. They want to be able to pimp out their NFS:Underground cards with all the official decals.

The thing is that a very large percentage of the video game world is made up of fantasy and science fiction settings. Those settings would presumably be as immune to product placement as Star Wars and Lord of the Rings.

On the other hand, I can envision a world of unskippable commercials masquerading as loading screens as well as Metroid Happy Meals and Jak & Daxter gas station cups.

One of the things that video games (at least the PC side of video games) have going for them is that the barrier to entry for creating your own content is much lower than the barrier for making your own film. I think, Jane, that the mod scene will afford games all the room that they need in the current climate.

TOTALLY PW3ND 1337 HAPPI MEALS

25 PERCENT LESS ZERG RUSHES.

Personally I only care about advertising if it seems totally out of place. Used carefully in-game advertising can enhance the experience of being there by using brands that we're used to seeing in the background. It creates a sense of familiarity. Like the advertising in Project Gotham, or in the Japanese version of Shenmue the Coke machines. Its the kind of thing we take for granted in the real world.

I'd be extremely pissed if I saw an ad in a fantasy game though. I could possibly tolerate the idea in the server select for MMOGs or outside promotional tie-ins.

Personally I only care about advertising if it seems totally out of place. Used carefully in-game advertising can enhance the experience of being there by using brands that we're used to seeing in the background. It creates a sense of familiarity. Like the advertising in Project Gotham, or in the Japanese version of Shenmue the Coke machines. Its the kind of thing we take for granted in the real world.

I'd be extremely pissed if I saw an ad in a fantasy game though. I could possibly tolerate the idea in the server select for MMOGs or outside promotional tie-ins.

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Posted by: outsider on April 11, 2006 09:05 AM