Google to Work its Advertising Mojo in Videogames Soon
Posted 07/31/08 at 09:10:18 AM | by Pulkit Chandna
In-game advertising is the need of the hour as game production costs continue to mount. Additionally, it presents a huge opportunity to companies like Google with valuable ad brokering experience. The contextual ads giant is keen on leaving its mark in the fledgling in-game advertising market, too. It has been polishing its “AdSense for Games” service – first announced in 2007 – for quite some time now.
It has developed a new technology specifically for in-game advertising. However, if the initial information about the new technology is to be believed, Google’s in-game ads might not be all that subtle but a tad intrusive: imagine a game’s central character abruptly interrupting the game with something like “and now a word from our sponsor” or “the game continues after the following message.” Google has its task cutout as Double Fusion, IGA Worldwide, Microsoft’s Massive, MochiMedia and NeoEdge Networks are already in the fray.
Colossi like Google almost always telegraph their foray into a new market with an acquisition. And Google honored the tradition by acquiring in-game advertising company Adscape for $23 million in February, 2007 and announced its ambitions.
Do you think that video ads are intrusive and subtly placed ads should be persisted with, or am i the only one making all the fuss?
Image Credit: FPSRantings
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Don't want to see them!
Submitted by musicman172001 on Fri, 2008-08-01 08:48
The last thing I want to see in my games whether subtle or intrusive are real ads (especially the ones that change according to your habits). I'm bombarded by ads everywhere I look. Gaming is the one place I go to seek refuge from that type of crap.
Submitted by Queenof1 on Thu, 2008-07-31 12:29
This reminds me of Crazy Taxi. I think there's a KFC and Pizza Hut in the game. Intrusive? I don't think so. It makes the game more believeable. Also in Grand Turismo, there are oodles of ads, just like at a real race track.
As long as the ad is
Submitted by dedgar on Thu, 2008-07-31 10:30
As long as the ad is something like a billboard or some sort of signage I'm ok with it. But the first time one of those characters turns to the screen and says "Hi, I'm Billy Mays...." I'm gonna torch the disc.
Meh
Submitted by WindowsXP on Thu, 2008-07-31 09:27
An in game ad here or there isnt a problem. Like Muerte said, keep the ad in a place where it belongs. Dont put a Best-Buy ad in BF2142 or Oblivion!
If ads DO become intrusive, thats when Id get angry. Dont mess with my loading screen, respawn screen, ect. Dont put a flurry of ads, or dare I say it, unskippable ones when the game loads up! Please, the only ads I should see while entering servers in games such as BF2 should only be the ads of the server and/or clan itself.
In Game Ads arent a big problem for me now, but im guessing the in game ad businisse isnt going to change until EVERYONE makes a fuss about it. Hopefully in game ads wont be in the hands of coporate monsters by then, where money speaks and decides everything.
ingame advertising has
Submitted by AndyYankee17 on Thu, 2008-07-31 08:54
ingame advertising has already existed for a while
"[Game Company] Recommends Nvidea for a true gaming experiance"
Now I wouldn't mind an ad while a game loads, or billboards, but only if the game's cheaper for the consumer and not lining some CEO's wallet
Submitted by Muerte on Thu, 2008-07-31 08:13
Ads are one of the many species of cockroaches in modern society. You have to have some ads to make the game, if its set in modern era, believable. But to stop a game to push a product is inexcusable.
Put them where it makes sense to put them and I'm okay. when I start seeing placements of ads that just shouldn't be there, that's when I stop buying from that company.
Ads
Submitted by b_boy_69_00 on Thu, 2008-07-31 08:03
They don't bother me as long as they aren't intrusive, sometimes they actually enhance the game, NFS Pro Street for example. But if they are plastered all over the walls in game or if they stop the game to show and ad I will never buy another product from that company no matter how great it is.
They're going too far
Submitted by TheUltimateGamer2006 on Thu, 2008-07-31 07:48
Ads like this could keep me from buying a game. I like the subtle ads though, like billboards and posters and such, because they make the game more believable for me. But having a video ad pop up like that would tear the immersiveness right out of a game.
Submitted by lostcause64 on Thu, 2008-07-31 07:31
The subtle ads wouldn't bother me at all, as I doubt I'd notice during the heat of battle, and I don't have issue with advertising in games if it helps keep the costs down. However, like mentioned in the article, the first time my gaming adrenaline is interupted by "a word from our sponsor", they will get the complete game mailed to them in the ashes of whatever they were trying to sell me.
John
Try to be smarter than the object you're working with! It will make things easier, and might just save your life...
ads
Submitted by dwr50 on Thu, 2008-07-31 07:20
This is going too far... I won't be buying any game with in game advertising. I hope the first games out with advertising loose big, so it will put a stop to this crap before it spreads.
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