A gamer’s nightmare: Trials for in-game ads begin
Well, it looks like there’s no turning back now.
As it turns out, Valve is starting to test out the use of in-game ads for their titles, and the first guinea pig for this experiment is none other than Counterstrike 1.6 (screenies above, both courtesy of SK Gaming). Despite the flurry of protests that the mere mention of in-game advertising tends to generate, many game companies may soon be following Valve’s lead.
While some fans argue that the sight of a real-world item being advertised inside a game tends to be detrimental to the whole experience, devs have noted that this form of advertising is actually beneficial for everyone in the long run.
After all, it generates revenue for game-makers.
Revenue equals more (and better) games.
More games equals happy gamers.
On top of that, there have been promises that the ads will remain discreet and out of the player’s way.
At the moment, Valve is displaying advertisements for Portal and the upcoming Orange and Black boxes, all of which are their own products.
There have been earlier reports that Google ads may also end up invading the gaming world, and this has caused many to fear the possibility of having to encounter an in-game advertisement for Starbucks in a war-torn, World War II setting. After all, can you imagine running into an ad for McDonald’s as you’re crawling the trenches in games like Call of Duty or Brothers In Arms? Or perhaps one for Pedigree puppy food during an Unreal Tournament deathmatch?
On the other hand, there are also those who are willing to reach a compromise between revenue generation for the game companies and immersive gaming experience for the gamers. One point of this compromise involve the conditions which specify that ads that appear in games must be carefully chosen to match the theme and setting of the game itself.
Read the rest of the article after the Jump!
Well, it looks like there’s no turning back now.
As it turns out, Valve is starting to test out the use of in-game ads for their titles, and the first guinea pig for this experiment is none other than Counterstrike 1.6 (screenies above, both courtesy of SK Gaming). Despite the flurry of protests that the mere mention of in-game advertising tends to generate, many game companies may soon be following Valve’s lead.
While some fans argue that the sight of a real-world item being advertised inside a game tends to be detrimental to the whole experience, devs have noted that this form of advertising is actually beneficial for everyone in the long run.
After all, it generates revenue for game-makers.
Revenue equals more (and better) games.
More games equals happy gamers.
On top of that, there have been promises that the ads will remain discreet and out of the player’s way.
At the moment, Valve is displaying advertisements for Portal and the upcoming Orange and Black boxes, all of which are their own products.
There have been earlier reports that Google ads may also end up invading the gaming world, and this has caused many to fear the possibility of having to encounter an in-game advertisement for Starbucks in a war-torn, World War II setting. After all, can you imagine running into an ad for McDonald’s as you’re crawling the trenches in games like Call of Duty or Brothers In Arms? Or perhaps one for Pedigree puppy food during an Unreal Tournament deathmatch?
On the other hand, there are also those who are willing to reach a compromise between revenue generation for the game companies and immersive gaming experience for the gamers. One point of this compromise involve the conditions which specify that ads that appear in games must be carefully chosen to match the theme and setting of the game itself. (An ad for Subway sandwiches while you’re sniping away in 1942 Germany? Nuh-uh.)
Then there’s the proposal to release two versions of the game. The pricier one which contains no ads, and the much cheaper version which contains advertisements. Could these possibly be acceptable middle ground for all parties? Either way, both ends of the conversation need to remember several vital things.
First, consumers must bear in mind that no matter what they say, companies will be companies. And this basically means that they are businesses, first and foremost. They have costs to cover, people to pay, and resources to maintain. Game developers, background artists, scorers, renderers, and programmers all want to make a decent living, just like you and me.
Producing game discs with pretty covers and awesome graphics takes money, and even the most pure-hearted and most dedicated member of the industry will need some place to get the necessary funds from. Advertising is a great way to make money. Now, we just have to put two and two together.
Next up, members of the game industry must never forget that the reason why people play games is because they want to be entertained. For a few hours a day, they just want to escape for a while and temporarily forget about the bills, the deadlines, the stress, the projects, and just simply unwind for a bit by either blasting zombies away or shooting sentient rabbits with plungers. This desire to escape and this willingness to be entertained is the seed from which a loyal following springs from, and this fact must be recognized and respected at all times.
People work hard and pay money just to be able to have the chance to get something they enjoy, i.e. the games that they love. Therefore, it’s up to the makers of the games to not disappoint. How do they do this, in this particular situation? By not ruining it for everyone by reminding them of their boss (who requires them to grab a coffee from Starbucks every morning), of the groceries that need to be bought (Wal-Mart ads on a wall in ancient China?), and the credit card bills piling up (a MasterCard logo in GTA, is not – and probably never will be – a good idea).
Bottomline is, people must recognize the fact that this is a symbiotic relationships of sorts. However, if one party goes too far and demands too much without giving back, everything just morphs into something parasitic.
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