I (As well as a majority of others) has become aware that a majority of publishers and developers are turning to in-game ads. I've also noticed that many gamers are in an uproar over it. I think this is crazy, because I think the ultimate goal of these "alliances" it's to increase the money needed for development; i.e. employees wage, longer development cycles, better dev tools, etc.. And in the end this is going to benefits us gamers the most. I know there can be overkill on in-game ads (cough..EA), but I think that most publishers and developers understand what's acceptable and what is excessive. For example; R6 Vegas, when you flew over LV in the helicopter did the AXE billboards effect the game-play? Or did they just seem part of the scenery? Or were they blatantly out of place and ruin the experience for you? I think all these temper-tatrums over in-game ads is crazy, and the gamer community needs to embrace the gaming industry becoming more mainstream and gaining accolades for the digital artists who deserve them.
Ads have been around for a while now, and none of those benefits have ever materialized. That's the problem.
The other thing is that ads are rarely well done in video games. Most of the time, you have one product that shows up over and over and over again in places that don't make sense. In Vegas 2, it really bugs me that an elite counter-terrorist unit is using the same brand for communication that I got for my wireless router at Best Buy, and that every time you get sent a message, you see the company logo. I could take it in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 2 when I got a free pizza with the game and had to see Pizza Hut ads though, because that actually made sense with the game.
I really don't mind them. The only in game ad that has ever bothered me was an ad for the Dodge Nitro in Crackdown. That was only because the Nitro looks like to quote a great man "A brick **** house."
I personally don't really care. I mean real-life has tons of ads. And also on a side note, one of my favorite games ever (Crazy Taxi) wouldn't have been as great as it was without ads basically everywhere :D!
Well, if the game is free, then I definitely don't mind. If the ads enhance the realism, such as ads on a soccer field, then fine. But otherwise, I'd rather they didn't put ads in full price games.
I think the biggest problem with the in-game ads is that they aren't very subtle and they show up EVERYWHERE! I highly doubt they're going to be advertising AXE in the middle of a city with casinos that rake in billions of dollars a year. Usually they're just a little too blatantly obvious and distracting.
If they are used in the right context then I am fine with it. As you said about the Axe Girl ads in Rainbow 6 that seems fine since you are going to see ads all over the place in Vegas and especially on a billboard. Now if your character's armor all of sudden has a Pizza Hut logo on it then I will lose some respect for that game.
I feel the same way about in game advertising as I do about seeing commercials before moves, or product placement in the movies themselves... Why am I paying more money for movies and games than I ever have before if these companies are also making money off of ad revenue? Product placement in games and movies can shatter my sense of immersion. I wrote a blog late last year about how the constant product placement in I Am Legend really got in the way of me enjoying the film. I realize not everyone sees things the same way, but I find advertising, contained in products that I've paid full price for, to be really frustrating. When the first five minutes of a movie are an advertisement for the Ford Mustang, it stops being a film, and starts being commercial garbage.
If they are used in the right context then I am fine with it. As you said about the Axe Girl ads in Rainbow 6 that seems fine since you are going to see ads all over the place in Vegas and especially on a billboard. Now if your character's armor all of sudden has a Pizza Hut logo on it then I will lose some respect for that game.Lostboy1224
I feel the same way. Besides I don't like Pizza Hut . More of a Dominoes guy.
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