In-Game Advertising - Yay or Nay?
Dynamic advertising in gaming has been talked about a lot. It's an idea that has been floating around for years. It would be like seeing the banner ads on web pages on billboards around your city made in "SimCity." Those ads would constantly be changing.
One way I think dynamic ads would work well would be for online games. The ads could take the place of monthly subscription fees. Racing games, virtual worlds, sports games all would be appropriate. Halo - not so much.
I bring up the topic of in-game advertising because IGA, an advertising network, will be partnering with EA to bring dynamic ads to "The Sims 3" world. This may be the perfect world for dynamic ads. Can you imagine talking your Sim downtown and seeing ads for the latest movies you want to see? Billboards for restaurants you love? Maybe even the ability to purchase books on the best-seller lists? What do you think? Can you stand seeing more ads or do you get enough in your real life? I think I see ads so often I don't even consciously notice them anymore.
Comments
This sounds really quite cool. I’m all for it.
OMG – this is OLD news. Dynamic, real-time, in-game advertising has been taking place for years!
I HATE in-game ads. I don’t use the “H&M” doors from that stuff pack because I want my little Sim world to be 100% separate from the real world. I don’t want to see ads for Indiana Jones and I don’t want my Sims to go get Bayer Extra-Strength Aspirin when they have a headache.
Dan… it may be old news in general.. But it’s new for “The Sims” games to have dynamic ads.
I dont mind in game advertising or before game advertising as they are not a huge distraction from the player.
-FSE
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The game will install software that collects data from your computer necessary for ingame advertising. This comes directly from the disclaimer for The Sims 3 collector’s edition.
Quite frankly, I don’t want in-game ads in my game. Cetainly, not in English. Branded name Stuff Packs or downloads, okay. I have a choice whether or not to use it.
But requiring my Sim to choose between Tylenol and Advil for a head-ache remedy? With all the rabbit holes and pop-ups that will come with the game, this is a very real possibility.
I play my game to play it, not to have to fill out a marketing survey every time my Sim goes into a store to buy a necessary item, such as groceries. The potential for advertisers to turn this into some kind of glorified marketing tool is simply too great for me to risk buying The Sims 3 AT ALL.