Adverts in games

What do you guys think of advertising in games, are they annoying or just something that makes the game more 'real'?

The thing I wanted to know is this, is there any software or information on how to setup adverts in games. Also would it be a good way to generate revenue for a game ie release the game free but it has to have adverts in the game?

I wouldnt just put it in any game. But any sports game, it kinda suits in very well. As for free games, people will understand it has to create revenue from something. But ads would have to be intergrated carefully or you will mess up the look and feel. I don't like ads myself, defently no popups, but i could live with it if it where a sports game or a freegame. I did some research on this a while ago as im working on a MMORPG (free). Ill be keeping an eye on this topic for i also like to know more about this. Thats my 2ct.

sod adverts in games
i want the microsoft paperclip in games

"i see you are loading a gun, would you like any help"
no thanks
"i see you are aiming, would you like any help"
*blam blam blam*
no thanks ive got it sorted

edit:
but on topic
product placement (in films) makes things more real
you are in a shop you expect to see stuff you would see in a shop
if you were in timesquare or piccadilly circus (they are the ones im thinking of right) you'd expect to see great big brand name logo's everywere
if you shot a film there and altered the names it would look too out of place

but who would advertise in an indi game?
i dont see cocacola, pepsi or big names on any web banners
the only brands i see on banners that i know are for uk based mobile phones

so apart from the big guns who might add ads to sport sims even fake ones indi's might be left with the same pr0n and niche ads that websites have

>look at desk
bla bla bla and this months copy of www.bigjugs.com would you like to read it?

who knows if it takes off you might see big wigs wanting thier adds in there.

I think it's inevitable that we're going to see more and more advertising in games. Advertising is prominent in pretty much all other media - I don't see why games should be any different. You cant really blame game companies for taking advantage of all revenue streams available - they're in business to make money, afterall.

However, I think game advertising will need to tread a fine line. If it's too intrusive (like being forced to watch a 30 second ad after every level), people will just get too pissed off and not play.

I don't necessarily oblject to appropriate adverts on in-game billboards, or even product placement, but I would object to being forced to watch unskippable ad breaks or things like that.

Having said that, in-game adverts need to be appropriate to not only the theme and setting of the games in which they feature but also to the art style and direction too. For example, adverts that feature real-world photos or videos would look out of place next to 3d environments, polygon characters and painted textures.

If its a realistic game and ads appear on billboards etc, then its cool. For a while it may even add some immersion. Same goes with product placement.

If it means being forced to watch ads in order to play, or having ads that are out of context to the game then I probably wouldn't play the game.

Sometimes its the little things that annoy you about games, and often I play games to escape from real life, not to have it shoved down my face all the time :)

Mods exist for the GTA III games to replace the fast food stores with real ones.

Advertising in games will have no effect whatsoever if the advertising is part of the game.

Many FPS games feature fake-branded canned drink machines - they could just as well feature branded canned drink machines.

Football/sport games already feature real advertising.

Personally, I am very surprised that there isn't a lot more advertising in games.

Depends how they're advertised.

From the last thread that popped up, I believe the majority didn't mind advertising if it was used in a realistic fashion.

What's been bugging me in recent games is the overuse of one advertisement throughout the whole game. Axe deodorant comes to mind in being bloody overused in any game I see it advertised in.
(hey there Burnout3 and GuitarHero3)

It should just be there, not in your face every 50 steps in the game.

Variety is needed, as for puki's example, I wouldn't want every drink dispenser to be from Coke just because they don't want other competing drink brands in the game.


Same thing for movies. The only movie I can recall that had a massive load of product placement that actually felt in place had to be Tom Hank's 'The Terminal'.
(actually, that makes me curious how Dead Rising would look like if Capcom decided to bloat it with ads...)

Pierce Brosnan era Bond movies went product placement crazy.

waynes world lampooned product placement
somethig that i had relativly failed to notice up till that point

someone may have had a can of coke blatantly in shot as they opened and drank it but i just tought "hes drinking a coke big deal" not hmm pepsi probably ddint offer more money

i shalnt bother linking the master chief drins one again that was in the 'other' game adverts thread

"The Island" had crazy amounts of product placement in it.
I recall getting really annoyed at the XBox logo when they fought in a VR game, and when the camera lingered too long on the bottled water the girl drank, just to make sure you got the message.

I would hate for a game to have ads in them like browsers or websites do.. Like, half the UI is just one big changing banner trying to steal your attention.

*FLASH* Your Computer Might be at RISK! *FLASH*

"but this game is in the beta stages to 30 people tops"