Volvo takes advergaming to a whole new level

sure, you want to drive it over a cliff. this, however, would let you know just how many of your children would survive, plus which seats are less safe than the others. This allows you to know how to carefully take out the redheaded kid you terribly wish you never had without any risk of getting caught for murder.

Forza and Gran Turismo have both enlightened me in the world of cars. all of the vehicles i currently desire are because of being able to digitally test drive the dears.

Note that this post is more in response to the linked article linked within the feature article:


Seriously, WTF is peoples problems with advertising in videogames? I JUST DON'T GET IT. WHY are people accusing videogame advertisments of affecting their gaming experiences? It has to be THE MOST MORONIC AND SELF-RIGHTEOUS CRITICISM I'VE SEEN AGAINST THE INDUSTRY IN QUITE SOME TIME.

How is seeing a McDonalds resturant or golden arches on a billboard ruining your experience in a racing game? If anything advertising in videogames adds realism and credibilty to the industry and its culture BECAUSE IN REALITY ADVERTISING IS EVERYWHERE. When I play a survival horror game, nothing ruins my immersion more than that generic "Cola" vending machine I've seen make its ubiquitously unsought appearance throughout numerous titles, or the "Ray's Pizza Parlor" hording sleeping zombies behind the counter.

I do have a Pizza Hut down the street from me however, and my imagination just might take me back to that frightful moment in-game when a zombie gnarled at my forearm for attempting to check the register next time I visit a Pizza Hut in real life. And I'm sure you bitch and moan about capatalism at every billboard and fast food resteraunt you pass by on your way to work everyday. The critcism is completely unfounded to me.

Someone explain it to me, please, so it makes sense. How is advertising in games ruining your experience -- subtle and not so subtle. The way I understand it, the simple economics of product placement can facillitate the developmentof your favorite developers ability TO MAKE GAMES, and last time I checked, less and less developers have 2 legs strong enough to do this on their own. So someone please enlighten me, how is this current trend REALLY AND TRULY SUCH A BAD THING?

-Syn

I once got some Buick computer software when I went to Epcot Centre many years ago. It's nothing new. It was the first game I ever installed on my computer. 1993 Buick trivia. LOL!

Ive played the game it sucks the physics are terrible and the controls are crappy

I also have little problems with in-game advertising. Well, at the very least, in-game product placement. Seeing a brand name over a generic "orange drink" keeps me firmly in the moment instead of paying attention to the subtle in-joke that developers cant refuse when naming their vending machines.

Of course there's the hideous example of Airwaves in Chaos Theory which were downright terrible, but on the whole, i have no problem seeing brand names as long as its not on the "Mick and Mack: Global Gladiators" level.

I think it would depend on what type of game and what brand or product was being advertised. Seeing adverts for Nokia in Final Fantasy, for example, wouldn't exactly help sustain your/my immersion in a fantasy world.

One game that did product placement quite well, without it detracting from the game at all, was are DuracPikmin 2. There ell batteries, Dr. Pepper bottle tops and a whole host of random Japanese food brands included. The game also hypes them up a little, but in a slightly humourous way, thankfully.

I just hope this in-game advertising path doesn't lead us towards having commercial breaks...Although I guess the "breaks" will be loading screens. Maybe.

Err..not sure why that came out wrong, but the second paragraph is supposed to read:

"One game that did product placement quite well, without it detracting from the game at all, was Pikmin 2. There are Duracell batteries, Dr. Pepper...etc."

Oh, and that Volvo pictured in the article isn't the standard S40, it's the Evolve S40 that was made for the SEMA show...Is someone at Joystiq a fan of modified/tuned cars?

Good observation, Mister Ben, but automotive mania skips a generation in my family. Actually, the way that Joystiq's CMS is set up allows us to search for any pics uploaded from any Weblogs, Inc. blog (saving us the trouble of a trip to Google to steal one for ourselves). That particular pic most likely originated on Autoblog (such as this post: http://www.autoblog.com/entry/6189743541918387).

Guys chill about the ingame advertising its not like theres an Add poping up infront of you evry 2 seconds making it so you cant see the car that your about to crash into...

Mister Ben,

I, good sir, like modified cars--modified Volvos, specifically. This post is right up my alley! I've driven Volvos since I could drive (and I'm now 21).

Contrary to popular belief, they're not slow. Even my 1987 760 Turbo keeps up with modern ponies. (Well, not ponies. But nary a Civic has defeated my dear Vilhelmina!)

evolve is an awesome company; it's about frigg'n time a company targeted those cars. The engines are veritably bullet-proof, and practically beg for you to turn the boost up.

All that said, I would also revel in the irony of sending the S40 careening off a cliff (if the game allows it!). I love those cars, but I'll be damned if they tell me to drive slow in a videogame! Defeats the purpose of driving a virtual car.

In response to other gamers' comments about in-game ads: I agree that, on one hand, it adds to realism in a game. However, advertisements in-game (and, as was brought out, product placement) can be more distracting when there's a distinct lack of competition. Advertisements IRL are each company trying to shout louder than the other in an attempt to gain customers. In-game ads that I've seen, however, are completely one-sided and the consumer is inundated with, not competition, but monopoly. Prime example: NFS Underground 2. Not a great game as it is, but the Cingular crap thrown in your face made me sick. Give me generic telecom any day; don't slap a Cingular logo in the corner of the screen and expect it to not be distracting.

Vincent:


Product placement this heavy in videogames is a very current trend and it's one that's here to stay I'd imagine. With that said, I'm sure it's effect won't be anywere near as jarring as people grow more accustomed to it. Some people just aren't used to seeing it. The only people I can really imagine being seriously turned off by the idea completely, are pretentious cynics (not that I'm calling anyone here that mind you).

I'm not going to pretend like I know what you're talking about when it comes to NFSU2, but it isn't the first time I've heard about the criticism -- specifically the peresistant presence of the cingular logo in the corner of the screen you mentioned. Tell me. What makes this logo so distracting? Does it block vital on screen information (HUD, other cars on the road etc)? Is it emitting any loud, distracting noises that drown out more important sound effects (like your car's switching of gears ). Does it pulsate constantly? Or is just it's mere presence a turn off? Because if that's the case, I'm not buying it.

If anything, heavy product placement makes THE MOST sense in a game like NFSU2 (sports game). What popular sport (or ANYTHING competitive for that matter) survives without sponsors and product placement? None, that's what. I actually find the idea of heavy product placement in a sports game quite endearing actually. Lends it some much needed authenticity.


-Syn

I remember playing Ford Simulator about 15 years ago. Not only could you drive any of Ford's lineup through a slalom course and a couple other tracks, but it also taught you about the wonders of airbags, aerodynamic design, and rack and pinion steering!

Syn,

It's not product placement itself that bothers me; it's the monopoly that certain companies have over screen real estate. You're exactly right--no major sport could survive without product placement or sponsorship. However, said products are in COMPETITION with one another, each fighting for consumers'/viewers' attention.

However, in, say, NFSU2, although real product placement has the potential to make the game realistic, it ended up being a distraction, simply by virtue of the fact that three or four products were present--and NOT competing. There was very little that was realistic about that, and in fact, it ended up being rather distracting, especially in a city as large and commercial as the one in the game.

The Cingular logo wasn't distracting in any of the visual senses that you mentioned (though I'm sure it was for some). It was distracting in that, while playing, you felt like you were having this branding shoved down your throat. EA cut a deal with Cingular? That's fine, business is business. But there are better ways to take care of it. The Cingular logo detracted from the pretty graphics, added nothing to the storyline, and was in general a forced and obnoxious addition to the game. A speedometer, tachometer, and gear indicators are necessary additions to a HUD in a racing game; a cingular logo that never disappears is not.

Like you said, in-game advertisement is here to stay, especially as the videogame industry grows. But don't treat us like mindless consumers. There are other ways to do branding that don't involve forcing players' attention to the branding itself constantly during gameplay. It has the potential to add vast amounts of realism to a game--but it also has the potential to annoy, as in the case of NFSU2. The monopolies present in the game were completely unrealistic--and in some instances distracting.