Comments on: Google In-Game Ads Present: Gears of Tampax

By: John Landis

John Landis — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 21:21:58 +0000

So if NASCAR ‘09 has the actual sponsors on the cars, like Kellogg’s and Pepsi and the like, that is bad? They should all be made up just because it’s a video game? What if a game takes place in New York city, should all the ads and billboards in Time Square be made up fake products, even if the rest of the game takes place in the real world? What about real world weapons? If a game uses the actual weapons and doesn’t make anything up, is that wrong? I mean, does the fact that a character uses a Colt .45 not not just “A Pistol” make that advertising? Should the gun be made up just because Colt is a real company that makes the gun?

By: DavidGX

DavidGX — Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:20:42 +0000

I don’t care about context.. it’s advertising in my game. My game that I paid for.

If they want to put ads in them, great, I’ll buy them used.

By: John Landis

John Landis — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 01:47:19 +0000

Look at their advertising stuff now. How many websites have a google ad thingers in there with ads based on the context of the page or site being visited. Imagine if they could do that in games. Chop some guy in half with a chainsaw and google says, “Hey, have some problems with blood? Get some Tampax!”

Why the hell do we keep coming back to Tampax all the time?

By: Jonathan Zungre

Jonathan Zungre — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 01:34:33 +0000

i don’t really understand what google is proposing in this article? do they mean marcus fenix turning to the camera and giving a pitch for tampax? if so, why would epic need someone like google to do that, couldn’t they do that all themselves? and the same for all game developers…

By: John Landis

John Landis — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 13:44:47 +0000

I’m not pro-advertising or anything, but I don’t see what the problem is, as long as it’s done in context. I guess more of a product placement thing and not so much of a commercial thing. I mean, when Indiana Jones stops at a diner and they happen to have Coke signs in the background, no one pitches a fit about that, so who cares if there is a billboard for AXE in the background of every Tom Clancy game ever made? Personally, I see it as a sign the medium is becoming more accepted as an entertainment medium, which is mostly a good thing.

By: DavidGX

DavidGX — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 11:00:14 +0000

Considering games like SC4 already do it, I doubt I’d be the one giving them that idea.

But really, that’s the best way, imo, to use ads if they absolutely MUST use them. In the manual I will still SEE them, which is the whole point, but I won’t have to deal with them in my game. Which means instead of buying the game used because it has ads in it *looks at his used copy of Rainbow 6: Vegas* I actually buy them new.

By: Chad Lakkis

Chad Lakkis — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 07:59:25 +0000

Careful David. You are just giving them more ideas to tack on to their existing. :)

By: DavidGX

DavidGX — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 06:00:13 +0000

Either charge me, or advertise to me. Not both.

Let’s make that even simpler.. just charge me. I do NOT want to pay for a game with advertising in it. Period. I don’t give a flying fuck if the game is a sports game or is super realistic or present day.. no ads in my games. Want ads so badly? Put them in the damn manual. Bandai did this with Soul Calibur 4 and it worked just fine. No ads in my game and I yet I still saw them.

By: Meresin

Meresin — Thu, 31 Jul 2008 04:28:21 +0000

I’m not going to be forking over $60 so they can spam the hell out of me. A tasteful in-game billboard sporting an ad for a real product is one thing…The game pausing to spam me with crap like that is another.