Video Games to Get in game Ads

sarah

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Video games to get ads; makers to get richer

THEY'LL BE IN SCENERY TO AVOID BEING ANNOYING

By Dean Takahashi

Mercury News

Video games have provided one of the last refuges from the ubiquitous
advertising that hits consumers from every direction. But that's
beginning to change, thanks to an innovative start-up that puts ads
into games.

Massive, based in New York, has figured out how to insert
advertisements into the background scenery of video games that run on
both PC and game consoles. With its custom technology, the company can
insert advertisements into billboards, storefronts and other parts of
the scenery in a video game. It can even change the ads on a periodic
basis.

More than a dozen big advertisers and 10 video game publishers have
agreed to participate in Massive's advertising network, which has a
business model resembling product placement in movies, said Nicholas
Longano, chief marketing officer at Massive.

The added revenue from the ads could be a bounty for game developers
and publishers. Massive estimates that it can add $1 or $2 net profit
to the publisher's pocket for a $50 game. Depending on the type of
game, a publisher's profit is usually only $6 to $8 per game, so the
new source of ad revenue could be a big deal for game companies.

Longano says that this secondary revenue stream will help put video
games on a more even footing with other kinds of entertainment.
Movies, for instance, generate 24 percent of their revenue from the
box office receipts. But they generate far more income through DVD
sales, rentals, pay-per-view, network TV syndication and cable TV
syndication.

``Video games are the only media without a secondary revenue stream,''
he said.

More at:

http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/11364926.htm
 
G

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G wrote:
> Play Burnout 3, ads all over it.
>
> G.

Or Need for Speed Underground 2. At least 10 different billboards
from various companies. Soup. Shaving Gel. A bank. And there's a
Cingular logo on the screen all the time.
 
G

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Archived from groups: alt.games.video.sony-playstation2 (More info?)

Or Splinter Cell: CT... nothing says "Spy" like Wrigley's Airwaves.


"Jeremy Reaban" <trancejeremy@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:115m7tv959lbh04@news.supernews.com...
>G wrote:
>> Play Burnout 3, ads all over it.
>>
>> G.
>
> Or Need for Speed Underground 2. At least 10 different billboards
> from various companies. Soup. Shaving Gel. A bank. And there's a
> Cingular logo on the screen all the time.
>
>
 
G

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Archived from groups: alt.games.video.sony-playstation2 (More info?)

To get ads you say their already there.


--
Jeremy Lawson

"Sarah" <SarahT@trip.net> wrote in message
news:rqsl511d2f4pcmhk44ab6ocfp056vg48s7@4ax.com...
>
> Video games to get ads; makers to get richer
>
> THEY'LL BE IN SCENERY TO AVOID BEING ANNOYING
>
> By Dean Takahashi
>
> Mercury News
>
> Video games have provided one of the last refuges from the ubiquitous
> advertising that hits consumers from every direction. But that's
> beginning to change, thanks to an innovative start-up that puts ads
> into games.
>
> Massive, based in New York, has figured out how to insert
> advertisements into the background scenery of video games that run on
> both PC and game consoles. With its custom technology, the company can
> insert advertisements into billboards, storefronts and other parts of
> the scenery in a video game. It can even change the ads on a periodic
> basis.
>
> More than a dozen big advertisers and 10 video game publishers have
> agreed to participate in Massive's advertising network, which has a
> business model resembling product placement in movies, said Nicholas
> Longano, chief marketing officer at Massive.
>
> The added revenue from the ads could be a bounty for game developers
> and publishers. Massive estimates that it can add $1 or $2 net profit
> to the publisher's pocket for a $50 game. Depending on the type of
> game, a publisher's profit is usually only $6 to $8 per game, so the
> new source of ad revenue could be a big deal for game companies.
>
> Longano says that this secondary revenue stream will help put video
> games on a more even footing with other kinds of entertainment.
> Movies, for instance, generate 24 percent of their revenue from the
> box office receipts. But they generate far more income through DVD
> sales, rentals, pay-per-view, network TV syndication and cable TV
> syndication.
>
> ``Video games are the only media without a secondary revenue stream,''
> he said.
>
> More at:
>
> http://www.mercurynews.com/mld/mercurynews/business/11364926.htm
 

beck

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"Sarah" <SarahT@trip.net> wrote in message
news:rqsl511d2f4pcmhk44ab6ocfp056vg48s7@4ax.com...
>
> Video games to get ads; makers to get richer
>
> THEY'LL BE IN SCENERY TO AVOID BEING ANNOYING

I think it is a great idea. With the new generation of games consoles
within the next couple of years, developers will need alot more money to
develop games. Some reports say that up to a third of developers will go
out of business in the next round of consoles because they will not have the
funds for bigger games. Advertising will give them a much needed cash
boost.
Acceptable advertising could be billboards, posters, flyers, food and drink
in vending machines etc. They could even have adverts on load screens,
although this would only be acceptable if the load screens are not lengthed
to allow for the ads - that would be unacceptable.
 
G

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"Sarah" <SarahT@trip.net> wrote in message
news:rqsl511d2f4pcmhk44ab6ocfp056vg48s7@4ax.com...
>
> Video games to get ads; makers to get richer
>
> THEY'LL BE IN SCENERY TO AVOID BEING ANNOYING
>
> By Dean Takahashi
>
> Mercury News
>
> Video games have provided one of the last refuges from the ubiquitous
> advertising that hits consumers from every direction. But that's
> beginning to change, thanks to an innovative start-up that puts ads
> into games.
[snip]

And I thought the Nike car in GT4 was just a coincidental name/brand logo...
 
G

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Archived from groups: alt.games.video.sony-playstation2 (More info?)

In article <115m7tv959lbh04@news.supernews.com>,
Jeremy Reaban <trancejeremy@yahoo.com> wrote:
>G wrote:
>> Play Burnout 3, ads all over it.
>>
>Or Need for Speed Underground 2. At least 10 different billboards
>from various companies. Soup. Shaving Gel. A bank. And there's a
>Cingular logo on the screen all the time.

I remember thinking when I first played Wipeout that the Red Bull ads were
for a fake product.

Hey, Parasite Eve 2 had Coke machines all over the place.

==========
Steve Liu
"I know I should not eat thee... Mmm, sacrilicious..." - Homer Simpson
 
G

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Archived from groups: alt.games.video.sony-playstation2 (More info?)

And you hear the yammering about if this and this were happening (lack
of piracy, etc...) then the price of games would drop. Does anyone
think the price of gaming is going to drop, if they run ads? Nope.
Only supply and demand drives prices. That is all. Anyhow, on that
note, I don't care if there are ads in games, IF the context of the ads
makes sense, or the products. Doing like what has recently gone on
with the Apprentice TV show, is absurd:
http://www.adrants.com/2005/04/apprentice-product-placements-wreak.php

This doesn't flow at all from the product. Sorry, Donald Trump making
a pizza analogy just to appease it sponsors is way off base.

Next up, in the next GTA title, the crook character will the break out
while waiting, hold up a bottle of Thug cola and say, "BUY THIS".

- Richard Hutnik
 
G

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Sarah <SarahT@trip.net> wrote:

> Video games to get ads; makers to get richer

> THEY'LL BE IN SCENERY TO AVOID BEING ANNOYING

I thought some games were already doing this? Don't sports games have
"realistic" ads, not to mention SSX3 and/or GTA?