Swat 4 patch adds advertising

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

Apparently, the Swat 4 1.1 patch adds advertising via servers:

http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000217053546/

"In the 1.1 patch of SWAT4, Vivendi "Added Massive Streaming Ad
Support" to their game, according to the patch notes that were
distributed with the game. Gamers Andrew Smith and Peter Wood analyzed
the packets that the game was sending back and forth, and produced this
detailed write-up...

that can be read here:
http://nationalcheeseemporium.org/

SG

 

[Turk]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

"shegeek72" <sweepster@ev1.net> wrote in message
news:1123571151.817981.293130@g47g2000cwa.googlegroups.com...
> Apparently, the Swat 4 1.1 patch adds advertising via servers:
>
> http://www.joystiq.com/entry/1234000217053546/
>
> "In the 1.1 patch of SWAT4, Vivendi "Added Massive Streaming Ad
> Support" to their game, according to the patch notes that were
> distributed with the game. Gamers Andrew Smith and Peter Wood analyzed
> the packets that the game was sending back and forth, and produced this
> detailed write-up...
>
> that can be read here:
> http://nationalcheeseemporium.org/

I'm a little torn on this, because to some extent, having real products
advertised in a game does add to the realism. On the other hand, this is
just beyond encroachment. Like it says, this goes well beyond having Pepsi
logos on a vending machine. This actually retrieves advertisements from the
internet every time you play and reports your gaming time, levels played,
etc. Not to mention, the ads are out of place from the looks of it. Why
would a convenience store have a poster of a sci-fi show up? And
advertising the game itself (the SWAT 4 Gamefly ads) within the game just
destroys any suspension of disbelief. Plus, I'm just generally against
megacorporations milking more bucks off me, let alone knowing my gaming
habits, when I pay $50 for a game (which, btw, was way too damned short and
not that great to begin with).

turk
--
My last vestige of "hands off religion" respect disappeared in the smoke and
choking dust of September 11th 2001, followed by the "National Day of
Prayer," when prelates and pastors did their tremulous Martin Luther King
impersonations and urged people of mutually incompatible faiths to hold
hands, united in homage to the very force that caused the problem in the
first place.
-- Richard Dawkins, The Devil's Chaplain (2004)

 

[Andrew]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

On Tue, 9 Aug 2005 02:54:25 -0500, "turk" <turk96@comcast.net> wrote:

>I'm a little torn on this, because to some extent, having real products
>advertised in a game does add to the realism. On the other hand, this is
>just beyond encroachment. Like it says, this goes well beyond having Pepsi
>logos on a vending machine. This actually retrieves advertisements from the
>internet every time you play and reports your gaming time, levels played,
>etc. Not to mention, the ads are out of place from the looks of it. Why
>would a convenience store have a poster of a sci-fi show up? And
>advertising the game itself (the SWAT 4 Gamefly ads) within the game just
>destroys any suspension of disbelief.

I think that is the key issue for me. They first game I played with
ads was Wipeout on the PS with its Red Bull ads, they fitted the game
perfectly and I thought added to the immersion. So long as the ads
aren't obtrusive and fit into the game then I don't really mind them.
--
Andrew, contact via interpleb.blogspot.com
Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
please don't top post. Trim replies to quote only relevant text.
Check groups.google.com before asking an obvious question.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: comp.sys.ibm.pc.games.action (More info?)

What if I'm on dial-up? Am I going to have to be online just to play
the damned game?