Making money via product placement.

[Guest]

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

I was thinking of using product placement in one of my games to make
money. I would need good enough graphics or music in my game to make it
work, but otherwise I think I could do it. What do you think? Does this
work? Has it already been done before?

 

[Guest]

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

Well it wouldn't be an RPG. But seeing as all the gaming NGs but this
one are archived, I had to post it here.

Basically, you'd be able to get soft drinks and candy from vending
machines in the game, and the like.

I would also comission real music artists to do some of the music. So
you see how that would work.

 

[Guest]

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

> I was thinking of using product placement in one of my games to make
> money. I would need good enough graphics or music in my game to make it
> work, but otherwise I think I could do it. What do you think? Does this
> work? Has it already been done before?

What kind of game would product placement work in? You couldn't do a
fantasy RPG and like, use an ice cold Coca Cola as a healing potion, it
would just seem wrong. I suppose for a futuristic setting it might work.
The one example I can recall is that Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails) wrote
all the music for Quake II, and thus it was partly due to that that the
nailgun was made one of the weapons. (Note that the ammo packs for the
nailgun use the NIN logo with the backwards 'N'.) I suppose if your game
has a chat room where people can meet prior to actually starting a game you
can have a banner ad running across it, like the Blizzard games do. As for
things actually appearing within the game itself, it might be harder to make
it work...

 

[Guest]

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

On 23 Feb 2005 12:53:46 -0800, "Starblade Riven Darksquall"
<Starblade13@Yahoo.com> wrote:

>I was thinking of using product placement in one of my games to make
>money. I would need good enough graphics or music in my game to make it
>work, but otherwise I think I could do it. What do you think? Does this
>work? Has it already been done before?

Anarchy Online (an MMORPG) does something like this, or has at least
tried it. Its a futuristic game, and they have billboards in the
cities. A few of them have been licensed by Alienware (the high-end
PC builder company) and the company uses some more of them for ads for
their expansion packs, but most of them are filled with generic
in-game ads. Overall, I don't think the plan worked out.

 

[Guest]

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

"Darrel Hoffman" <i.dont@think.so> once tried to test me with:

>> I was thinking of using product placement in one of my games to make
>> money. I would need good enough graphics or music in my game to make
>> it work, but otherwise I think I could do it. What do you think? Does
>> this work? Has it already been done before?
>
> What kind of game would product placement work in? You couldn't do a
> fantasy RPG and like, use an ice cold Coca Cola as a healing potion,
> it would just seem wrong. I suppose for a futuristic setting it might
> work. The one example I can recall is that Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch
> Nails) wrote all the music for Quake II, and thus it was partly due to
> that that the nailgun was made one of the weapons. (Note that the
> ammo packs for the nailgun use the NIN logo with the backwards 'N'.)
> I suppose if your game has a chat room where people can meet prior to
> actually starting a game you can have a banner ad running across it,
> like the Blizzard games do. As for things actually appearing within
> the game itself, it might be harder to make it work...

You could do a Tapper clone and have real beer logos on all the drinks.


--

Knight37

The gene pool could use a little chlorine.

 

[Guest]

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

On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 18:35:46 -0500, Darrel Hoffman wrote:

>> I was thinking of using product placement in one of my games to make
>> money. I would need good enough graphics or music in my game to make it
>> work, but otherwise I think I could do it. What do you think? Does this
>> work? Has it already been done before?
>
> What kind of game would product placement work in? You couldn't do a
> fantasy RPG and like, use an ice cold Coca Cola as a healing potion, it
> would just seem wrong. I suppose for a futuristic setting it might work.

I take it that you are not a fan of the Monkey Island series of games?

> The one example I can recall is that Trent Reznor (of Nine Inch Nails) wrote
> all the music for Quake II, and thus it was partly due to that that the
> nailgun was made one of the weapons. (Note that the ammo packs for the

Quake I actually. I wondered if the end of level 1 was a reference to 'The
Downward Spiral'?

--
***My real address is m/ike at u/nmusic d/ot co dot u/k (removing /s)
np:
http://www.unmusic.co.uk
http://www.unmusic.co.uk/amh-s-faq.html - alt.music.home-studio FAQ
http://www.unmusic.co.uk/wrap.php?file=vhs.html - vhs purchase log.

 

[Guest]

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

> > What kind of game would product placement work in? You couldn't do a
> > fantasy RPG and like, use an ice cold Coca Cola as a healing potion, it
> > would just seem wrong. I suppose for a futuristic setting it might
work.
>
> I take it that you are not a fan of the Monkey Island series of games?

What? Who doesn't love Monkey Island? I don't remember any Coke-plugs,
though. I think the only beverage in all 4 games was Grog. But it was a
while ago, maybe I've just forgotten... Anyhow, in a game like that, and
supposed "plug" would likely be more of a joke than genuine
advertiser-paid-for-the-spot product placement...

 

[Guest]

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

On 23 Feb 2005 16:35:19 -0800, Starblade Riven Darksquall wrote:

> Basically, you'd be able to get soft drinks and candy from vending
> machines in the game, and the like.
Where would be the incentive for any companies to license their products to
you? Games, especially PC, while making *millions* aren't really that
widespread. If it was a console you might get some companies attention but
you probably won't get their message out in any "meaningful" (ie massive)
way to make it profitable for either you or them.

> I would also comission real music artists to do some of the music. So
> you see how that would work.
Again what would be the motive? An artist (known) would want to be paid for
any work they provide for you. If you're thinking you will increase their
notoriaty that *might* work for an unknown artist but a known artist has a
label to do that sort of thing. And an unknown artist would most likely
want some sort of compensation as well be it direct payment or royalties.

--
RJB
2/24/2005 9:48:35 AM

The moon unit will be divided into two divisions: Moon Unit Alpha and Moon
Unit Zappa.
--Dr. Evil

 

[Guest]

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

On 23 Feb 2005 12:53:46 -0800, "Starblade Riven Darksquall"
<Starblade13@Yahoo.com> wrote:

>I was thinking of using product placement in one of my games to make
>money. I would need good enough graphics or music in my game to make it
>work, but otherwise I think I could do it. What do you think? Does this
>work? Has it already been done before?

There are bloody great big Burger King signs all over Need For Speed
Underground 2....I can't see that being just an 'authentic' touch.

As someone else mentioned, Alienware seem to like doing this too. In
the Sims 2, you can download and purchase for your sim a little
Alienware PC.

So yeah. But the trouble would be that any example you are likely to
find of this will be in established blockbuster series, or in games
made by the people that have made said blockbusters.

I'm fairly sure racing and football games have a lot of this going on
too, as it happens in the real sport. And in an import version of
Winning Eleven 8 soccer I have (PS2), there are Nike and Adidas teams.

j.

 

[Guest]

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

Lots of games have imitation advertisements and I've often wondered if
there were real contracts behind these. Ever look at Nhl hockey boards, or
really almost any sport.

If the game wants to imitate the (sport in this case) why not garner the
exact same gain. Yes it is a simulation and there are question of
economies of scale but exposure is exposure.

Recently the gap between games and movies is closing (i.e FF). Movies
definitely do this right down to E.T.'s M&M's.

3 things I would recommend:

1) Be subtle but noteworhty
2) Target your demographic and then the client that best fits it.
3) Sell them on the notion of sweat-equity. Don't charge(or at least not
much) until the market is tested - at least initially.

This is really an emerging part of the industry. I can't buy an MS game
for the Xbox without 10 demo's of its other games. Hey if anybody knows
how to protect market share via advertising it's Microsoft.

Be creative - Good Luck

Kris

 

[Guest]

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

> Recently the gap between games and movies is closing (i.e FF). Movies
> definitely do this right down to E.T.'s M&M's.

Reeces Pieces, actually. They were going to use M&Ms, but Mars didn't want
them to, and instead the less-well-known-at-the-time Reeces Pieces actually
paid money for the right to be used in the movie. This marks the first time
ever that a company has paid for their product to appear in the movies.
Prior to that, it was the movie studios who paid the companies for rights to
use their logo instead.

 

[Guest]

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

On Wed, 23 Feb 2005 18:35:46 -0500, "Darrel Hoffman" <i.dont@think.so>
wrote:

>> I was thinking of using product placement in one of my games to make
>> money. I would need good enough graphics or music in my game to make it
>> work, but otherwise I think I could do it. What do you think? Does this
>> work? Has it already been done before?
>
>What kind of game would product placement work in? You couldn't do a
>fantasy RPG and like, use an ice cold Coca Cola as a healing potion, it
>would just seem wrong.

I recall one game which tried this approach. It was called 'Darkened
Skye', and the magical items you were supposed to retrieve, and used to
cast spells with, turned out to be skittles. I bought it sight unseen
because it was surprisingly cheap, with no idea of the advertising
tie-in, and found it an ok platform-fps hybrid, though not the RPG it
claimed to be. Obviously the reason it was cheap was a subsidy from the
advertiser.

 

[Guest]

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

Darrel Hoffman typed:
>> I take it that you are not a fan of the Monkey Island
>> series of games?
>
> What? Who doesn't love Monkey Island? I don't
> remember any Coke-plugs, though. I think the only
> beverage in all 4 games was Grog.

Grog, with the same trade-marked "ribbon device" (swirl) as
Coca-Cola. At least something that looked very similar. (In
Monkey Island 1, there was the red-and-white swirled Grog
machine that ate all your pieces-of-eight (LOL!) ;>)

> supposed "plug" would likely be more of a joke than
> genuine advertiser-paid-for-the-spot product placement...

Aye. I wonder if they noticed... I'm curious, with regards
to trademarks or copyright, does parody come under some kind
of "fair use" act? (I'd assume as much, but just curious...)


};> Matt v3.2 <:{