add placement in NFS:MW

[jdport]

Since i've been playing NFS the past week or so, I've noticed that while most of the business names and billboards and such in the game are fictitious advertisements there are a few real life advertisements in the game. The most obvious one of course is for Cingular, but asside from that I've noticed advertisement placement for Autozone and Burgerking as well. At least I think I saw Burger King, I never slowed down enough to look close and verify that it wasn't just a sign that looked kind of like Burger King And I definately saw a "Get in the zone, AutoZone" sign a few different places in the game.

Anybody seen any others?

Does this strike anybody else as "bad mojo?". It doesn't bother me in NFS... it makes the streets look that much more real when you see references to places you know or might actually see when you are driving and they didn't overdo it, you only really see one of these ads every once in a while... it's not like you're flooded with advertisements. But if gamers accept that level of advertising in a game we're already paying for then who says the next game that does it will be so restrained? Soon you'll have to sit through a bunch of commercials before you can play the game , just like when you go to a movie theater these days. Not a good trend IMHO...

If they are going to bring in cash flo with advertising, then the game should be a lot cheaper for the consumer to buy. You shouldn't have to pay to see a bunch of ads.

 

[BlueWeasel]

I've not played NFS:MW yet, but the Autozone ads are present in the original NFS Underground. I haven't noticed any other real ads, though.

Online advertising in SWAT4
In SWAT4, the game will actually download real ad textures like Coke Zero, TV shows, etc., behind the scenes. In addition, the amount of time you spend looking at each ad and even the viewing angle is logged. This information is apparently tied to your user CD key and submitted back to the developer or ad company.

All of this is going on behind your back. :disgust:

 

[jdport]

ugh, that's really bad... what does it do if you are not online while you are playing? Does it require an internet connection? That's really bad mojo IMHO to not only push adds on you, but also tracking you and using your bandwidth. If the game were free that would be acceptible to me, but not so in a game that you have to pay good money for. :\

 

[UlricT]

omg steam could SO take advantage of this!

 

[MercenaryForHire]

If you're going to advertise in-game to me, I expect the game for free.

- M4H

 

[rh71]

I really don't care. It adds to the realism of the game. It doesn't affect me as long as it's not a 30-sec spot popping up before I can do something. Same with placement of objects (like Pepsi) in movies. I don't care.

Go beyond that and I will object.

 

[fishbits]

If they are going to bring in cash flo with advertising, then the game should be a lot cheaper for the consumer to buy.

Or... If we're not going to accept games subsidized by ads, then the game should cost a lot more to purchase to make up missing revenue the producer needs to create the game in the first place. Works both ways. I'd rather have some ads and lower purchase price, thanks.

I'm curious though, if you recognize a product in a movie theater, do you march out and demand a refund, or that at least your ticket should have been "a lot cheaper" than those for other movies? I don't.

If the ads become too much, folks will avoid the game/company. It'll all work out, and you'll be ok.

 

[jdport]

quote:
If they are going to bring in cash flo with advertising, then the game should be a lot cheaper for the consumer to buy.


Or... If we're not going to accept games subsidized by ads, then the game should cost a lot more to purchase to make up missing revenue the producer needs to create the game in the first place. Works both ways. I'd rather have some ads and lower purchase price, thanks.

That is exactly my point, you don't get cheaper prices at the expense of adds. The game is still $50, games without adds are $50... if they are going to start putting commercials in the game there should be a tradeoff... they should be a lot cheaper. It would benefit them too... with lower cost more people would buy them, more people would see the adds, and with more people seeing the adds the advertisements space would get that much more valuable.

As for whether I walk out of a theater.. no of course I don't, but it does piss me off that I have to sit through commercials. I'd be a much happier consumer if I didn't have to sit through the commercials. What pisses me off more than commercials before a movie is loads of commercials on DVD's that I've purchased.... but that's a whole different thread

And like I said, it didn't really bother me in NFS... but if game makers start cramming more and more ads within games that could definately quickly get to a point where it was unacceptable.

 

[Lonyo]

Games are costing more to make.
PC games haven't really gone up in price, not compared to console games anyway, so you should quit whining about cost.
Whether you want to accept it or not, the cost of developing next gen games HAS gone up, and we (from what I see of UK prices at least) are STILL getting the same prices we did (hell, sometimes cheaper) than about 5 years ago.
Compare that with console games which (PS2/XBox) are more expensive than PC games, and we get a good deal, and so far the deal is staying good, while XBox 360 games are even more expensive than XBox games.
Games costs are rising. PC gamers still get the sweetest deal.
Link to BBC article on "soar"ing games development costs

EG: NFS:MW itself.
£40 XBox 360
£30 PS2/Xbox
£25 PC

 

[jdport]

I wasn't bitching about the price of, I was simply pointing out that games with ads in them weren't any cheaper. But since you mentioned it, I don't really care how the cost of PC games compares to a console game. $50-$60 is too much for games, period. If you have to pay even more for console games then you're just getting ripped off that much more. The console companies have to make money somewhere, and from what I've been told the systems are generally sold at a loss so you should expect to pay more for the games. PC Gamers spend extra money for good computers and for constantly upgrading their computers , the game makers don't eat any loss on the sale of PC's. Regardless of all that, the cost of games has not been constant, it has been going up pretty significantly for a while. It was not that long ago that new games were $35-$40 and now you're lucky if they are only $50 on release.

None of that was the point of this thread though... I was talking about inserting advertisements into games and why we should have to watch commercials for a product we have paid for. If they are going to make their money off of advertising then the sale price should be less to encourage more people to buy the game in spite of the commercials, and to expose more people to said advertisements.

 

[ArchAngel777]

Originally posted by: jdport
I wasn't bitching about the price of, I was simply pointing out that games with ads in them weren't any cheaper. But since you mentioned it, I don't really care how the cost of PC games compares to a console game. $50-$60 is too much for games, period. If you have to pay even more for console games then you're just getting ripped off that much more. The console companies have to make money somewhere, and from what I've been told the systems are generally sold at a loss so you should expect to pay more for the games. PC Gamers spend extra money for good computers and for constantly upgrading their computers , the game makers don't eat any loss on the sale of PC's. Regardless of all that, the cost of games has not been constant, it has been going up pretty significantly for a while. It was not that long ago that new games were $35-$40 and now you're lucky if they are only $50 on release.

None of that was the point of this thread though... I was talking about inserting advertisements into games and why we should have to watch commercials for a product we have paid for. If they are going to make their money off of advertising then the sale price should be less to encourage more people to buy the game in spite of the commercials, and to expose more people to said advertisements.

Quit Whining... Cry Cry some more.. LOL

I much prefer them to use real adds in games like NFS and Swat.... It makes the game more realistic and lifelike. Since NFS:MW is a map of Chicago, it should contain real bill boards and so on, and it does for the most part... Very awesome game, I love NFS:MW.

 

[jdport]

I love NFS:MW too, and I already said the adds didn't bother me that much in this game, I was just trying to start a discussion about the idea of adds in games in general.. and also was curious what other adds people had spotted as I've only seen a couple of things (usually am driving too fast to read much).

go troll someplace else.

 

[ArchAngel777]

Originally posted by: jdport
I love NFS:MW too, and I already said the adds didn't bother me that much in this game, I was just trying to start a discussion about the idea of adds in games in general.. and also was curious what other adds people had spotted as I've only seen a couple of things (usually am driving too fast to read much).

go troll someplace else.

Edit ** Wrong person... LOL...

 

[CKent]

Wow that's really disgusting... I was considering buying this game, I was on the fence because on the one hand I want a driving game, but on the other hand I want a good & realistic one (like Gran Turismo). This decides it for me Thanks for the heads up, OP.