Poll: In-Game Ads, your thoughts

[ffs-dontcare]

I don't mind in-game advertising so long as it's unintrusive and not in your face. If it blends into the background while you're playing, good. During loading screens? That's okay with me, too.

I certainly wouldn't care if I was doing parkour in Mirror's Edge and there were billboards throughout the City.

What I don't like is when it intrudes on game-play, such as when I was playing Left 4 Dead 2, and I'd have to deal with unskippable video ads, and even then after I'd start running around and actually playing the game, the sound from the ad would still be running in the background.

 

[Bellvedere]

I think I would have to stop gaming if there were loading/interrupt gameplay ads in all types of games. I already don't watch TV because of advertisements. My youtube usage has dropped significantly (when an ad plays that I can't skip I just leave). I delete apps with advertising. A plain black loading screen is fine, but my brain just goes into extreme boredom mode when I have to watch/look at ads. STOP TELLING ME BORING THINGS WHEN I'M TRYING TO DO SOMETHING ELSE!!!! It would take away enough pleasure from gaming that I would be better off doing something else.

Product placement I could deal with to a point. Like if the soda cans in a game happened to be Coca Cola that wouldn't be a huge problem (provided it didn't break immersion - this includes excessive product placement) but if you had to drink Coca Cola to do X then I'm out.

 

[Fireaxe]

Situations advertising is valid

Multiplayer Lobbies or once off upon joining a server (depends how it's managed; on battle.net like platforms in the lobby is best, on Team Fortress 2 where servers aren't hosted by one entity once off upon joining is logical).


That's it, and that's because someone has to keep the multiplayer servers powered on.

 

[Brian Tams]

I mean, if we're talking about creating a gameplay mechanic around Pepsi Machines (like the energy drinks in GTA IV), or just a bunch of in game billboards with real advertisements, then that's fine.

But actually stopping the game to run an ad, or having a fuckton of popups assault my screen? Yeah, fuck any dev that does that.

 

[Clive Howlitzer]

I don't want to bore anyone with my longwinded ramblings of how advertising is the greatest obstacle towards a flourishing economy, culturally rich society, or how it also erodes artistic integrity. I'll just say no because ads also simply annoy me.

I don't need you go to into detail to know exactly what you mean. I agree though.

 

[KarmaTheAlligator]

The only ads I accept are the ones trying to sell an in-universe fictional product, like the ones you'd see in GTA. I mean, what's next, every other page in a book becomes an ad like in magazines? That way they can divide the books in two or more parts, and sell more books!

 

[DataSnake]

Depends on context. Ads on the billboards in a sandbox city are one thing, NPCs trying to talk me into buying DLC can go fuck themselves.

 

[laggyteabag]

If they're not intrusive like audio ads, or ones that pop up at the bottom of the screen, I have no problem with them. Rainbow Six: Vegas did something pretty smart by having ads on billboards in the game such as AXE/ LYNX and I remember seeing a Beowulf ad at some point, I liked the idea because It made the environment more authentic seeing products that actually exist on billboards.

 

[kasperbbs]

Depends on how you implement it, if ads are put in places where they could be in the real world (coca-cola machines in some kind of virtual city for example) then i wouldn't mind it. But if it's a popup or some other type of annoyance that makes you waste your time and breaks immersion then hello no! I wouldn't even want to see that crap on loading screens, the very thought of it pisses me off for some reason. I quit a few great websites because of their obnoxious ads that waste 30 seconds of my life with the most annoying video imaginable so i would probably wouldn't bother with any ad filled games either.

 

[babinro]

The answer depends on the trade-off for advertising.

I'm perfectly fine with commercials during in-game loading screens/naturally placed around the game world. Especially if enduring those commercials would mean free DLC or a F2P game without a feeling of 'forced' grind like most MMO's.

If the ads don't disrupt the natural pace of the gameplay I'm fine with it.
Though obviously I'd prefer gaming without ads given the choice.

 

[SomebodyNowhere]

I'd say there isn't really anything wrong with it in theory, depending on how they are done. I used to play a game called The Matrix online and Warner Brothers(the people behind the game) would use the randomly scattered billboards in Megacity to advertise upcoming movies. I remember they had Batman Begins and Constantine for a time prior to their releases as billboards and it lent a lot to making the world feel more real.

The other side of the coin is if a game is over-inhabited by a certain brand to the point of suspension of disbelief. My example of that being Alan Wake. Now I love Alan Wake a lot, but am I really supposed to believe there really are no other battery manufacturers shipping their wares to Bright Falls other than Energizer. This could have easily been less obtrusive if the occasional batteries were just blank "no-name" brands or something, but I'm sure Energizer wasn't paying them to try to create a slightly more believable world.

 

[sethisjimmy]

Pausing the game to display traditional ads would be annoying. However, product placement can be great when done in an interesting manner.

For example: MGS 4 had several instances of product placement. The iPod was an awesome item that added a lot to the game in the form of music, podcasts, and commentary. Another item was a drink that restored health and psyche.

A great example was in Pikmin 2. Collectable treasures came in the form of household items like giant Duracell batteries, classic brands of soda pop tops, and others. In fact, one of my disappointments with Pikmin 3 was the lack of that type of product placement.

I'm also in support of the Android Play Store model of ads, wherein you can often choose to play a game for free with ads, or choose to pay for the game and have no ads. That model seems to work really well, and I love that the option is available, even though I usually choose to pay for the full.

 

[Vrach]

Product placement, if done right - I don't mind. Example, if playing GTA and there's a Coca Cola/Pepsi vending machine or if they're using real cars - fine, in fact it's better, because driving a car that you know is a certain car, but it's called some stupid name or drinking a Pepso or a Hillside Dew is more immersion breaking than the real thing.

However, pop up ads are definitely a no, loading screens with commercials are also a no (no, they don't interrupt gameplay, but it's still fucking afwul and you just know there's a good chance some would make it mandatory for a loading screen to take it's time so that you could see the commercial), as are product placements that don't belong there.

In short, just fuck off with ads in games, but I'd tolerate and possibly even welcome well designed product placement (but not in the "camera zooms awkwardly and unnecessarily on a Pepsi during an intense scene" sort of way)

 

[runic knight]

Ads? Sure, provided it is done to my benefit and not just a greedy cash grab like all the other greedy cash grabs. Honestly, if I can watch tv shows for free, or shows on the web for free at the price of having to deal with ads, you damn well better expect me to demand some degree of payment for the advertisement in games. I did not just pay you sixty god-damn dollars so you could advertise to me to spend more because you can't handle not having less then an entire truck load of cash in your pockets at all times.

Also, as others have said, they would still need to be done in a way that does not negatively impact the game (this include immersion breaking, gameplay stopping pop ups and everything else of that nature).

 

[omega 616]

All adverts in any form are fucking annoying.

You want to watch a video? Not before this advert you don't. I know this programme has only been on for 10 minutes but it's time for 5 minutes of adverts. I know you're trying to view this thread but first here's my dragon age 2 advert to take up the bottom half of the screen, oh you also want to post in the thread? Well tell me what you think of this company first.

We spend our lives getting constantly bombarded by adverts for shit we probably won't ever want.

Still you have to deal with it

 

[jklinders]

Way too much room for abuse here.

In a F2P, I can't moan about it too much but if I am buying the game with real money then I don't want a minimum load time of a 30 sec spot for tampax or whatever. And if the game is then rigged to have many many load screens then it magnifies the problem by a lot. Fuck that with a rusty spoon.

 

[chadachada123]

I would be fine with paying for a service.

I would also be fine with watching ads in lieu of payment.

I am NOT fine with both paying for a service AND having to watch ads so that the servicer can fatten their wallets instead of benefiting consumers.

 

[Auron225]

The ONLY time I can picture myself excusing it, is in a realistic-world setting (GTA for instance) and the ad itself is subtle product placement. So if it is anything that is LOUD AND CLEARLY AN ADVERT then definitely no.

If CJ from San Andreas had been drinking coke in 1 cutscene than I'd actually find that kinda cool. If Cloud from FF7 ever pulled out a can of coke then I'd would've just been annoyed.

Product placement, if done right - I don't mind. Example, if playing GTA and there's a Coca Cola/Pepsi vending machine ...

...but I'd tolerate and possibly even welcome well designed product placement (but not in the "camera zooms awkwardly and unnecessarily on a Pepsi during an intense scene" sort of way)

Wow, without intending to I mirrored your post pretty damn accurately 0.0 Cool? I'm sorry? Awesome?

 

[A BigCup of Tea]

i think need for speed do a good job (or atleast they used to, not played one since carbon) but i always remember the virtual city having posters/billboards for real-life products. That way its kinda unobtrusive yet it makes the city feel a bit more real

basically this....i remember playing splinter cell double agent and there was a billboard advert for a new resident evil movie (think it was the third one) and i was glad....as that film is god awful!!!

 

[Bestival]

So long as it fits in the game world I'd be fine with it. Like a billboard for Old Spice in GTA or something.

If it interrupts your playing and has no fucking connection to the game world you're trying to get immersed in though, I'm gonna fuckin' riot. (Let's say a pop up add for tampons when you're playing Skyrim or something)