Return Fire

Ads in gaming, huh? To tell you the truth, I’ve never really considered their impact at all, except to take note of blatantly obvious product placement in big-money licensed dealies. The only recent game that I can remember having such ubiquitous advertising is Enter the Matrix, and it was only so obvious because the rest of the game was so beige you couldn’t miss the big green “PowerAde” machines.

But I suppose if I’m forced to consider the advertising issue I have to conclude that it’s a bad thing for gaming, overall. My biggest concern is that it’s potentially too intrusive, that it will take me out of the game world just long enough to realize that I haven’t moved anything but my mouse hand for six hours. The sort of in-your-face stuff Tom talked about, like wildly out of context movie posters and magazine ads, would make me feel the same way I do when I’m forced to sit through seven commercials after paying to get into the movie theater. Seeing “Pepsi” and “Sony” and “General Motors” all over the place is also just too jarring when you’re supposed to be in a fantasy land with giant robots and superheroes.

The only games that I think will benefit from greater advertising are ones with strong ties to the real world. Sports games, for instance, would seem more realistic when using real billboards in stadiums and arenas. Racing games have always tried to get event sponsors on board, so people at home can drive Dale Earnhardt, Jr.’s fabled #3 with the AC Delco logo all over it. Oddly enough, traditional sports games have been slower off the mark, to the point where modders have had to step into the gap. EA Sports’ NHL series, for instance, has never featured accurate rink board ads. A cottage industry has sprung up involving the creation of authentic boards for places like the Air Canada Centre and Madison Square Garden.

So what the hell do I know? People complain about product placement in movies all the time, yet as soon as they get a game without any advertising they immediately go online to put Built Ram Tough! back in its rightful place. With the way that people practically fetishize commercials and company logos these days, it’s not too surprising that they’re uncomfortable without the real thing hanging around, even in a game.