Sony has officially opened it’s doors to advertisers. Where will the advertising go, you might ask? In your face, would be the correct answer.
Home (when launched) and the PSN are free to users, this is true. On the other hand, it isn’t free for Sony to operate. They have to pay people, buy hardware, software and bandwith to keep things up and running. They also have to pay someone to pay someone to make public announcements about it and have someone else write those announcements and so on. It gets a bit pricey.
Sony has decided that it’s about time to for you to pay, with a little bit of your time. As in take the time to wonder through a sea of advertisements. That’s exaggerated, but you get the picture.
Sony is basically whoring out the PlayStation 3’s advertising platform, allowing in-game advertisers Double Fusion, IGA, and Google’s AdScape to sell dynamic ads.
I can see it now, Warhawk planes with Coke logos and rounding a corner in CoD4 and instead of the enemy, you find a giant billboard for hemorrhoid cream. Should make for some interesting product placement. The real question is, will the ads be both on an off line?
I know some will say that Microsoft does it. I can honestly say that I only saw one in game ad for Axe body spray and that was on a poster in RB6: Vegas. If there has been any advertisements anywhere else, I have not seen them. I guess I just don’t pay attention.
I’ve also heard a few complain about the ads on the XBL blades. The only ads I have seen on there are for things you can do on XBL, like download movies, demos, patches, back grounds, and the occasional tournament or contest.
Sony is giving the ad agencies all the control, the total opposite of Microsoft, who owns the ad agency that sells ad space on XBL. James Belcher from eMarketer’s had this to say about Sony’s advertising apporach, “Making things open only makes things better for marketers or people who want to place ads because they aren’t the mercy of a given network.” Since you are not paying a dime for the service, there is a high probability that the saturation will be above average. They want to get paid and advertisers don’t pay unless they get seen. That means larger more frequent appearances.
I don’t know when the first ad is going to drop, but I’m sure you’ll notice when it does. Good luck guys, I’ll join you in your complaints later this year. Who’s up for some Warhawk, brought to you by Preparation H, sometime in June?
Source Joystiq
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10 responses so far ↓
1 SarcasticSparki // Feb 27, 2008 at 1:04 pm
R6V also had the Smokin Aces poster… I’ve not minded the ads in games so far (all of EAs, BF2142/sports ads), most seem realistic..
But the Axe stuff in R6v was tedious… what was it again? 3 bill boards in a row, during a 5 sec helo fly away scene.. followed by the entire fremont street/Axe light show not to mention the smaller posters/signs that littered Fremont and the bottle of Axe you could shoot for an easter egg. That did get me sick… If those 3 signs were different companies (and 2 signs) it wouldn’t have ruined the experience.. but all that Axe did take me out of the game…
… maybe they felt dirty for selling out?
2 ajnokia // Feb 27, 2008 at 1:12 pm
They are ads in Burnout Paradise. I like in game ads as it makes games more realistic to see real companies on the billboards.
Dave I think youve exaugrated your article a bit too much. They arnt shoving tons of adds into games. They dont make most games anyways. We will see ads in Home etc…. we all new that from the beginning anyway. You act like Sony is shoving ads in every game…. no they are not.
3 NoneOfYourBusiness // Feb 27, 2008 at 1:16 pm
If Playstation Home is truely a city scape of a place, adding billboards and posters while making them look like an intigral part of the soceity would actually enhance the realism factor.
I’ve been saying for awhile now, if Sony can expand home to be a larger city, who wouldn’t mind have a virtual Best Buy or something where you can buy little things like mics or something.
As long as Sony doesn’t over do it and make the ads detract from the gameplay or functionality of the console, it could end up being a pretty interesting thing.
4 Sean "rothbart" Workman // Feb 27, 2008 at 1:23 pm
I’m guessing a giant add for hemorrhoid cream will provide _perfect_ camouflage for Lono!
*ZING*
5 thesenderof8 // Feb 27, 2008 at 1:56 pm
lol nice rothbart. are u sure that they werent just talking about home? i know theres going 2 b adverisments there but in other games? only time will tell
6 Tim The Tiny Tonic // Feb 27, 2008 at 3:11 pm
crackdown was full of adverts but you didnt ever really notice them and they needed the extra money to pay for their amazing physics system
7 dwbronc // Feb 27, 2008 at 5:25 pm
you have to pay for XBL and their are still annoying adds in there, that are forced on you
8 mpgd1kon // Feb 27, 2008 at 5:31 pm
well i dont think any1 is really gonna mind bc this way when they play ps3 theyre gonna have something 2 do
9 RaiseHavok // Feb 27, 2008 at 5:36 pm
I am more pissed about the fact that you have to pay for furniture and other items in Home. Why would I want to spend money on a couch that will only appear in a virtual space? I realize it will generate revenue, but seriously, what the hell Sony? Looks like my apartment will be either empty or full of default, bland furniture.
10 LJ // Feb 27, 2008 at 9:41 pm
If it wasnt for the fact that RB6:V had in game adverstising I would have never learned about the movie 300 Which was awesome. And as for in game advertisements If I have to watch a video before I can” Play” That is to far. I don’t mind posters or billboards. You don’t have to look at them. Ignore them ..thats what I do for the most part. But beware causse this could turn out for the worst if PSN fans are not up to date on this kind of thing
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