EA Embedding Ads in Video Games

[Sonic 295]

This news article was posted at http://www.siliconvalley.com/mld/siliconvalley/15417447.htm a few days ago. I found the link to it at another forum. Since EA makes C&C games I thought it would generate some interesting discussion here.

EA to embed ads that can be updated into 7 games

 

Electronic Arts, the largest independent video-game publisher, gave its blessing to a new ``dynamic'' form of advertising embedded in video games as it announced that it would use two ad technologies in seven upcoming games.

 

Redwood City-based EA said Thursday it would use technology from Microsoft's Massive and from a start-up called IGA Worldwide to insert ads into the virtual worlds of EA's video games. The ads are called dynamic because they are built into the virtual landscape of the video games and can be updated by advertisers via the Internet.

 

``These are our first steps into the business, and they won't be the only ones,'' said Chip Lange, vice president of online commerce at EA.

 

Both Massive and IGA create tools for dynamic in-game ads. The tools enable the game developers to create environments inside the game landscapes -- such as billboards, vehicles or storefronts -- that can display ads.

 

In a recent Tom Clancy game, for example, French publisher Ubisoft used Massive's tools to create an ad on the side of a van. Whenever the player passes by the van, the ad can change thanks to the Internet updates.

 

These ads can be much more eye-catching and timely. Advertisers like them because they help target the elusive young video gamers who aren't watching much network television anymore. The ads also measure viewership and thus provide feedback to the advertisers.

 

Also important is the fact that gamers aren't as annoyed by ads in video games. About 35 percent said in-game ads annoyed them, compared with 85 percent that detest pop-up ads on computers, said Shar VanBuskirk, an analyst at market researcher Forrester Research.

 

In-game ads have stirred excitement among game publishers during the past year or so because they offer a second stream of revenue beyond retail game sales. Justin Townsend, chief executive of IGA Worldwide in England, said in-game ads can boost profit by $1 to $2 per $50 game. That potential for added profits led Microsoft to buy Massive in April for an estimated $200 million.

 

Despite the enthusiasm for in-game ads, EA moved slowly and deliberately before announcing its deals with the in-game ad companies. Lange said EA wanted to make sure that its game creators embraced the technology and that gamers accepted it as well.

 

Lange said the tipping point for EA was that more than half of Microsoft's Xbox 360 console customers are connecting to the Internet -- a key necessity in making it easy to insert new in-game ads into games.

 

``Everyone was watching EA for a year to see what they would do in this space,'' said Townsend. ``They weren't the first, but their move is a huge win for this industry.''

 

He said the first seven games -- including the upcoming ``Battlefield 2142'' and ``Need For Speed: Carbon'' -- are only the beginning of EA's use of in-game ads.

 

In-game advertising is expected to grow fivefold from $56 million in 2005 to $732 million by 2010, according to market researcher Yankee Group.

 

Lange said that EA studied whether players would welcome the ads in games. In some games, such as sports games, the ads actually enhance the illusion of the game world.

 

``We've put ads in a sports stadium or in a racing track before,'' said Lange. ``Those ads can seem dated to the gamers if they aren't fresh. With this, we can have more current messaging. The products feel more timely. That adds to the realism.''

EA say 7 up coming games will feature this, could C&C3 be one of them? How would like ads popping up whiling your battling Nod forces?

[Luk3us 63]

Well as long as they don't go crazy with their adverts I don't see a big problem.

[Tree 0]

Product placement wouldn't be a bad thing. Like having Nod hole up in a Coke building or having everyone in the "command station" be working on Dell laptops. I'd be fine with that. And the billboard design would be fine with me.

 

Whatever makes EA happy.

[BWare 0]

As long as it's not horribly intrusive, I really don't care either. There is the issue of these companies actually existing in the alternate reality of C&C, but I think we can let that slide :wink:

[Guest Rabbit]

Soldier 1: "Kane... what should we do about this GDI force?"

 

Kane: "Hmm... I need thinking food"

 

*Knock on the door in the background*

 

Kane: "Get the door... it's dominoes..."

[Renegangsta 0]

:shock: don't encourage them.....but it was funny..

[TheBlackOut 7]

BF 2142 is gonna have them...

 

TITAN MODE ACTIVATE! babaabaabaa I'm loving it!

[Guest Rabbit]

"Oh ****! Our communications network is down!"

 

"You should switch to Verizon. Over 51 million customers across the U.S. enjoy the nation's most reliable network."

[Hans5849 0]

maybe game will cost less /dream

[Luk3us 63]

haha.. Yeah that would be nice wouldn't it? More likely you won't be able to play games offline anymore due to the adverts. Now that would suck.

[Sonic 295]

I posted some news regarding this subject and C&C 3, check it out http://www.cncnz.com/news/view.php?Action=...&NewsID=215

[Dr. Rodney McKay 0]

Let's just hope they don't put the HeadOn commercial in there.

[comander starlin 6]

the worst thing EA could do is have during the cut scenes is have like solders eating BK and drinking Coke.

 

*reporter* there is a massive assault going on at the moment between GDI and...

*voice over* we interrupt this breaking headline with a message form our sponsor

*Kane* drink Coke on on those hard nights in the yellow zones, go on we do.

*reporter* i seams that GDI are are falling back and....

*voice over* we interrupt this broadcast from a message from our other sponsor's......

 

lol

 

or even worse, having one of those scrollbars at the bottom of the news broadcast saying eat BK, and drink Coke.

 

lol

[Alphabear 11]

Heres something i saw over at planetcnc. Originally from the official forums though.

In-game advertising is nothing new these days, its all over the place in games now. With respect to this development team, currently we don't have any intention of placing in-game ads in the Tiberium universe. No, Tiberium Coke will not be in the game, and the first person to mod one, should have to drink a can of it themselves first ) If any type of advertising were to appear in our game, it would not be during the actual gameplay experience, and it would be subtle in a sense that it wouldn't affect your play experience at all, thats the last thing we want to do. You won't be seeing TV ads after the EA logo, hehe. Do not worry, we're not about to put Sprite and Coke cans littered around the world of a Tiberium infected Earth, no thank you sir.

 

Interesting

[comander starlin 6]

which i believe that was quoted originally from the official EA forums.

[Luk3us 63]

Ya know Sonic posted that four posts ago.

[Alphabear 11]

Yeah i know i realised that a bit late. I usually start my rounds at planetcnc

[Luk3us 63]

Traitor!

[Alphabear 11]

I still prefer cncnz its just planetcnc was my homepage long before i started comming here

[comander starlin 6]

we shall rise and crush those planetarins and pollute the world with Tiberium

 

mwhahahahahahaha

[General Leang 0]

No, just no. Blatent advertising would ruin the game, especially if they whored the product the way they have every chance of doing.

[Guest Rabbit]

Well, that's a strike across the bow. I bet anyone here would agree. :wink:

[Dr. Rodney McKay 0]

If it's un-intrusive and makes money, they should do it. Money is the most important thing for a company.

[comander starlin 6]

that may be true but to ruin a game that people fork their good money out for , is just wrong. it would be like doing this --> http://planetcnc.gamespy.com/View.php?view...ail&id=1801

 

lets hope they don't add C&C3

[F15pilotX 4]

you know, soon after they released the game, someone would edit the ads out and release it in a pack :wink: