Intellectual Gamer

Today I’d like to step away from a review and write about something I find unfortunate. The level of advertising in Video Games has grown astronomically, some bad and some good. What are or, rather, should be the limits of advertising in gaming?

Let’s mention some examples first. Three immediately come to mind:

1. Rainbow Six Vegas 2: In Rainbow Six Vegas 2 I believe there were random product placement such as Ford, and Pepsi (if I remember correctly).
2. Yaris (the video game): This was a free download on Xbox Live Arcade. It’s a game in which you drive a Yaris through a tube and avoid crazy things like giant robot crabs.
3. Insider Moves: On Xbox Live Market Place’s news feed there are often helpful videos and game tips. No, evidently, there sponsored by Hamlet 2!

Which of these is acceptable to you as a gamer?

I, myself, find that both 1 and 2 are acceptable forms of advertising, whereas 3 just goes too far.

Rainbow Six Vegas 2

I feel that in the example of Rainbow Six Vegas 2 the advertising is done in a tasteful manner. As so it actually adds to the realism of the game’s setting. After all the game is set in Vegas and there exists a ton of advertising there. If there was no advertising, the setting wouldn’t feel nearly as real. However this doesn’t go to say that it would be acceptable to have ‘Pepsi ave’ with various Pepsi billboards placed in very viewable locations.

Realism is the key point. If the advertising adds to the atmosphere of the game its great, but if it takes away from the gaming experience its clearly unacceptable.

Yaris the Video Game 

In the example of the Yaris video game the gamer has accepted that they are playing a game about the Yaris. The reality is you are playing an advertisement game, as so you accept that the game is about the Toyota Yaris and that its going to be advertised. In such a manner no reality is lost through advertisement, as a matter of fact reality is created through the advertisements.

This concept isn’t that ridiculous. Often brands want to showcase a personality that can be associated with their product. A good example of this is the MAC vs PC commercials. Creating a story for your product is a clever idea, just advertise it as such rather than try to slip it into something it shouldn’t be a part of.

Insider Moves’ Product Placement

The third example, on the other hand, I feel is completely unacceptable. Simply my objection stems from the advertising being out of place. What does Hamlet 2 have to do with Insider Moves 360 videos? Or even better what relevence does that movie have to the gamers that have purchased a 360? One of the nice things about Insider Moves is it advertises through useful means by displaying tips and tricks about 360 titles. This inclusion of ‘Brought to you by Hamlet 2′ is not only obnoxious but just plain greedy. The news feed of 360 is suppose to be full of announcments relevant to the xbox 360 and the gaming community.

A huge problem with this form of advertising is it discredits the reliability of the source it is placed in. Of course when I say this I realize that without the ‘brought to you by Hamlet 2′ Insider Moves is still an elaborate advertisement, but at least it is an advertisemnt we have accepted and showcased relevant interest in by owning a 360. I know for one I will be checking my newsfeed not nearly as commonly as I used to since this advertisement.

My Conclusion

Simply, advertising is acceptable if:

• It doesn’t distill the element of reality in the game.
• It doesn’t betray the interests of the gamer.

How does this feel to you?

Trackback URI | Comments RSS