Adverts in games (was RE: [MUD-Dev] Habbo Hotel...)

[Sellers]

Andrew Wilson wrote:

> Perhaps another form of payment could come with sponsorship as
> product placement.  In the Habbo's private room the graphics are
> much larger than the main communal areas.  The image of the Habbo is
> large enough to hold a company logo.  So you might be able to see
> Nike or GAP paying to get their names in the Habbo wardrobe.  Users
> might even wish to pay to wear the logoed clothes, they do so in
> real-life of course.  How much longer before this is commonplace in
> games like The Sims?

A long time, I think.

Online advertising has been in the process of tanking big time for
over a year.  If people can't get companies to pay more than a
pittance for focused banner ads, why would they pay significant
amounts at all for less-focused ads that get orders of magnitude less
traffic?  Also, why would a company that is trying to sell a product
(like EA selling The Sims) want to muddy the brand-waters by putting
in heavy product placement?  In addition to the potential backlash
from players, they just weaken their own product (think about it: how
many billboard companies do you know offhand?).

Advertising in games may happen one day, but not for a long time I
think.  Not until games have audiences at least an order of magnitude
or two larger than they are now, at the very least.

Curmdugeonly,
Mike Sellers
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