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

[John Buehler]

Andrew Wilson writes:

> A more volatile and involving application, like a persistent,
> real-time, multi-user world (did I miss anything out?) would present
> the user with a simple choice - hang around playing the game, or
> visit the nice credit card people and lose 3 levels when the Ork
> raiders come around the corner.  Clearly no choice at all.

> Is there a half-way house?  What about a game in which you have only
> a passing infulence over your character's progression (keeping it
> simple and talking about mud-like stuff for now).  An upcoming
> example of this is Black&White, where you teach your main character
> new behaviours by showing examples and praising/scolding depending
> on their response.  Eventually the character takes on more-or-less
> the manners you would use - and begins to run on autopilot.

Consider a less traditional form of advertising: work the product into
your game, as is done in movies.  It's only a means of building up
mindshare, and it will only work for certain games.  For example, if
your character in Deus Ex carries food, he can carry a can of Coke,
some Powerbars, etc.  The advertising is built into the experience of
the game.  In a multiplayer game, this is even more valuable because
players start to ask each other if they have any Cokes or Powerbars.
Mindshare is developed.  If you don't want your stealthy character
popping the lid on a can of carbonated drink, consider that the bad
guys could be drinking the things.  Cans of Coke sitting on desks.
You could even work the soda into the death animations of the bad
guys.  The can drops from the bad guy's hand and rolls away -
sometimes towards your character.

The difficulty with this is trying to incorporate non-consumer goods.
How exactly does Century 21 work advertising into any game other than
a game that somehow involves real estate?  And, of course, all these
things only work for games that operate in a modern timeframe.

I can't imagine a game that attempts to be immersive also throwing
advertisements at the player.  Where the advertisements require a
shift of mental context.

In a game that is more casual, I can imagine working web links into
the game.  Suppose you're using the fishing element of the game and
decide to visit the 'skill description' window or whatever.  It gives
information about what your character knows about fishing, flies, fish
types, rods, etc.  Whatever details the game provides.  Along with
that screen might be an 'advertisement' that links to a web site
providing some kind of a transition to a real fishing tackle site.
Preferably one that is informational and educational, with further
commercial links.  The interest in fishing has been established, and
greater interest could be encouraged, leading back to a real world
application.

In a game with a sophisticated economic skill system, tie to investing
web sites.  In a game with archery, tie to bow manufacturers, etc.
This model only allows ties to sites that offer an analog of in-game
entertainment.

JB

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