In Game Advertisements

[QuantumHero]

Having major temporary posting problems here....jury rigged phone that is a nightmare to type on,but reading and loving how many of you seem to have similar ideas to mine

I will.promise you that when we save our game in whatever version we save.it....if I am among those running in game adds...they will always be neutral or enhancing your experiance....that is my.pledge as a player and a professional.

[DamianoV]

I saw a couple of posts a little earlier in the thread re: confirmation of the ad impression being difficult to obtain.  How about if we as the players click on the ad to confirm that we saw it?  Perhaps even have a "Like"/"Dislike" option for additional feedback?

You can count me amongst those who was mildly against this idea back in 2006: not so much so that I was going to stop playing the game, but definitely concerned about the details.  To say that the situation now in 2012 is different is to be a master of the understatement... and I don't just mean the looming potential shutdown.

[eabrace]

I saw a couple of posts a little earlier in the thread re: confirmation of the ad impression being difficult to obtain.  How about if we as the players click on the ad to confirm that we saw it?  Perhaps even have a "Like"/"Dislike" option for additional feedback?

You can count me amongst those who was mildly against this idea back in 2006: not so much so that I was going to stop playing the game, but definitely concerned about the details.  To say that the situation now in 2012 is different is to be a master of the understatement... and I don't just mean the looming potential shutdown.

Put them on posters in missions and give out badges for clicking on 10, 25, 50, 100, 1000...   

[dwturducken]

To address an earlier comment about travel powers allowing players to bypass the billboards (and I have lamented the level 4 travel availability as the most aggregious nerf , since it was introduced, but I digress), what about, say, a car company having excluse rights to use one or two of their actual cars as models throughout the zones. I don't mean the "All Cars Are Fords trope, but, in among the existing, generic cars, maybe the occasional Camry or Prius. Or perhaps a dealership with a salesman "friend" who needs some heroic help, with some selected sales/feature talk thrown into the dialogue.

If you watch Mad Men or Burn Notice, those two shows are particularly good at working the product placement into the dialogue and not making it sound clumsy or heavy-handed.

[QuantumHero]

Put them on posters in missions and give out badges for clicking on 10, 25, 50, 100, 1000...   

I like this....very nice and not something on the list.   kudos

[DamianoV]

Put them on posters in missions and give out badges for clicking on 10, 25, 50, 100, 1000...   

As an on-again, off-again badge collector... I approve this message. 

[QuantumHero]

Travel powers - specific spots depend on whether we have the same landscape when the dust settles....but you folks already half the answer, spots where players will want or need to go and slow down.

The other half involves real world forms of advertising that are expensive only in the real world.   sponsored blimp anyone   How about landscaped logo.scenary visible from above.  Also sponsored in game events.  Sky writing planes.Movie theaters to submit our creations and real wprld trailers.  I would say more if typing was not such a problem this week.

Even an idea is on my list keep them comming...we are going to save our world and keep it functioning....never thought we'd be here...but I am almost looking forward to working for a product I believe in   

[TimtheEnchanter]

To address an earlier comment about travel powers allowing players to bypass the billboards (and I have lamented the level 4 travel availability as the most aggregious nerf , since it was introduced, but I digress), what about, say, a car company having excluse rights to use one or two of their actual cars as models throughout the zones. I don't mean the "All Cars Are Fords trope, but, in among the existing, generic cars, maybe the occasional Camry or Prius. Or perhaps a dealership with a salesman "friend" who needs some heroic help, with some selected sales/feature talk thrown into the dialogue.

If you watch Mad Men or Burn Notice, those two shows are particularly good at working the product placement into the dialogue and not making it sound clumsy or heavy-handed.

Well for that matter, why stop at billboards? It's a big city, with a lot of room for shops. Some can just be fronts of course, but as an example, Starbucks as an RP hangout? (and right next to the PPD building of course)

[DrakeGrimm]

Well for that matter, why stop at billboards? It's a big city, with a lot of room for shops. Some can just be fronts of course, but as an example, Starbucks as an RP hangout? (and right next to the PPD building of course)

Dunkin Donuts! C'moooon!

[JWBullfrog]

Here's a variation on this theme.
 
I'm not crazy about an in-game store front for real world companies. It feels like too much of an intrusion. I could, however support something like adding links to the in-game store.
 
For example: You open the Paragon Market as we are able to do now. Along one side of that screen is a set of links out to merchants who wish to advertise. Clicking on that link will connect you to that merchant's existing website.
 
As I see it, this gets around the inappropriate content issue since the advertisements will not be 'out in the open' as it were. Perhaps an option to block access to those could be included. I could also see this addressing potential issues of liability.
 
 
 
 
 

[TimtheEnchanter]

Dunkin Donuts! C'moooon!

Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte = Level 50 +1.

[dwturducken]

Dunkin Donuts! C'moooon!

Think Randy's Donuts, the inspiration for the donut shop in Faultline/Overbrook, would want to see their name on that building, instead?

[Segev]

I'm not crazy about an in-game store front for real world companies. It feels like too much of an intrusion.

That's the beauty of it; you don't have to go into them. There will be incentives (e.g. the idea that all store-fronts link to the same store, so passing through could be a valuable shortcut), but it would be unintrusive to those who don't want to bother to enter.

I could, however support something like adding links to the in-game store.
 
For example: You open the Paragon Market as we are able to do now. Along one side of that screen is a set of links out to merchants who wish to advertise. Clicking on that link will connect you to that merchant's existing website.
 
As I see it, this gets around the inappropriate content issue since the advertisements will not be 'out in the open' as it were. Perhaps an option to block access to those could be included. I could also see this addressing potential issues of liability.

Ads not "out in the open" fail completely. The avoidance of inappropriate content is done in two ways: integrate the ads into the game in the same way they're integrated into real-world cities, and watchdogging the actual content to make sure it remains PG. Maybe the thinnest edge into PG-13.

That said, letting vendors advertise or link to wares in the Paragon Market might not be a bad idea, as long as it doesn't get in the way of shopping for the in-game stuff people want.

[Cinnder]

Nope, we definitely had a Babylon AD advert on the Union and Defiant back in the day. It was the only advert we had. I assume the EU and US servers ran different ads.

It wasn't tied to the servers: I saw the Vin Diesel ad on a billboard in AP many times, and I play on Infinity and Virtue -- but I live in the UK.  I guess that means it detected location via IP address, like US tv web sites that won't let me watch free episodes available to US residents.

[Knightslayer]

It wasn't tied to the servers: I saw the Vin Diesel ad on a billboard in AP many times, and I play on Infinity and Virtue -- but I live in the UK.  I guess that means it detected location via IP address, like US tv web sites that won't let me watch free episodes available to US residents.

And all those Youtube commercials! =P

[Globetrotter]

Put them on posters in missions and give out badges for clicking on 10, 25, 50, 100, 1000...   

The more badges the better!

Just a thought that passed my mind: would any of the big companies, given the opportunity to advertize, be interested in acquiring the IP? Probably just a silly thought, but .... one never knows what brilliant plan can follow a silly thought.

[QuantumHero]

Okay now that I am on an actual computer.

I'm going to try and consolidate some of the general thoughts and concerns in this thread.

I'm doing this mostly from memory so if I miss anything speak up.

1. Most people seem to think in game advertising makes sense as a way of supporting a resurrected or reborn game.  In the past there were objections but these are different times.

2. There were concerns about the types of adds that might be placed or how much they were likely to intrude on our experience.  Many of us realized that if the community is in charge of this then the community also has the right to reject potential sponsors and govern in what manor their presence impacts our game.

3. In the past there was a limited attempt to have in-game adds and fast moving and often airbourne heroes made it hard to get useful view counts.  Toward that problem we addressed placing adds in places where heroes naturally slow down, and created more places where they will want to visit.

4. We talked about storefronts - the pros and the cons

5. We talked about logo clothing for our street wear

6. Destructable signature locations from various sponsors  and missions to rescue a company mascot with an in-game or coupon reward....but not forcing such content on players

7. We talked about incorporating adds into a linked game store as  long as it didn't get in the way

8. We mentioned sponsored loading screens

9. I think I mentioned pizza delivery drivers who you could stop on the street in order to order virtual or real pizza and that might come to your actual house.

10.  Protecting young gamers from R and X rated products....questionable products would be restricted to 18+ zones (along with  missions that are a bit to gritty for children) or just would not be allowed in game at all.

11. We talked about immersion and how companies might either be required to use an "in-universe" style and might also pay a premium price for an in-universe endorsement.  i.e. Manticore never leaves home without his (insert name brand here) running shoes.

12.  We also talked about allowing/encouraging full storefront shopping experience as opposed to promotional facades that might even allow online shopping for real world and/or virtual items

How was that for off the top of my head   Anything missing?

[eabrace]

Anything missing?

Placing ads in missions and making them clickable for badges (and confirmation that someone actually looked at the ad.)  Seriously.  Badge monkeys like me would be all over that.

[QuantumHero]

Doh....sorry about that yes clickable adds both in AND out of missions that would link with badges. 

A wonderful idea.

"View 10 billboards in Talos Island"
"Pick-up 20 signature coffee mugs in missions"
"100 adds viewed"
"30 real life rewards missions"
"Handed out flyers"

You also just gave me a new idea add design contests for new sponsored products...why not design them as a community

[Knightslayer]

Placing ads in missions and making them clickable for badges (and confirmation that someone actually looked at the ad.)  Seriously.  Badge monkeys like me would be all over that.

That's actually brilliant!
Even in other games that have achievements instead of badges everyone would click them to get those achievements!