Product placement in games.

iregk

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

I remember seeing a TV info spot from someone like the British advertising/television standards agency or someone like that where they waffled on about protecting people from product placement, accompanied by a skit clip of an aussie soap where one of the characters puts a soft-drink can infront of the camera so it fills the screen...
It makes me wonder why NFSU2 didn't do the whole "Cellular" thing on the UK release... initially I thought it was because that company didn't operate over here, but now I'm wondering are we protected legally somehow? There again it didn't stop them putting BurgerKing outlets everywhere.

I remember that alright and as far as I know there is some sort of law about it but I don't think it governs games. May be wrong there though. I think though they have really missed the whole Brian O'Driscoll Powerade product placement in post match interviews, its almost ridiculous.

But on the car crash thing as well, I heard that also. Hence why there is no crash damage in need for speed 2 despite the fact that you hit a solid brick wall at 140... oups sorry Metric, thats 225kph.

Fysh

Think those were the ASA (advertising standards authority) ads on Sky. There are fairly strong rules about product placement in the UK (not sure if they apply over here) but they seem to apply more to TV programmes than films - the idea being essentially that producers are not allowed to focus on a product unless it's necessary to the progression of the programme itself, and not in such a way as to basically be an advert in the middle of the programme. Not sure how they'd square this against films like I, Robot if they did apply it stringently to films though.

The Irish equivalent is the ASAI. I've dropped them an email (info @ asai.ie ) enquiring as to whether advertising within games would be covered by their guidelines and what they can do if people complain about a given game's adverts. Admittedly it may not do much, but if enough people mail them they'll have to do something.

iregk

Well fair play fysh for getting the ball rolling.

I have to say I admire Rockstar games for their refusal to put corporate logos into the GTA series, lets face it they could make a fortune!!! But instead the choose to use dummy companies. Ironic though that while we are complaining about logos etc... the number 1 download for GTA3 on the pc was the GTA Real patch that replaced all teh cars and logos with real world ones.

tman

http://www.tomshardware.com/hardnews/20050418_183910.html

absolutely ****ing disgusting :mad:

simu

DonkeyStyle \o/ wrote:

Maybe I'm just more fudged-off hearing about the sims - takin' a poop than you are.

Coooool! When's it coming out?

BlitzKrieg

has anyone here purchased a product based on its representation in a computer game yet?

i mean how pointless will most of it be?

Products change advertising campaigns AND the products change quite reguraly so wont alot of the placement become worthless as the games age. Its like that bizarre love affair that advertisers had with adverts on vhs cassettes. never really took off. Adverts in cinemas make sense because the film is in the cinema for a limited time.

Product placement in films to a degree make sense. A film uses *real* sets and actors to create the fictional story, so using real products in it can not only be acceptable to the viewer (except when overdone) but also is fuctional as it presents the actual product in front of the viewer.

But computer games are 100% created on computers so the product is not really on show.

the only form i see working is a billboard or special item style advertising in mmorpgs of a real world or sci fi setting. And only if the monthly charges are deduced.

DonkeyStyle \o/

simu wrote:

Coooool! When's it coming out?

At some point after "The Sims - Keepin' it regular" hits the shelves.

DonkeyStyle \o/

BlitzKrieg wrote:

has anyone here purchased a product based on its representation in a computer game yet?

Nope and I make a point not to... just like email spam, unwelcome adds have the opposite effect.

BlitzKrieg wrote:

And only if the monthly charges are deduced.

Neeeeeeever gonna happen. (I assume deduced = reduced+typo)
They've already got thousands of people willing to fork out 50 a month in subs, the only way they'll reduce it is if they think they can get a massive amount of extra players by doing so, and so can increase the rates they charge for add placement that ballances the reduction in subs, and come out on top after the extra overhead the new players would cost in bandwidth/support.
There's no sense of fairness in business, they'll only do it if there's something big in it for them, or if they're already losing market share because everyone else is doing it already.

It's all so wrong though, I mean, if I buy a DVD in the shops - I don't expect to have to sit through 15 minutes of adds before the feature. (although some rental DVDs are really starting to take the píss)
Why not do it with Music CD's aswell then? Have a 30 second add between each track, or insert commercial slogans into the music subliminally? ... I mean, we only payed €20 for the fuking thing... these 'struggling' artists and executives need our support!

iregk

eh the whole music thing is already happening, thats nothing new. artists have been doing product placement for years in songs and music videos...

take Pinks track - Get the party started. Mercedes pain 200k to have their name and car associated with that song and how does the song go: "ill be cruzin in my mercedes benz" also in the video she drives a merc.

Product placement in music really took off in the 90's and now with hip hop its stronger than ever so you dont need ad breaks between tracks when the song has them already in it!!!

DonkeyStyle \o/

Product placement in music really took off in the 90's and now with hip hop its stronger than ever so you dont need ad breaks between tracks when the song has them already in it!!!

Yeah but you could make so much more money, why not go all out? - The share-holders would be thrilled.

ObeyGiant

BlitzKrieg wrote:

Products change advertising campaigns AND the products change quite reguraly so wont alot of the placement become worthless as the games age. Its like that bizarre love affair that advertisers had with adverts on vhs cassettes. never really took off.

Well, this isn't a major problem in, say, an MMORPG. Unfortunately, these games are still seen as an extremely limited 'niche' market, so I doubt that we'll see a massive uptake for the next while. But as we move closer and closer to an always-online culture, my guess is that we'll reach a stage where games will regularly 'download' new advertisments from time to time.

Fysh

Got a reply from the ASAI folks...sooner than I thought, too:

"I refer to your email of 18th April.

The function of the Advertising Standards Authority for Ireland is to
promote the highest standards of advertising and to enforce the Codes of
Advertising Standards and of Sales Promotion Practice. We are prepared
to investigate complaints about advertisements that may be considered to
be in breach of the Codes.

Product placement is not considered commercial advertising under the
ASAI Code. The other issues you raise in your email regarding
advertising in video games could be considered under the ASAI Codes. We
will be reviewing our Codes during 2005 and we will take account of the
issues you have raised in your email. The current ASAI Codes can be
viewed on our website at: www.asai.ie.

Yours sincerely,

Orla Twomey,
ASSISTANT CHIEF EXECUTIVE."

Looks like they won't be up to doing much for us, then. Mind you, this being an organization set up by advertisers, that's hardly surprising...still, the more people raise these kind of issues the more pressure there'll be on them to act.

For the interested, my original email was :

"Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing to enquire about the ASAI guidelines and policies;
specifically to ask whether they currently include companies that
develop and sell videogames and, in the event that these companies are
not included, to ask if any steps are being taken or will be taken
soon to include them.

The reason for this enquiry is that advertising and product placement
are becoming more and more common in videogames. This is due both to
the increasing development costs of such games (which makes
advertising an attractive source of additional revenue), and the
increasing popularity of online gaming (which allows for adverts to be
renewed or refreshed at the advertiser's whim, rather than remaining
static - making in-game advertising a more attractive propositionto
advertisers). In light of this, as a gamer I would like to know what
standards such in-game advertising or product placement should be
adhering to, and what action can be taken in cases where I feel those
standards have not been met. Would these standards vary if, for
example, the product is offered at a discounted price with adverts or
full-price without? Would it be allowable under your existing
guidelines for games companies to include acceptance of any ads into
the software license provided with the game?

For more information regarding advertising within games, please see
the following links :

http://www.massiveincorporated.com/
http://www.gamespot.com/news/2005/04/11/news_6121928.html
http://www.grimwell.com/?action=fullnews&id=265"

(Yes, I know, it seems somewhat condescending. But then again, I'm often amazed at the total lack of technical savvy to be found in these sorts of organizations....)

BlitzKrieg

so they replied by saying essentially...no comment. *sigh*

po0k

Don't buy the games.

iregk

I dont mean to sound damp squid here but this is ireland, id say nothing will be done here. i.e. they propose to put in guidlines in place, companies flash the good oul building bricks of this country (the brown envelope) and the proposal goes away.

Its all too familiar in this country.

Fysh

No, but from this thread a lot of people are saying that things like product placement and in-game advertising annoy them - especially when the money earned by the game developer in doing so is not accordingly slashed from the cover price of the game. I dislike the idea of doing nothing, so if we can kick someone in the ass who is supposed to be doing this then why not? There's no point being defeatist about it, although I can't see it being particularly easy or swift to get a body like the ASAI to get involved (given that, from their email, they didn't even seem to be aware that videogames feature such ads).

jaggeh

I was playing Mercedes-Benz World Racing last year

that game did more harm to mercedes than good imo

not to mention the fact that distro's are trying to jack up the retail prices by 15% over the next year due to presure from retailers (im sure)

to be completly honest, i have no problem with ads in games, as long as they are kept on the downlow, when im walking down the street and see a billboard i expect to see an advert there, when im playing a videogame and i dont expect the character to be lecturing me on the benefits of chewing airwaves.

iregk

Ireland really needs to start taking the French approach. If we don’t like it grind the entire country to a standstill until it gets changed. Not like our current model, complaining and moaning about the price of a pint and then going out and drinking 8 of them at the weekend!!! We have the power people, inflation and everything is driven by us, we all boycott anything it will change or risk loosing money.

DonkeyStyle \o/

SyxPak wrote:

Don't buy the games.

Yup, it's the only language they understand. (well that, and legislation)
Although it's hard to know which games to avoid.
Are there any anti-product-placement-in-games websites that have a big shít-list of offending games? I recall there being a list of games that were loaded with StarForce(?) crap-ware... I can see more sites popping up in protest of adds.