Metal Gear Solid 4's Protagonist to Sport iPod

Junaid Alam

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Metal Gear Solid 4's Protagonist to Sport iPod

iSnake, anyone? Metal Gear Solid 4's release will be accompanied with much fanfare - and apparently, heavy in-game advertising.

Snake will have access to an in-game iPod to change the game's background music to selections found in the game and downloaded from the web.

Also planned for inclusion, at least for the Japanese version, are: Regain energy drinks, a Sony Ericsson cell phone and Triumph motorcycles. The drinks will also be sold in stores in special bottles leading up to the game's June release.

Other collaborations include T-shirt and cell phone game deals.

Konami itself will launch novels and a 47-track soundtrack of the game, as well a digital comic.

Source: IGN.com [http://ps3.ign.com/articles/873/873465p1.html?RSSwhen2008-05-13_010600&RSSid=873465]

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PxDn Ninja

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More like "Hooray, who needs 90 dollar games due to millions spent in production costs, when we can offset that with some in game advertising of real world items that would be seen in the game world anyhow."
 

ert47

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Feb 28, 2008
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Im a consumer whore... only because im in Japan right now... I want that stuff...

am i shallow??
 

JakubK666

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PxDn Ninja said:
More like "Hooray, who needs 90 dollar games due to millions spent in production costs, when we can offset that with some in game advertising of real world items that would be seen in the game world anyhow."
More like "Hooray, I'm a Sony Fanboy and I'll defend Teh Killa-app Game no matter how absurd it feels".

This idea is just plain stupid or should I simply say: Fucked Up.Period.
 

sammyfreak

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No way! MGS has always been a rather insane series and adding out of place marketing would fit right in.

Maybe a ironic Lexus ad in the middle?
 

Disgustor

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JakubK666 said:
PxDn Ninja said:
More like "Hooray, who needs 90 dollar games due to millions spent in production costs, when we can offset that with some in game advertising of real world items that would be seen in the game world anyhow."
More like "Hooray, I'm a Sony Fanboy and I'll defend Teh Killa-app Game no matter how absurd it feels".

This idea is just plain stupid or should I simply say: Fucked Up.Period.
Would you heap the same scorn on someone defending product placement in the James Bond films? Product placement does make perfect business sense, especially if you're working with money-spilling blockbusters like MGS4. But I suppose there's no reason EVER trying to explain it, seeing as you hurled abuse at PxDn Ninja the moment an explanation was offered. Learn to listen to others' arguments or jog on.

With that aside, the product placement doesn't particularly bother me. I'm not expecting much subtlety, bearing in mind this is a big-bucks title looking for advertisers (that sort of reminds me of the hilariously blatant ads in EA titles like Burnout), but in the film industry they're very opportunistic with it - James Bond being the finest example - and it'll be interesting to see how many ways Konami can slip brands to the viewer. Will it be like the McDonalds outlet in Fifth Element, or a bit subtler like... er... the sequined Coca Cola billboard in Strictly Ballroom? ;)
 

NotPigeon

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j-e-f-f-e-r-s said:
From a business sense, it makes sense. From an artistic sense, it's horrible.
From a real world sense, art doesn't get put out there without business.
 

hastalavictoria

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PxDn Ninja said:
More like "Hooray, who needs 90 dollar games due to millions spent in production costs, when we can offset that with some in game advertising of real world items that would be seen in the game world anyhow."
Ah yes. Of course, I forgot how generous big businesses are in handing back revenues to us, the consumer. Even when they could probably get away with not doing on such a big title as this. [/sarcasm]

This stuff makes me sick. I can't play Battlefield 2142 anymore (and I used to love it) ever since I saw adverts for Jay-Z's album in it. Inserting adverts in a game sets a dangerous precedent. What happens if games actually become cheaper? All games would have to feature advertising for their prices to remain competitive. Then designers would have to be careful not to offend the sponsors. All the life would be crushed out of them, eventually.
 

DrFuzz

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May 14, 2008
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There's a difference between in-game/movie product placement and in-game/movie advertising. Having the beverage your character drinks in the game have a real world label on it, or seeing a Doritos billboard in the game is one thing, but having an actual advertisement for that product is completely different. There's also a question of relevance to the subject matter.

To use the James Bond example, you have Q (or R, if you're a toddler and have only seen the pitiful recent films like Die Another Day) going out of his way to introduce the new BMW ZX-blahblah with satellite radio, individual passenger air conditioning, and an electronic penis measurer that grossly overestimates the real value, and then audibly informs you of the results via a sultry female electronic voice. That is in-game/movie advertising.

The Battlefield 2142 example is another sad example, because if we're really to feel immersed in this demented future of robots and laser death, then we really wouldn't give a shit about the latest hip hop album, now would we. For that matter, Jay'Z's latest album would be about 150 years out of date, to boot. That is also in-game/movie advertising.

Now, if the motorcycle you happen to be using in a relatively modern setting game like MGS happens to have a real world company's logo on it, and that logo is the normal size and whatnot, and not smeared all over the side of the bike in bright white letters, that's fine. If you're walking down yet another sandy, brown, Arab street, which seem to be all the rage in games these days, and you happen to see a billboard with the McDonald's arches but the ad is clearly written in Arabic, or a Coca-Cola vending machine with "Taste the Real Thing" slapped on it in Farsi, that's fine, too.

What would NOT be fine would be something like this:

- BEGIN CODEC TRANSMISSION -

Snake: Otacon! I somehow am the world's greatest soldier and yet I don't even know how to use the equipment I've been given before being sent in on a mission. What's this strange white device clipped to my belt?

Otacon: That's an Apple(tm) iPod(tm), Snake. You can use it to change what music you're listening to while on the mission.

Snake: This thing plays music?!

Otacon: Yes, Snake. (I have to repeat your name, just so you know that I am, in fact, talking to you) You change tracks with the press of a finger using the iPod(tm)'s patented touchscreen technology. You can even download new music off of the internet.

Snake: I see...

Otacon: You can also store pictures and video on it to share with your friends, and it has a built-in web browser so it can access the internet from any wifi hotspot.

Snake: This little thing can do all that?

Otacon: Yes, Snake. The people over at Apple(tm) have really revolutionized the portable music industry.

Snake: Hmmm...

THAT would be bad. Considering it's Hideo Kojima and this is MGS we're talking about, the above scenario would not be in the least bit surprising, since Kojima loves A- referring to himself as much as possible, B- making horrible puns and ill-conceived self-referential jokes, and C- jarringly breaking your immersion to remind you that you are, in fact, playing a game. You know, because that controller in your hand and your dry, bleary eyes from staring at the TV for too long weren't enough of a reminder.

Yeah.
 

Mstrswrd

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Mar 2, 2008
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DrFuzz said:
There's a difference between in-game/movie product placement and in-game/movie advertising. Having the beverage your character drinks in the game have a real world label on it, or seeing a Doritos billboard in the game is one thing, but having an actual advertisement for that product is completely different. There's also a question of relevance to the subject matter.

To use the James Bond example, you have Q (or R, if you're a toddler and have only seen the pitiful recent films like Die Another Day) going out of his way to introduce the new BMW ZX-blahblah with satellite radio, individual passenger air conditioning, and an electronic penis measurer that grossly overestimates the real value, and then audibly informs you of the results via a sultry female electronic voice. That is in-game/movie advertising.

The Battlefield 2142 example is another sad example, because if we're really to feel immersed in this demented future of robots and laser death, then we really wouldn't give a shit about the latest hip hop album, now would we. For that matter, Jay'Z's latest album would be about 150 years out of date, to boot. That is also in-game/movie advertising.

Now, if the motorcycle you happen to be using in a relatively modern setting game like MGS happens to have a real world company's logo on it, and that logo is the normal size and whatnot, and not smeared all over the side of the bike in bright white letters, that's fine. If you're walking down yet another sandy, brown, Arab street, which seem to be all the rage in games these days, and you happen to see a billboard with the McDonald's arches but the ad is clearly written in Arabic, or a Coca-Cola vending machine with "Taste the Real Thing" slapped on it in Farsi, that's fine, too.

What would NOT be fine would be something like this:

- BEGIN CODEC TRANSMISSION -

Snake: Otacon! I somehow am the world's greatest soldier and yet I don't even know how to use the equipment I've been given before being sent in on a mission. What's this strange white device clipped to my belt?

Otacon: That's an Apple(tm) iPod(tm), Snake. You can use it to change what music you're listening to while on the mission.

Snake: This thing plays music?!

Otacon: Yes, Snake. (I have to repeat your name, just so you know that I am, in fact, talking to you) You change tracks with the press of a finger using the iPod(tm)'s patented touchscreen technology. You can even download new music off of the internet.

Snake: I see...

Otacon: You can also store pictures and video on it to share with your friends, and it has a built-in web browser so it can access the internet from any wifi hotspot.

Snake: This little thing can do all that?

Otacon: Yes, Snake. The people over at Apple(tm) have really revolutionized the portable music industry.

Snake: Hmmm...

THAT would be bad. Considering it's Hideo Kojima and this is MGS we're talking about, the above scenario would not be in the least bit surprising, since Kojima loves A- referring to himself as much as possible, B- making horrible puns and ill-conceived self-referential jokes, and C- jarringly breaking your immersion to remind you that you are, in fact, playing a game. You know, because that controller in your hand and your dry, bleary eyes from staring at the TV for too long weren't enough of a reminder.

Yeah.
Well, if you remember, Otacon claimed that his little Camera on Wheels thing (The name of which I can't remember) has a CELL PROCESSOR. Snake had no idea what that was, and then we saw that Otacon's Computer has a "Zone of Enders" background, and he starts to explain the Cell Processor to Snake. It was pretty funny.

Anyway, the Regain Energy drink commercial is actually pretty funny. It reminds me of the Japanese Crisis Core: Final Fantasy VII Energy drink/Potion commercials.
 

Gahars

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Neato!

I can't wait to don some Nikes in the game as well. Just helps you escape from those pesky guards in a much easier.

Oh, and in a tight situation, Snake can take some Gatorade to get in the game.
 

broadband

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Gahars said:
Neato!

I can't wait to don some Nikes in the game as well. Just helps you escape from those pesky guards in a much easier.

Oh, and in a tight situation, Snake can take some Gatorade to get in the game.
hehe maybe there can be a cutscene where solid snake cuts the neck of a soldier and the blood is replaced with gatorade and then one of the comercial slogans appear.

i know now, a viagra comercial when snake drags the corpses.

or a shooting where the sweat of snake is replaced with gatorade too