Political Advertising In Games And The Perils Of What You Wish For

[Andy Chalk]

Political Advertising In Games And The Perils Of What You Wish For

Don't like to see political ads in your games? Too bad. You asked for them.

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[Bretty]

I really don't see in game advertising to be a usefull tool for either campaign. I also dont see McCain's choice to say no to this a bad thing... Nor do I see it has anything to do with his age, which by the way is pretty devisive and mean?

I will put aside my feeling that you are an Obama supporter and I wont even start going into campaign financing, the whole public v. private funding.

Advertising in computer games,is in no way proof that your demographic is taking seriosly when it comes to the voting booth. Less than 40% of the 20-30 age bracket votes and considering the age groups of the people playing these games how can it truly be considered effective advertising? I only see that Obama has SOOO much private financing that he can afford to spend it frivilously (doh there I go talking about financing) and that McCain doesn't.

Do I think McCain hates me because I am a gamer, nope. Do I think he neglects to talk to my demographic? Nope.

I don't even think McCain will win but the people in the US are so split I can't wait to see what it will be like here in the South when Obama gets it. Cus he will, McCain ran a horrible campaign, unfortunately. Socialized Medicine!! Are you kidding? Spread the wealth? oh well...

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

I thought Malygris was Canadian?

Given that the campaign is well under way and the point spread is still in Obama's favor, I imagine his reaction when Massive offered to advertise was "Screw it, why not?"

We'll know that in-game advertising is signaling cultural acceptance when people are advertising only on a game.

 

[teknoarcanist]

I can't say I think this will do much for the campaign (I don't think anyone's going to jump up and go 'I shall vote early! Need for Speed told me to!') but the notion that this could morally offend any gamer is just idiotic to me. I'm sorry if you have to set down your vanilla coke and copy of game informer to avert your eyes from a virtual billboard blurring past at a hundred miles an hour; I know it's quite a strain on your already-overwrought feeble man-mind. Damn those corporate overlords and their slave-labor!

 

[Virgil]

I thought Malygris was Canadian?

He is. I think Canadians still get to vote though, except they're voting on a queen. Or something

 

[Andy Chalk]

Damn right. God save her, man.

Yes, I'm Canadian, but being attached to and integrated with the U.S. as we are, we're exposed to the U.S. election process to a far greater degree than you might think. We see your television ads on a regular basis, and I have no actual numbers to back this up but I wouldn't be at all surprised if more Canadians watched the U.S. presidential debates than did the Canadian leadership debates. (We had an election of our own recently, you see. Unlike you, we manage to get these things wrapped up in about eight weeks.) Canadian magazines even poll Canadians to see who they'd vote for, regardless of the fact that we can't actually vote for your president at all.

It's an interesting position to be in, and made more so for me as a gamer with an interest in this sort of thing. I can't vote for the prez, and in this case I can't even see the ads, but as a gamer living next to the elephant I can't help but be impacted by them - if they turn out to have some kind of impact. How will they affect me? How do I feel about them? Do they serve their purpose, are they somehow inherently worse than "normal" in-game ads, do they represent a fundamental shift in the perception of gamers in the eyes of the political machinery?

 

[L.B. Jeffries]

Yes, I'm Canadian, but being attached to and integrated with the U.S. as we are, we're exposed to the U.S. election process to a far greater degree than you might think. We see your television ads on a regular basis, and I have no actual numbers to back this up but I wouldn't be at all surprised if more Canadians watched the U.S. presidential debates than did the Canadian leadership debates. (We had an election of our own recently, you see. Unlike you, we manage to get these things wrapped up in about eight weeks.) Canadian magazines even poll Canadians to see who they'd vote for, regardless of the fact that we can't actually vote for your president at all.

Considering Bush abolished the Canadian border treaty and has denied all funds to maintenance of territorial boundaries in a gross violation of Executive authority and the Constitution, I can appreciate the interest. I just hope the next President, whoever they are, doesn't wipe their ass with that document this time around.

 

[smallharmlesskitten]

I thought Malygris was Canadian?

He is. I think Canadians still get to vote though, except they're voting on a queen. Or something

I hope your being sarcastic.....

If not... The Monarchy, like practically every single one ever, is done on a herditary basis. When the current Queen pops her clogs it will either be her son Charles (highly unlikely, they dont like him) or her grandsom William. Done off a family thing with people 'in line to the throne' if someone wanted to they could figure otu where everyone is in this 'line'.

That being said Canada has a Prime Minister and an elected cabinet who make the laws but the opposition try and stop their amendaments out of principle but they msotly lose. (they have less seats and therefore less votes)

Politics is complicated.

 

[John Funk]

Yes, he was joking.

 

[Ronwue]

I really hope that there is going to be a controller hard coded in these games that won't put US election material in non US countries.

 

[Ronmarru]

If Obama wins does that mean that the game ads are the reason? Does that mean that these murder simulators actually are influencing the nation's youth? Oh my god, Jack Thompson was right!

Anyway, I don't see the problem. If a candidate wants to spend money on advertising, whether it be commercials, billboards, radio, or in-game, why not?

 

[Susurrus]

Your analysis has a big gaping hole in it:
Isn't it possible that McCain didn't sign up to the idea because:
"Some forum-goers, both at The Escapist and elsewhere, have decried the intrusion of politics into their games and their otherworldly escape from the banalities of everyday life, while others were offended by the unadulterated political opportunism of Obama's sudden embrace of gamers."

Maybe he felt that political advertising in a relaxation medium was not something people would thank him for. I mean, it's a pretty crass thing to do.

It's also something which may be politically difficult. It's now been made much easier for someone to make a video of a pile of wrecked cars under a billboard of Obama grinning. And depending on the game, the effects could be terrible.

Imagine if "Assault on Iran" has a grinning billboard of OBama smiling down on that game's assault in IRanian territory.