Ads Coming to Xbox Live

[Andy Chalk]

Ads Coming to Xbox Live

Xbox Live [http://www.microsoft.com] within the year but Major Nelson says users don't need to worry about a "huge influx of ads" cluttering up the dashboard.

Microsoft revealed its plan to bring Flash [http://silverlight.net/], only supported by 6 million Silverlight developers worldwide who now have the option to tap a variety of Microsoft tools and technologies and develop marketing campaigns for Xbox."

"We are just starting to scratch the surface of what's possible," said Sean Alexander, director of Microsoft's Advertising Business Group. "As a marketer, your job is to build an emotional connection with the brand, no matter the platform."

Despite Alexander's enthusiasm, many Xbox Live users are less than thrilled at the prospect of the service being swamped with obtrusive ads. But Larry Hryb, the Xbox Live director of programming better known as Major Nelson, said there's nothing to worry about, assuring people on his blog that Microsoft isn't going to bury gamers with advertising.

"I need to let you know that you don't need to worry about a huge influx of ads across the dashboard," he wrote [http://majornelson.com/archive/2009/07/01/advertising-on-xbox-live.aspx]. "One of our core principles is to enhance, not interfere with the gaming experience, and we work directly with our partners to only deliver experiences that are relevant to the Live community. Silverlight will help make those ads a more organic part of the dashboard, like we've done with some of the NXE slots in the past."

"No one on the team wants to turn the dashboard into something that looks like like Shibuya Crossing [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shibuya%2C_Tokyo]," he added. "That's just not good for anyone."

Many users responding to Hryb's post remained unhappy about the prospect of the ads, however, suggesting that while they might be appropriate for people on the free Silver level of service, Xbox Live Gold members shouldn't have to put up with any advertising at all.

via: GamesIndustry [http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/microsoft-adverts-wont-interfere-with-xbox-live-experience]


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[MrPop]

I thought they already kinda had ads on Xbox Live for games, films and music.

Hopefully this will mean Xbox Live would go cheaper though if they get money from advertising... not likely though. As said in the article more likely than that would be Silver get ads and Gold don't.

They won't affect me though as I don't go on the dashboard much but games.

 

[Aura Guardian]

That's not a bad thing. Some of them are good ones

 

[Eruanno]

Woah, hold up there a second. Aren't we paying for Xbox Live already? Did Microsoft suddenly think "Huh, I don't think we're quite cashing in enough on this!"?

 

[hopeneverdies]

Isn't there enough product placement in games that we don't need actual adverts?

 

[MasterStratus]

Come on, we already pay for Gold.
Now we need to hear about how we could really use another controller?
Or how about some other products?
No.
We already put up with paying fifty dollars a year for online gaming, while the other console owners do it for free.
Screw you, Microsoft.

 

[Baby Tea]

Woah, hold up there a second. Aren't we paying for Xbox Live already? Did Microsoft suddenly think "Huh, I don't think we're quite cashing in enough on this!"?

Gold members are paying, but Silver members are still downloading hosted items like videos and demos and content. Microsoft doesn't charge the developers for that, so they need to get the money from somewhere.
Advertisements is a great way to do it, so long as they aren't akin to popups.

 

[Baby Tea]

We already put up with paying fifty dollars a month for online gaming, while the other console owners do it for free.

Well you're getting screwed then. I pay 50 bucks for 13 months.

 

[AndyFromMonday]

We're paying for Xbox Live Microsoft...PAYING for it. We're kinda PAYING so WE DON'T GET adds.

 

[Jumplion]

So it's basically paying to get advertisments shoved in your face? Giving Microsoft money for them to make more money? I thought a huge point in most "pay for more content!" stuff was to get rid of the damn advertisments, not have them pop up regardless. You shouldn't have to deal with that, no matter how negligable or minor it is.

And don't you dare tell me I'm being a fanboy here (you know who you are....you!), Qore has advertisments in some of it's segments and it really gets annoying. And yet I still pay for it........shit...

 

[Kinguendo]

Okay so they now have advertisement revenue... will it make it cheaper for us? If not I think that is what people will be annoyed about, I know I would be. Heck, maybe people havent even thought about it that way yet.

EDIT: Yep, it does appear to be on peoples minds.

 

[MasterStratus]

We already put up with paying fifty dollars a month for online gaming, while the other console owners do it for free.

Well you're getting screwed then. I pay 50 bucks for 13 months.

Sorry, my bad.
I meant year.
But either way, we're paying while other people don't.

 

[PxDn Ninja]

I find this humorous. The whole reason we got the piece of shit called the NXE (which has always ran slower than the old dashboard) was to clean up the screen and fix the issues caused by ads in the last dashboard. So now we get the ads we used to have with a less efficient UI to maneuver with.

Well played Microsoft.

 

[nova18]

Woah, hold up there a second. Aren't we paying for Xbox Live already? Did Microsoft suddenly think "Huh, I don't think we're quite cashing in enough on this!"?

I thought that, I expected Sony to be doing this before Microsoft, seeing as how I pay nothing for PSNetwork, I wouldnt mind if they had some advertising on the store and XMB.
Then again, Microsoft is still a business and anything they can do to increase revenue will be done.

 

[Jumplion]

Woah, hold up there a second. Aren't we paying for Xbox Live already? Did Microsoft suddenly think "Huh, I don't think we're quite cashing in enough on this!"?

Gold members are paying, but Silver members are still downloading hosted items like videos and demos and content. Microsoft doesn't charge the developers for that, so they need to get the money from somewhere.
Advertisements is a great way to do it, so long as they aren't akin to popups.

That's a load of bullhonkey, and you know it. "Microsoft doesn't charge the developers for that, so they need the money from somewhere"? Seriously? There's like, what, 25 million Gold Subscribers or something? Multiply that by 5, do you really think they're short on money? That's not counting all the Marketplace stuff that I'm sure people buy all the time as well as a bunch of other stuff. Besides, do you really want to pay for something that should be removed when you pay for it anyway? You're paying them to get more money, what sense does that make?

And if you want to get technical, trailers, demos, and the like are advertisments so charge away (not saying I like it, but meh, I don't have to pay for it)

I get the same kind of giggles when people say "VALVe needs money!" crap when arguing about the L4D2 stuff. I think STEAM sort of comforts them, don't you think?

God I think I'm starting to be in a ranty mood...

 

[Sevre]

Umm....Yay? Adverts are everywhere, I can't wait till I start dreaming about toilet duck.

 

[MasterStratus]

We already put up with paying fifty dollars a month for online gaming, while the other console owners do it for free.

Well you're getting screwed then. I pay 50 bucks for 13 months.

Sorry, my bad.
I meant year.
But either way, we're paying while other people don't.

We're also getting a better internet service then compared to the PS3. I often hear of online matches just breaking apart for no reason on the PS3.

And that doesn't happen on Xbox Live?
It sure happens to me a lot.
And it's not my internet, my laptop and various other things work fine.
Don't get me wrong, I love my Xbox.
I'm just saying that we put up with paying, then we get ads to pay for more stuff.
I just hope they don't make "Xbox Platinum, now with less ads than Gold!"