Question of the Day, June 12, 2010
- Thread starter The Escapist Staff
- Start date
How do you know I'm not trying to be sneaky and advertise the DevilDriver song "I Could Care Less"?Legion said:
*Alan Wake* Cough cough.thejayk said:
As long as it fits in the game universe, but even then it must be used carefully. The "Boob Tube" Achievement in Alan Wake was the most immersion breaking instance of product placement ever.
Depends on the context. If the game world is an exact replica or perhaps based on a real world environs (like say a race track with related sponsors etc, then it seems reasonable - fits immersion also) or a city landscape with billboards/whatever also seems feasible.
However adding adverts in for the hell of it, completely ruining the game space/immersion is not tolerable.
However adding adverts in for the hell of it, completely ruining the game space/immersion is not tolerable.
Only if they are done right. The Shanghai level in Splinter Cell: Double Agent actually represents both it done well and it done completely wrong. Allow me to elaborate.
The Good: Most of the bottles in the hotel room bathrooms say "Nivea for Men" on them, clearly a product placement. It's believable since those would have been soaps supplied by the hotel so it makes sense that they would all be the same brand, so why not that specific brand?
The Bad: There is a huge "Nivea for Men" in the entire top 1/7[sup]th[/sup] of a skyscraper which looks hugely out of place and just pasted on.
The Ugly: Judging from Sam Fisher's appearance in this game, he clearly uses none of the stuff he promotes.
The Good: Most of the bottles in the hotel room bathrooms say "Nivea for Men" on them, clearly a product placement. It's believable since those would have been soaps supplied by the hotel so it makes sense that they would all be the same brand, so why not that specific brand?
The Bad: There is a huge "Nivea for Men" in the entire top 1/7[sup]th[/sup] of a skyscraper which looks hugely out of place and just pasted on.
The Ugly: Judging from Sam Fisher's appearance in this game, he clearly uses none of the stuff he promotes.
I was running through a terrorist villa in Rainbow Six Vegas 2 when I noticed one of the terrorists had a 'Dr Pepper Iron Man 2' poster in his room.
I found it odd that such groups who are dedicated to the fall of capitalism and america would have such a poster in his/her room, but hey who knows?
I found it odd that such groups who are dedicated to the fall of capitalism and america would have such a poster in his/her room, but hey who knows?
I forget which year but I remember a Fifa game on 360 that had PS3 ads because it had to replicate the actual stadium it was at.
In Crackdown, which was a game supposed to be about a future world run by a corrupt totalitarian government, there was a billboard for a 2007 Chevrolet vehicle.
That is a problem.
Otherwise, I don't care that much, as long as it fits.
That is a problem.
Otherwise, I don't care that much, as long as it fits.
Okay, firstly and most importantly, if the money gained through ingame advertising means better games at lower prices, then yes.
Secondly, as an example, R6Vegas 2, the MLG convention, yes, that's an okay place to put your graphics card and upcoming game title ads. Spouting how great your new graphics card is on a huge bilboard in the middle of a desert in Iraq is NOT the right place, I'm looking at YOU Battlefield 2.
Secondly, as an example, R6Vegas 2, the MLG convention, yes, that's an okay place to put your graphics card and upcoming game title ads. Spouting how great your new graphics card is on a huge bilboard in the middle of a desert in Iraq is NOT the right place, I'm looking at YOU Battlefield 2.
