Sony Could Interrupt Your Games With Ads

[McMullen]

Dear Sony and potential purchasers of advertising time on Sony's new console: I appreciate your willingness to save me time in choosing which products to buy. By completely removing yourselves from the pool of vendors I'm willing to engage with in the marketplace, you've greatly simplified my commercial decision-making. Thank you.

 

[Treblaine]

The only time I don't care to see an ad is at this screen:

You know, the screen where nothing is happening while the map loads?

So long as it doesn't happen when I am pinned down in the middle of a sniper zone, I could give less of a shit. I could imagine the irony when Pepsi is advertised while I am drinking my coke.

Though I also wouldn't care if there was a pepsi billboard stopping Tank Rounds from hitting me.

The problem with that is the developers then have a conflict of interest to make loading times shorter as they will get less ad money. There will be incentive (usually applied by the Publishers) to make more loading times and do NOTHING to make them shorter. The ads with be obnoxious, they will make noises, they will be TOTALLY irrelevant like selling dish washing maintenance to someone playing a first person shooter.

You have to be careful monetising games.

You may think free-to-play gives incentive to sell over-powered game breaking weapons but that is contrary to their objective and that is to get as many people as technologically possible to download the game and play it and keep them hooked. That will not work if they are being constantly killed by rich players who bought OP guns. No, You sell them EVERYTHING about the game except what interferes with players to play fair games against each other. That means no to OP weapons AND no to premium map packs. But anything else from cosmetic, convenience, mod-options, re-play, etc can be sold or earned slowly.

Games are in a POOR position to advertise as they don't really know ANYTHING about their player.

Google is in a good position to make money off advertising as it does a good job both as guessing their interests based on their searches and also on tracking individual users. This is why Google stock exploded when it went on the stock market, their strategy of making money made sense.

But getting someone to log onto a game doesn't say anything about them except they like this game. So don't both trying to open them up to advertisers who will try to sell them ANYTHING! instead take what you know: they like this game enough to play it and sell them stuff TO DO WITH THE GAME! Sell merchandise, sell a single-player campaign episodically, sell server storage for their replays, sell item slots, hats, weapons customisations (that other players can see), tag customisation, etc

Then do it at this screen:

One idea is to do the advertisement the way Microsoft is advertising on the Xbox360 home page, there is a video constantly playing ad's but you don't hear sound until you scroll over to it. Though, the ads now are just ads for Halo 3 and Fable 2 (I guess its for games that are available for download in the marketplace)

By the way, I should mention that I only own a PC and Xbox, however, that does not mean that I won't comment here considering how it may come to other places.

So long as they don't do ads when I am busy trying to figure out the best way to take out a Tank with only a Plasma Pistol, I am okay. Also, the ads must happen when I am not touching my controller, not when I am busy picking a different playlist.

That screen is a lobby for a player-hosted game, that shouldn't even exist in 2012 let alone even 2002. Dedicated servers were the bread and butter of PC gaming, now someone console publishers have convinced millions to host games ON THEIR OWN SYSTEMS with lag going up from around 50ms to around 150ms on average.

Mercifully, in the UK the Xbox dashboard doesn't bombard you with any out-of-system ads, though I understand in America there are ads for everything from cars to air-conditioning units. They aren't remotely targeted, they have no idea what the user's interests, desites or budget is.

I'm just telling you the deeper side of ads: the conflict of interests aspect and the efficiency aspect.

Ads should be sold in places where you know they will be seen by people who will appreciate them. So in a woman's magazine like cosmopolitan that's the place to sell women's makeup. A bus stop is a good place to put an ad for an economical car, as that is someone who wants to go some place and has to take the bus.

You will care about ads when they start compromising you gameplay experience in between killing tanks.

 

[xshadowscreamx]

if there will be ads in future consoles does that mean they will be cheaper...but it will defently put the souless in console.

 

[Nyaliva]

Dear Sony,

Fuck off.

-Everyone

Seriously though, who buys a DVD/Blu-Ray and thinks "well this is great but I wish it had commercials just like TV!" Absolutely fucking no-one.

People can't even stand commercials on TV so why do Sony think we'll tolerate it while watching a DVD which we purchase for the express point of NOT HAVING TO WATCH COMMERCIALS!!!!!

And don't even get me started on games. Just think of the last game you played, think about the most edge-of-your-seat moment and think about it slowing down until a commercial shows. Does that feel right? Does that seem like something you could tolerate?

The correct answer is No, Sony. Perhaps that's their plan though, make people so annoyed that they destroy their consoles and then they have to buy a new one.

PERFECTLY STABLE ECONOMIC CYCLE!

 

[SuperSuperSuperGuy]

You know what? As much as I like Playstation, THIS IS NOT OKAY. Ads on TV? Fine. How else are channels going to get paid from people watching their broadcasts? Same with ads on the internet. But if you start interrupting my Disgaea, BlazBlue or Tales of Graces for some stupid SODA AD, I WILL NEVER PURCHASE A SONY PRODUCT AGAIN, even if it means missing out on new Kingdom Hearts, Persona or Disgaea games. Seriously. I will give up some of my most favourite games in order to send a message to Sony. I've paid for my console, I've paid for my games. If you start interrupting my paid content with advertisements for things that I don't care about, I will flip out. You've gotten your money, now leave me alone.

... It is very difficult to explain how I truly feel without resorting to profanity. I will continue to enjoy using my Playstation 3 for now, but if this is implemented, there will be hell to pay.

 

[Canadamus Prime]

If they do that I'll never buy another thing with Sony's name on it again as long as I live.

 

[Doogan]

This sounds great as it will push more people into PC gaming!!!

 

[IrateDonnie]

If it lets me play games for free than I'm all for it!

If this is for paid games then no, I'm not getting a ps4.

I agree 100% ads in game really bother me for some reason. I didn't mind them in games like Crackdown where they were on the billboards,but I'd have to draw the line if it stops my game for an ad. I still refuse to play Wipeout HD because every time I play it I have to watch a damn commercial before I can play.

 

[LostCrusader]

Oh the fun we would have if this happened during a multiplayer game.
Get into a good dog fight in battlefield, cut to commercial, come back with a stalling plane slamming into a mountain.

Even if the games were free, Sony can go fuck themselves if they add this to any hardware.

 

[Draskinn]

Wow I'm kind of surprised nobody seems to have hit on this yet but here goes.

I noticed a lot of you saying you'd rage if they interrupted a game you "paid" for but this would be ok in a "free" game.

The problem is your idea of what the words "free" and "paid" mean are not the same as Sony's idea.

If I buy a used game I may have "paid" for it, but I paid GameStop or Joe next door, I didn't pay Sony so to them my "paid" game is a "free" game... see where I'm going with this?

I can totally see this being the next avenue of attack on the used game market. Right now they are doing the online pass thing for used games with multiplayer but how do you get folks to buy a "pass" for single player used games? Why add ads to used games of course! Want to play without interruption? Well just buy "new" OR buy an "ad pass"!

Hate to say it but I can totally see this happening. The online passes have already set the precedent.

 

[Evil Smurf]

Dear Sony,
Please keep acting like cunts and activity shitty on your user base, it's great!


-Sincerity, Nintendo

Dear Sony,
At Microsoft we may not have the greatest GPUs in our gaming systems compared to you. Now we never will have to.
Sincerely Microsoft

 

[Mr Pantomime]

A brilliant example of advertising not even trying to adapt to the 21st century. Seriously, theres so many great new ways to advertise in a video games, and some advertisers still think "we will just put a advertisement video in there at a random point, because thats how TV does it". Apparently no one does anything at those marketing courses.

 

[rob_simple]

There is no way a company could be stupid enough to implement this in the way the OP suggests, because it would piss off every single gaming demographic there is. The lifers would rage hard and bombard Sony with complaints and lead boycotts that might actually work for once, and the casuals would either stop gaming and go find something else to do or just see what's new in Farmville.

If this was used in the same way that a lot of apps do, though (i.e. you can download the full game from PSN with ads then pay to have them removed) then I think it would work pretty well, and I actually see that being Sony's idea since the App Store has been a pretty big damn success.

 

[Necron_warrior]

Can I?

Please?

Yay.

PC GAMING MASTER RACE.

I'm done now.

OT: That...Really is crappy. Hope they seriously rethink the effectiveness of this idea.

 

[Woodsey]

Alternatively: I could interrupt a Sony meeting whilst they suck my dick.

Paid for the game and the console, not paying with ads as well.

Dear Sony,
Please keep acting like cunts and activity shitty on your user base, it's great!


-Sincerity, Nintendo

Dear Sony,
At Microsoft we may not have the greatest GPUs in our gaming systems compared to you. Now we never will have to.
Sincerely Microsoft

Dear Console Gamers,

You know you want to come play with us.

Sincerely,

PC Gamers xoxo

 

[GeneralFungi]

Really? Ads to interrupt games? Thanks for letting me know you were this much of a company of jackasses Sony. And to think I was just about to finally cave and buy a PS3 so I can get some good JRPGs (most via the PSN). Now however I honestly can say I despise you Sony more than ever. Hell I now consider EA as having more honor and integrity than you (did I just say something nice about EA? washes mouth out with soap). You can now join EA, and Capcom as companies I am blacklisting and will never give money to again.

You can at least wait for the console to come out before you bad mouth Sony. There's no evidence to suggest that this patent will amount to anything.

 

[Syzygy23]

Wow, I mean, I know Sony are stupid but are they really that thick?

If this goes ahead they can say goodbye to their consu- HEY TRY NEW GENERIC COLA 9999 CENTS- mer base.

Considering your avatar is also an xbox 360 avatar (which I'm assuming is yours) your opinion on anything Sony related is invalidated due to an obvious pre-existing bias. No matter HOW correct you happen to be.

 

[Fayathon]

EDIT: Now that I think on it some more, if it's hardcoded into the hardware I'm never buying the hardware. Not just that, but I'll help anyone I can jailbreak that shit out of their hardware so they don't have to deal with it, this is a terrible idea, and will pretty well just earn the ire of every gamer out there.

Not really. People around here are not in favor of piracy, but its hard to argue about it when the experience they offer is just better...

I personally am against piracy, and if what I've read into this is correct it's not the games themselves that would have these ads, rather it would be the hardware, which is a whole different level of bullshit in and of itself.

My stance is as such: If the ads are in the games, then buy the games to support the developers and then pirate a not-fucked copy. However if it's in the hardware as I think it is, then I support jailbreaking your devices or not purchasing them at all.

If you buy the games with ads in them, you are just encouraging them to do it more. Why would you do that? Why would you want to support the developers who insert ads into their games?

If I'm going to have a game I don't pirate it, no exceptions. If I find a game that has something that offends me to the point of not wanting to support the developers I go without, plain and simple.

You said:

My stance is as such: If the ads are in the games, then buy the games to support the developers and then pirate a not-fucked copy.

I am confused because your stance has apparently changed between these two posts.

Personal stance versus what I find acceptable for others to do. I really should have clarified.

I personally will not even pirate a game if I do not have any intentions of buying it, but for people that do buy it I support piracy of a non-fucked version.

That makes more sense, right, I'm operating on minimal sleep right now, so shit makes sense in my head, but I'm having trouble translating it to written word.

Edit: Just to prove my point I posted my reply halfway down in the quote boxes without realizing it....

Edit two: and I've had to fix this post twice since posting it already....

 

[neonsword13-ops]

*Playing Fallout 3*

Me- "Holy shit, super mutants incoming!"
*Super Mutant squad marches forward* S.M.- "RAAAAAAAAAaaaAAHHHH!!"
Me- Fuck, Fuck- *Goes to inventory, takes out Fat-Man Launcher*
Me- "Take this, bitches!!"
*Fires Fat M-

"Hey, it's Vince, from Sham-wow, you'll be saying "WOW" every time you use it."

"MOTHER FUC-"

"It's a pillow. It's a pet. It's a PILLOW PET!"

In other words, I say No. Shame on Sony for being money-grubbing bastards.

 

[chadachada123]

IF and ONLY IF it ends up being "$60 for game without ads, free for game with ads," then it'd be acceptable, because, hey, free game!

Otherwise, I'd tell them where to politely shove their advertisements.

I'm completely fine with in-game ads, though, like in Battlefield and other modern games. There would absolutely be a McDonalds or Burger King right inside Operation Metro's city sections, and to NOT have them breaks realism.