in-game adverts

britboy4321 · 13 May 2009 at 14:45

I was playing GRID yesterday and noticed a load of billboards in-game for a cinema film that is only just coming out (way after GRID was released). It's in-game 'dynamic' advertising. The game had obviously gone to the internet (somewhere), grabbed the image, then put it on to the billboard in my game!

Some money has naturally gone to Codemasters for them to advertise that film to us, through 'in game' internet updating billboards..

Now, in fairness the billboard didn't reduce my enjoyment of the game at all (I don't care if the billboards flying past at 160mph advertise a fictional product, or a real one - although it may be messing with me subliminally?), and perhaps some of the cost charged by codemasters is being invested into .. er .. 'Grid 2' or something to make it even better (similar to product placement in films so they can afford an ) ...?

My question is this -- do you think such activities are totally wrong by codemasters? What about if they scream 'but we'll plow the money into future developments so GRID 2 will have 60 cars in it rather than 35??' does that excuse this behaviour?

Amnesia · 13 May 2009 at 14:51

its wrong if they didnt let u know...after all its using up your bandwith and not everyone has unlimited access.

Rybo89 · 13 May 2009 at 14:56

Amnesia said:
its wrong if they didnt let u know...after all its using up your bandwith and not everyone has unlimited access.

its not using his bandwidth to host the advertisements, the game will be coded with links to a host server to uploaded the advert to specific parts of the tracks.

nothing wrong in it at all

and also the reason why the game was basicly free

bledd · 13 May 2009 at 15:05

tbh, i really don't mind subtle adverts

but blatent ones like in CS 1.6 are annoying

archer_dan · 13 May 2009 at 15:08

In a game like GRID, i don't see a problem with adverts at all, it adds to making the circuits look more realistic. In a game like Battlefield 2142 though...

.

Sleepery · 13 May 2009 at 15:08

...which then goes and pulls the updated texture maps from the internet to your PC, using up your bandwidth. I think this was his point.

It bugs the hell out of me, but then I hate advertising in general with a passion. I think you could bulldoze the whole industry into the north sea and the world would be a better place

Amnesia · 13 May 2009 at 15:23

Rybo89 said:
its not using his bandwidth to host the advertisements

Sleepery said:
...which then goes and pulls the updated texture maps from the internet to your PC, using up your bandwidth. I think this was his point.

uv · 13 May 2009 at 15:25

Can't say I mind in the least. If anything, it makes the game more realistic and immersive. Imagine if all the adverts were for an imaginary product - Awesomest Cola, or Insano-Bugers.. it'd just detach from the sense of realism.

PaulyD · 13 May 2009 at 15:26

For a game like GRID that would work quite well and I wouldn't mind it happening to be honest as least it will feel like the game is still "modern" rather than showing adverts for products that are now old.

However, like CS 1.6 the blatent adverts are a right putoff

Van Diemen · 13 May 2009 at 15:29

I'm not 100% certain about this, but I think the adds in GRID are related to the players surfing habbits.

Last night the game was full of Rolex adds, funnily enough I was on the Rolex site prior to playing the game.

britboy4321 · 13 May 2009 at 15:34

Naah -- mine would have been full of p0rn ads if that was the case

barmyllama · 13 May 2009 at 15:49

I remember seeing ads for Hellboy 2 in the game when that film was due out.

I have to say it doesn't bother me at all.

bledd · 13 May 2009 at 16:19

britboy4321 said:
Naah -- mine would have been full of p0rn ads if that was the case

you had to buy Grid:18 for that

Skully · 13 May 2009 at 16:22

I like it, playing Saints Row 2 on Xbox I saw an advert for Wolverine and remembered that it had been something else completely months ago.

Vegas 1 there are billboards with adverts on for films, which get shot up and destroyed and update too.

Makes sense if they are in real world locations, but if it is just a big floating .gif in the corner or a room it is a bit rubbish.