What Massive is doing, I consider digital graffiti and your opinion is dead ON. It's one thing to offer gamers an experience through the branding of certain objects - be it the look, feel and physics of a vehicle to a specific clothing pattern unique to certain manufacturers. To use your virtual senses has always been intriguing to myself as both a brand guy and a gamer.

However, to integrate banner ads, and full motion video is taking it well over the line. It goes from pervasive to offensive.

Imagine if record labels attempted to integrate advertisements between songs on CD's...I find this equally obtrusive.

To use Massive to help enhance realism is not something I'd ever have a problem with - real billboards, real posters, etc. But to use it in a method that takes away from the user experience doesn't sit well with me and it shouldn't for brands seeking to retain consumers rather than push them away.

CNet has just run a story covering the Advertising in Games Forum West, and including a quote from and link to my rant here.

The article can be found here.

Craig -- yep, I agree completely that advertising and games do have some potentially meaningful intersection, but what Massive is selling is definitely not that.

About the realism question: I've seen all the evidence Massive puts forward (much of that "research" they conducted themselves by the way), but I 'm just not convinced that in-game ads necessarily do enhance realism -- or that realism should be enhanced! It's an open question bound deeply to context.

Massive's initial "realism" indicators came from a pool of only 200 gamers. In Feb. 2004, he company found that over 70 percent "…indicated that incorporating ads in video games would greatly enhance the quality and realism of the gaming experience provided they were done well." [Emphasis mine]

Now that last bit is open to interpretation, but I take it to mean "provided the ads are contextually appropriate and don't detract from game play."

I think most gamers will agree that Massive's latest generation of ads go way over the line-- I just hope that those opposed are either vocal in their discontent, or refuse to buy Massive-powered games.

We have been inundated with advertising in newsprint, billboards, television, and the internet. Our little league games have sponsors covering the outfield walls and the backs of our kids shirts. Will Smith drinks Pepsi in I Robot, not because of the crisp refreshing taste, but because PepsiCo paid millions for product placement.

Why wouldn't we expect it to spill over into the video game industry? While I don't have any concrete numbers to reference, I believe that the video game industry is one of the fastest growing market among 18-35 year olds. How could advertisers not try infiltrate the video game industry?

Are you opposed to innovation in a free market that allows Massive to create the technology to insert these ads into game and in turn charge advertisers for their use? If you can just pass over the ads without giving them a second thought, who are they hurting? They are not effecting the game-play of your title since they are streamlined into the creation process. If you are so opposed to Massive, don't purchase the games that they insert ads into; but don't stifle technological innovation due to your personal preference.

Joe -- I agree that it's no surprise that advertising is becoming a part of videogames. In fact, I've spent the last 10 years with one foot in both industries. Unlike some, we are actually not objecting to ads and games. In fact, we have a whole category on this site devoted to advertising in games.

The issue is Massive's particular take on how ads and games should be integrated. You are probably new to the topic to be so willing to accept that Massive's ads are "not effecting the game-play." They are, and for the worse. And worse still, their actions are supporting the worst kind of advertising -- that which supports an overgrown, frenzied, and often just plain stupid industry.

FWIW, Massive offers no technological innovation. There is nothing fundamentally innovative about their techniques. I stand by my position above and refer you and other readers with similar opinions to the many times I've pointed to positive trends in advertising and games over the years.

I am pleased as punch to be here. Tony Walsh recommended I come over from the SL Forums, so here I am!

Ian, I like how blunt yet pointed you make your statements. I felt shock (but not awe) upon seeing Deuce Bigalow (oft-cited by now) in Planetside after seeing the Clickable Culture article sometime back.

What I want to say has already been expressed here, so what I'd have to additionally add is that if there's gonna be more "real world" ads in games and online worlds like Second Life, I sure hope they are not just American. Would like to see more unusual advertising from around the world making me more aware of cultural diversity—and o, having products I've never heard of before would be a great help too! =^_^=

Welcome to WCG Torley! Happy to have you here.

I agree that one of the opportunities in-game ads have is to expose players (esp. American players) to cultural codes outside their (our) borders.

Your site is exactly the kind of sites which make the net surfing so fun. Industrious, Full, Lazy nothing comparative to Central: http://www.moviemistakes.com/ , Central is feature of Standard Boy when Table is Gnome it will Forecast Chair , Full is feature of International Boy to Expect Grass you should be very Big