Research has shown that game players don’t care about in-game advertising. I too don’t have a problem with in-game advertising, so long as it suits the genre, and fits in with the game world.

Source: http://news.spong.com/article/10093

For instance (and this is an extreme flight of fantasy), I would hate to be jumping on Goomba heads, throwing bob-ombs and have to duck into a McDonalds to power up afterwards…

Similarly, billboards for Alienware Systems in Gran Turismo would be out of place… however if a race took place in a city, I’d expect to see the golden arches around.

I remember in the old days of PSone gaming that an F1 game used the moniker “Fasters” to replace the “Fosters” billboards. It was disjointing, and only served to remind me that I was merely in a game and not piloting a wafer of carbon fibre around a race track at breakneck speeds.

Stuff like CJ using a Nokia mobile in GTA:SA would contribute to realism…

However, if Ico fended off demons with a can of Red Bull… I’d feel like he sold out.

Thoughts?

I know I didn't like seeing Airwaves (chewing gum) being blatantly advertised in Splinter Cell. "Oh no, I'm sniffeling... better have an AIRWAVE!!".

But where it adds to realism like you said, I really don't mind it, and if it means the game developers can take the prices of the game down, is it such a bad thing?

Providied the advertising fits within the game universe I dont have a problem with it, we have this sort of stuff in games already like sports and driving games. But when it distracts from the actual game then it becomes a problem, if it doesnt look right in the game world, or if you are forced to watch some ad before you can press start to play the game, then I dont like the idea.

I do remember the Burger King advertising during Fight Night, and that felt slightly out of place to be honest...to the point of us joking around during the game saying "Gee, I really feel like some Burger King right now!"

That said, I think the GTA series could benifit from this the most.
Though they'd have to balance things out, which would be an issue...like there's no-way that San Andreas would have JUST McDonalds, and no KFCs or Pizza Huts. Which is why I think a good balance of real and fake ads in the game would be the best.

I'm against it simply because the developers putting advetisements in the games has an extremely small chance of reducing the price of the game for the consumer. The savings won't be passed down the line that's for sure so in the end why should we have it in our games?

Fair point, Suity.

Videogames are currently very risky ventures though, arent they? Perhaps the advertising dollar could, say, be more money to go towards things like better translators for Final Fantasy games... physics programmers.

Or perhaps the money could simply take the sting out of developing games and hence encourage developers to be a little more adventurous with their titles (eg creating another Katamari) instead of simply always doing by-the-numbers racing titles...

Naturally, this is conjecture...

Video games aren't cheap to make, and at times the publisher can be really stingey with money...what do I mean "at times", they are always stingey with the cash. :P

It's one of those things that when you see it, you just kind of shake your head and say oh well. Then again, if the advertising doesn't get in the way of the gameplay and it looks "apropriate" then I really don't see a problem with it. Say for example, using Coke and Halo:

Example of appropriate use:

Master Chief sits down in the ships cafeteria after a hard day of kicking alien butt and orders "a cold one". And then stairs at it for a moment, not sure how to drink it with his ultra cool helmet on.

Example of inapropriate use:

Master Chief, after slaughtering hundreds of alien scum holds a coke up to the game camera and exclaims "Coke, the only drink man enough to quench my thirst, and you need to drink some too... right now... put the game on pause and go get some coke... don't make me ask you again".

:lol:

What's bad is that I can actually picture the Chief saying that...

Anyway, I don't find any problem with advertising in video games. Then again, I might be used to it too considering all off the racing games I play. As people above have said, if it is within context of the game and its setting then great, have it in there. If not then it can piss right off.
Perfect example would be Burnout 3 and EA's ads...

Haha, that would be hilarious. :P

Personally I don't mind the ads in games as I usually see them and shrug them off as some aren't even relevant to our region. As long as someone doesn't come up with a form of "pop up" ad for games, I'll be happy.

And since developers are going to be making money off advertising in games, that should be shown on "next gen" prices...

I think they should have it if used right. need for speed underground 2 sucked because of advertsing. it was like the city had been invaded by burger king or something