In game advertising

[Ish]

Its always irked me a little but I've never really had a big problem with it: its just something on the DVD and I can ignore it.

But reading the Codeshop article in this months Edge I found myself becoming quite disgruntled with Massive's plans to supply adverts that are downloaded into your game.

For the time being this only applies to PC games and, as Edge point out, its unclear whether any of the console manufacturers will allow this company access to there gaming networks.

But even so... I've paid for the game. I pay for my bandwidth. Personally I don't feel I should then be using some of that bandwidth (at my cost) to make more money for the publisher. If it does make it onto the consoles then (at least in the case of XBox Live) I'm also paying a subscription. Adverts on websites are annoying enough... but I don't (and won't) subscribe to any that then bombard me with adverts.

Its really bugged me!

[MikeRox]

I think in the right situations, in game marketing could work. The textures for racing tracks could be updated with new products etc, but only if it caused very little interruption to the gaming experience, obviously though, it'd have to be used sensibly imo it'd keep say sports games, racing games etc looking more realistic as track side adverts change anyway.

In return for something like this though the consumer would obviously need to see a benefit. If the adverts are intrusive however, or used in a completely stupid way i.e. slapping advertising boards all over a fantasy universe like say PSO it'd just ruin it.

Basically, done subtly it'd work but intrusive in your face American style marking (in Europe at least) would jus turn the gaming public against them and give me at least another reason not to buy the game.