Gamers Hate In Game Advertising
A recent video game survey sponsored by Activision came to the conclusion that gamers actually liked in-game advertising, saying that it added to the immersion and made video games more realistic. Now, Ars Technica is saying that is not the case, taking a deeper look from a newer survey not sponsored by someone with a vested interest in the subject. comScore Media Metrix actually found that the majority of gamers do not agree that in-game advertising makes it more realistic, and Ars Technica does a good job of pushing past the bull and taking an objective look at how much revenue in-game advertising actually brings in.
Personally, I don't mind in-game advertising as long as it is believable. If I am meant to think that I am in a real city or something, I fully expect there to be Coca-Cola billboards and a Starbucks on the corner. That is immersion. On the other hand, it would be completely out of place in, say, World of Warcraft. While I don't think we should be forced to collect Mountain Dew cans in all snowboarding games, I think that a little bit of believable advertising is great. As long as it fits. What do you think? Have you seen some horrible advertising in games in completely innapropriate places? Post in the comments!
Link to the full article (Ars Technica, via Digg)
