Ad-supported Xbox 360 Live: yay or nay? (a Joystiq poll)
by Vladimir Cole 
{ Jan 31st 2006 at 3:00PM }
If Microsoft offered you the opportunity to enjoy the full benefits of Xbox Live for free provided you agree to view advertisments, would you go for it? (Not that Microsoft has offered such an option, we're just askin'.) Possible advertisments that could be inserted into the Xbox Live experience for subscribers who choose the "ad supported" route instead of the current $50 annual fee for an Xbox Live Gold subscription plan:
- interstitials: one full-screen, 20-seconds ad per two hours of cumulative use (not to be displayed in the middle of a game)
- blade ads: The Xbox 360 interface could sport a new "blade" titled "special offers" that would feature gamer-relevant offers from advertisers
- interface ads: banner advertisements throughout the Xbox 360 interface
- leaderboard ads: Xbox Live leaderboards could display advertisements to either side of the leaderboard. Imagine: "Victoria's Secret proudly sponsors Dead or Alive 4 leaderboards"
- in-game ads: Gamers tend to dislike the idea of in-game ads, but there are numerous non-play screens that gamers must stare at when they're waiting for a race, team battle, or fight to start. These spaces could be enlivened by full-motion video or flash advertisements.
Technical mumbo jumbo: this is not a scientific or rigorous poll and is only intended to capture the general consensus of Joystiq readers. Results will be posted approximately one week after the poll is opened for votes. Sure, you probably could hack this poll if you worked at it, but it’s more fun for everyone if poll results accurately reflect the opinions of all readers, so please refrain from tampering with poll results.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Zaku-II @ Jan 31st 2006 3:06PM
At least it isn't spyware. They already have that. :P
Jay @ Jan 31st 2006 3:07PM
Are you gamers, Joystiq?
"in-game ads: Gamers tend to dislike the idea of in-game ads, but there are numerous non-play screens that gamers must stare at when they're waiting for a race, team battle, or fight to start. These spaces could be enlivened by full-motion video or flash advertisements."
No. simply no. If I saw a loading screen with a flash animation, usually american crap with an over excited voice over, or a deep and depressing voice trying to be funny, with flashy bings and bams trying to make me buy some american car/product that you can't even get in the UK... I've lost myself. But not. these crappy adverts are around too much as it is.
32_Footsteps @ Jan 31st 2006 3:18PM
Yeah, I'd go for that, or something similar if Nintendo or Sony offered it.
Derbeste @ Jan 31st 2006 3:18PM
Yeah.....like the crap everywhere else is SOOOOO much more ad worthy. Keep your nation bashing to yourself and keep the bashing to the ads. They are the ones that deserve our unified wrath!
jc @ Jan 31st 2006 3:19PM
:plan to get Xbox360 after price drop, but would change my mind if ads were part of the deal. Ads would turn me off Xbox altogether.
just say no...
Cyberclaws @ Jan 31st 2006 3:20PM
Not just NO, but Hell Mother Fuckin' NO!!!!
If Xbox Live did this, they'd have lost a customer. I would even consider going to this new speculative Sony Online deal if they promised no ads.
Stuka @ Jan 31st 2006 3:27PM
I don't see why people make such a big deal out of the cost of Live. If you shop around, you can get the 12 month gold package for $55ish which includes some gamerpoints, a headest incase you don't already have one, and a $20 MIR if you own at least one game. Take the $20 off the top and that's $35 for 12 months, or less than $3 a month. That's worth it to me.
unreal mccoy @ Jan 31st 2006 3:29PM
I love the fanboy options. An interesting way to weed out bad data.
iomatic @ Jan 31st 2006 3:29PM
No ads desired. Period.
Pixelantes Anonymous @ Jan 31st 2006 3:32PM
An Ad Blade or leaderboard ads would work for me (the way they were described here), because they wouldn't be in the way of what I wanted to in the first place. I wouldn't have to check the special offers blade, if I didn't want to and if the ad wouldn't interfere with the leaderboards in any way I'd be ok with it.
Tivo has special offer menu items dynamically added into the Tivo menu and it works very well. I check the ones that interest me (done that once in the past 8 months) but otherwise I don't even really notice them.
Back_Lit @ Jan 31st 2006 3:35PM
I prefer my answer, "As long as the ads are porn I don't care."
Probot @ Jan 31st 2006 3:40PM
I agree with Jay; the shotgun advertising method doesn't work. However, if they were able to tailor ads to the specific audience, then that might be a more valuable option, from the standpoint of the publisher and advertiser. You would have to be able to change the ad based on the person's past games, which is actually possible with Xbox Live.
Of the ideas listed, I think 2 and 4 are the most likely to be done, if they ever wanted to do this. They seem the least invasive to the gaming experience.
In-game ads would only work if they were integrated cleverly. The loading screen idea might work for sports games or driving games, but it would break up "immersion" of non-reality-based games.
Honestly, I've never ever clicked on an ad in my life. I can't imagine how this makes money.
Tin @ Jan 31st 2006 3:42PM
C'mon. It's 5 freaking dollars a month. Most of us spend $5 a month on stupider stuff. I'd rather pay that than see annoying ads all day. NO THANKS to Ads!
Hiro Protagonist @ Jan 31st 2006 3:42PM
"Yeah, I'd go for that, or something similar if Nintendo or Sony offered it."
No need, for Nintendo anyways. Their Wi-Fi already free (don't ask me how).
TiaMaster @ Jan 31st 2006 3:44PM
I don't see what the big deal would be if they put ads where all those banners are already in the Dashboard.
Not sure why people get so upset over unobtrusive advertising.
Now the obnoxious, obtrusive crap is a whole other story. But somehow I don't see MS ever putting "Shoot the flying birdie" flash animations that obscure part of the screen on their service. They already fawn over the damn thing (Live) and really try to make it user-friendly.
RogueFace @ Jan 31st 2006 3:56PM
I don't own a 360 or an original Xbox. I hated the Xbox controller (as well as the smaller version), which was my reason for not owning the original. I've played the 360 and found the controller more to my liking. My main problem now is a lack of games that interest me.
Unfortunately, I still can't bring myself to pay for online games. Sure, part of it is that I'm broke, but even if I wasn't, part of me is simply opposed to paying money to play something that I've already paid for.
If MS were to offer any of the above options (with the exception of in-game ads, the ramifications of that just make me cringe: "VISA presents: Final Fantasy XIV"), and actually put out some games that would make me want to play online, I'd probably consider a 360.
JGE @ Jan 31st 2006 3:56PM
You've already got ads on xboxlive; what do you think the movie and game trailers are? You don't think those companies are paying MS to host those? If that's as pervasive as it gets, it's no problem for me.
LaughingMan @ Jan 31st 2006 3:56PM
Hate to tell y'all, but those trailers and demos on the the Xbox Live site? Those are ads. When that little box for the "Mission Impossible 3" trailer pop's up on the main XBL page, what do you think that's for? That MS really really loves the movie and has taken upon themselves to spread the word? Also they've announced there's going to be a free Texas Hold 'Em game sponsored by a online casino. Again, advertising.
So why not get something for free that you're already paying for now? I check dozens of websites a day that have advertising and they don't pay anything for me.
Andrew Hagan @ Jan 31st 2006 3:59PM
If MS pulled something like Google's Adsense for their ads, then maybe there would be something to this. They obviously know the games you have played, and the other demos and trailers you have downloeaded from the Live Marketplace. If they used this data to display Ads relavent to the games you arlready play in some unobtrusive way(see options 2, 3, and 4), I think they might be on to something. I wouldn't mind a Halo 3 advertisement, or for a movie where I've already downloaded the trailer for.
SuicideNinja @ Jan 31st 2006 4:52PM
"Honestly, I've never ever clicked on an ad in my life. I can't imagine how this makes money."
You would be surprised. There is a reason adware and ads exist. Users only have to have 1 ad catch their eye...curiosity takes over. It leads to making money. Ever notice how no-ads free hosting sites or the like always get converted in the end? Money. It's inevitable.
I'd think it is more likely for Sony to get out of control with it than Microsoft though.
They should stick with more subtle ads. Small scrolling banners in an unused part of the screen, or natural looking in-game ads. Unintrusive, but noticeable. But only if they must submit us to commercial torture.
I think the small ads that are currently on Xbox live are good enough. They aren't obtrusive, but can lead you to content you may actually be interested in that you didn't have the patience to look for.
All I know is that if they ever add native email and browsing support on these next gen systems....it's over. Ads in your face.
Embassy @ Jan 31st 2006 5:07PM
arent thier already ads and trailers on xbox live...??...i mean as long as they keep it gamer related i wudnt mind...if i was waiting for a game to start online i wudnt mind seeing a commerical for a new game coming otu something while im waiting..as logn as its not any retarded bOOST mobile or the " new scion" type of ads...strictly gamer related..im down...
Mr_Saturn @ Jan 31st 2006 5:11PM
I'd only be interested if the Ads had SOMETHING TO DO with gaming
gob @ Jan 31st 2006 5:21PM
If it's free access to Live Gold, then hell yeah I'd put up with ads. Why not? As long as they don't force me to watch the stuff (by, say, running a 30-second spot before I connect to Live or after a game ends), then it's no skin off my bones. Advertising is not the tremendous evil most gamers would like to think it is.
Todd Rabanus @ Jan 31st 2006 6:46PM
as far as the peon who commented on the movie ads. You have to download them to watch them. so i could go my whole life without even bringing up the menu to download the trailers. you would know this if you weren't talking out of your ass and actually played a 360. my advice to you, don't believe the hype. make your own opinions, don't get them fed to you with a spoon it makes you look like a moron, i'm not saying you aren't a moron. oh wow there is a picture of a movie ad on a blade that i quickly pass over to play marble blast ultra and i viewed the entire ad for maybe 1 millisecond. oh no i think i'm gonna melt. quit cryin, play games, and headshot me if you got the skillz (you don't).
Rare Hare @ Jan 31st 2006 10:28PM
i don't own an xbox 360, but i plan on getting one as soon as i can. i plan on subscribing to xbox live. the price dissapoints me, but i'll still do it.
if i could get it free, and all i would have to do is to watch a little 30 second or 10 second add, or have one pinned at the bottom of a menu screen or something.. hell yes i would welcome it.
you guys are whining without thinking, or you're jumping on the bandwagon.. think about it for yourself here. FREE xbox live service, and all you have to do is watch commercials or be in the presence of a Pringles bullboard while playing PGR3. how bad is that, honestly?
Einhanderkiller @ Jan 31st 2006 11:01PM
I'd rather have ads than have to pay for the service.
SquirrelPhister @ Feb 1st 2006 3:27AM
Heeeeeeeeeelllllllll NO!!! I want Microsoft answering to MY dollars, not the whims of some advertisers. What if the people paying for ad space begin to threaten to pull their ads if Microsoft doesn't tone down the violence and curb swearing on Live. That's the extreme, but these are extreme times. LOOK AT THE NEW SUPREME COURT!!! Do you think your free speech is going to be protected by Samuel Alito?
Groovychainsaw @ Feb 1st 2006 5:28AM
I wouldnt mind banner ads on dashboard or leaderboards, or even sponsored live arcade games if it got me free access or games. Anything that interrupted the flow of the game would be a big no however, I HATE the idea of having an ad interrupt my game every two hours of play for 20 seconds, and would vehemently oppose such a move.
AssemblyLineHuman @ Feb 1st 2006 5:45AM
If they made this a feature of Xbox Live, I would consider getting one (if I could figure out a way to make money until I can get a job in the summer). A free online service is an absolute necessity. If you have to have ads, so be it, but I'm not paying extra just so I can play my games online (except for MAYBE MMOs, but I don't like any MMORPGs anyway).
Mathias Pettersson @ Feb 1st 2006 7:21AM
The only advertisement I can approve of is actually in-game ads. Relevant to the game and preferably relevant to me. Think Coke vending machines in a shooter or Mobil 1 flags in a racer.