Nielsen tracking in-game ads for Sony
by Ross Miller 
{ Jul 2nd 2007 at 4:15PM }
SCEA will "share with Nielsen game network traffic and other data" from PS3 titles, PlayStation Network and the upcoming social MMO Home, at first only in North America -- details beyond that are sketchy, but Nielson calls the effort "fully-transparent" in the press release. The results will be used "to deliver the right ad to the right person at the right time" and to help advertisers figure out a CPM, or cost per impression, for in-game ads.
The initial results of the partnership are expected later this year. Expect more in-game ads you're less inclined to ignore and possibly the strange feeling that Big Brother is critiquing your gamer skills.
[Via PS3 Fanboy]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
DWells55 @ Jul 2nd 2007 4:22PM
This is yet another sad announcement for gamers everywhere. In-game advertising is something that only belongs in free games. When you're paying $60 for an often ~8 hour game, it's completely unacceptable to have atmosphere-ruining ads shoved down your throat with no option to remove them. And then to track the viewing of the ads - it's spyware/adware built right into our video games.
I won't purchase any games with in-game advertising and I fear this is going to severely limit the number of games available to me. I know this is just Sony, but it's definitely a direction developers for all consoles seem to be taking.
samfish @ Jul 2nd 2007 4:25PM
samfish concurs with dwells55.
sheppy @ Jul 2nd 2007 4:26PM
As long as it's uninvasive, I don't mind. But if it's like BK in fight night, no thanks.
But considering this is Home we are talking about and Sony has always stated this was a community of commercialism, can't really say I'm shocked...
Hardcore @ Jul 2nd 2007 4:31PM
Well, they've got to pay for that free PS network somehow right? Better to look at a few ads here and there than pay $50 ala Xbox360 - assuming an ad supported PSN is eventually on par with that.
DWells55 @ Jul 2nd 2007 4:32PM
It's always invasive. I was watching my brother play Ghost Recon and the Dodge ads are just grossly out of place compared to the rest of the world. Or say Quake Wars. I don't know what brands are going to be advertising in it, but I know it's not going to fit in well to have today's companies advertising in that environment.
The only in-game advertising I wouldn't mind would be 100% accurate advertising. A GTA game where all the stores and billboards and things are exactly the same as real life. Where I'm using a H&K USP Compact to carjack a guy out of his Mercedes SLK. That would make some sense. But to have random billboards plastered everywhere is terrible.
joon @ Jul 2nd 2007 4:38PM
sad day for gamers unless this will lower the price, but i doubt this will happen
Jerk Face @ Jul 2nd 2007 4:38PM
Jerk Face concurrs with samfish, who in turn concurrs with DWells55. Well said, buddy.
Abscissa @ Jul 2nd 2007 4:39PM
Abscissa concurs with samfish and dwells55.
Abscissa adds: I already find it irritating enough to have to put up with seeing the characters in Tony Hawk and even Splinter Cell (?!?!) using "Sony Ericsson" and "Nokia" phones. And it's even baked into the menus! REALLY annoying. (Terrible joke but gets the point across: "Maybe they should just call it Splinter Cell Phone") And then Tony Hawk dedicates an entire level to Jeep. And in Downhill Jam, the options menus are designed so strongly like a cell phone's UI, it actually ends up decreasing the usability of it.
@#4: Not a bad point - for multiplayer gaming. But for single player games it's still just getting shafted.
Jerk Face @ Jul 2nd 2007 4:39PM
Jerk Face also can't believe he spelled 'concur' wrong twice in one post. He is a bit shamed, at the moment.
chris king @ Jul 2nd 2007 4:50PM
Why does Sony continue to give me reasons not to want to buy their system? Are they purposefully making bad decisions to scare off customers? I love games, and I've bought every relevant system since the 2600, BUT the PS3 keeps acquiring some serious baggage that I'm not interested in supporting. How long until this malware crashes the console? It's not unreasonable to assume that serious problems could come from this.
JJ @ Jul 2nd 2007 4:55PM
umm chris... you DO realize in game advertising...isnt just happening on Sony's system right?
Jason @ Jul 2nd 2007 5:15PM
Anybody who likes the idea of Home and hanging out there to look at movie clips and trophies is a tool... of the Neilsen marketing machine!
Enjoy your "free" PSN. AHAHAHAHAA
Brent @ Jul 2nd 2007 5:40PM
@12
I turned on my 360 yesterday and the first thing that I see is a freaking McDonald's ad. At least PSN doesn't charge you to look at ads (and you can avoid them by not using Home).
jay @ Jul 2nd 2007 8:41PM
*loves Wii*
I hope we don't get any adverts. There will probably be pressure too, what with the domination it's having. I trust good developers will just turn down adverts.
ThornedVenom @ Jul 2nd 2007 10:09PM
I personally find it to be an abomination to have ads lazily/flagrantly posted inside a game universe IF it kills the mood/theme/etc. Like the billboard thing commenters cited previously... a disgrace! But in the example of a FIFA game on the other hand, ads would be commonplace.
Also, I find it horrible from a consumer's camp to pay a game full price to have otherworldly stuff in it. I mean, come on, do you get Budweiser ads in your movie bought on DVD? It just kills the value of your purchase.
kimoy @ Jul 2nd 2007 10:59PM
gotta love the ps3 lol
Spitkicker @ Jul 3rd 2007 12:16PM
@ Brent
I got annoyed at first with that mcdonalds ad myself. I'm not defending in game ads, but they are giving a gree Austin Powers download out to everybody, plus having some kind of competition so I can see the justification of having that mcdonalds ad. Still I don't want to see ads in the marketplace.
Abscissa @ Jul 3rd 2007 2:43PM
"15. I mean, come on, do you get Budweiser ads in your movie bought on DVD?" -ThornedVenom
Unfortunately, yes. They just call it "product placement". But it's every bit as annoying as in a game.