Guitar Hero, Tony Hawk getting in-game ad treatment

by Jason Dobson { Nov 14th 2007 at 11:57AM }

Anyone who's spent even a little time rocking out to Guitar Hero III has likely noticed the game's heavy-handed approach to product placement, with stages littered with cans of Red Bull and billboards hocking everything from Axe Body Spray to Pontiac. The whole thing feels oppressive and graceless as even the game's underground rock venues are reduced to feeling like props to corporate shilling. And things are likely to get worse before they get better, as Activision today announced that it has inked a deal with Microsoft-owned Massive to provide in-game ads in not only Guitar Hero III, but Tony Hawk's Proving Ground as well.

The two titles have been added to the growing Massive Network advertising collective, which also includes Activision's Transformers adaptation, and will made to include "contextually relevant" dynamic ads. Interestingly, it's unclear if this partnership extends to all versions of the affected (afflicted?) games, or just those for Microsoft's console. What is clear, however, is that as games are now a big business, more and more companies are beginning to get in line for their slice of the money pie, and while game companies and advertisers reap the benefits of this arrangement, gamers are left holding the controller wondering just when their games became interactive commercials.

Tags: activision, ads, advertising, guitar hero, guitar hero 3, GuitarHero, GuitarHero3, in-game ads, In-gameAds, marketing, massive, proving ground, ProvingGround, tony hawk, TonyHawk

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

HEY!!!! @ Nov 14th 2007 12:03PM

with a these advertisements in games shouldn't they be getting cheaper.

gonk @ Nov 14th 2007 12:05PM

hahahahahahahhaha and reduce their profits? lol we wish

DWells55 @ Nov 14th 2007 2:35PM

Yeah, it really pisses me off to pay full price for a game only to have ads shoved in my face. Unless you want to pass those profits to the consumers, don't throw ads in our games please. They're often really annoying and kill the environment. I suppose if they're done right they'd be okay (for example, if players drive past a Wendy's in PGR where there would be a Wendy's in real life), but they never are.

Tony Hawk I don't care about because I feel that series went stale after THUG1, but I'm not happy about Guitar Hero. I assume these ads will be downloaded from a specific server? Hopefully it's a dedicated ad server. That way, I can do a little packet capturing, figure out the IP of the server, and then log into my router and block the IP. Should work.

gonk @ Nov 14th 2007 12:03PM

don't hook up the 360 to the internet when you turn gh3 on and it won't update the ads

x876543 @ Nov 14th 2007 3:40PM

I'm not sure, but I don't think this happens for Wii version of GH3 either. I don't recall any ads when I play.

AirIntake @ Nov 14th 2007 12:03PM

They'll have a real tough time serving ads to me when I pull the network cable. Plus I don't really look at the stage during GHIII anyways, I'm too busy looking at the notes. Go figure.

Vincent @ Nov 14th 2007 6:32PM

Careful there, someone from Massive might read that comment and decide to put ads on the fretboards around the notes :)

XanthouS @ Nov 14th 2007 12:08PM

Wait, so the crappy cash-in third installment of a once-great rhythm game has sold out to advertisers for MORE money?

Say it ain't so.

XanthouS @ Nov 14th 2007 12:09PM

Well, back to Super Mario Galaxy.

I just made it to the "Diet Pepsi with Lime" Galaxy!

whymog @ Nov 14th 2007 12:11PM

I couldn't have put it better.

See you on Rock Band.

Lemmiwinks @ Nov 14th 2007 12:13PM

"Didn't you have ad's in the 20th century?"

"Well sure, but not in our dreams. Only on TV and radio. And in magazines. And movies. And at ball games and on buses and milk cartons and t-shirts and written on the sky. But not in dreams. No siree!"

F. Rocker or Fernando R.? @ Nov 14th 2007 12:21PM

Nice Futurama reference.

=)

Negativecool @ Nov 14th 2007 12:14PM

What I really think is funny is that we'll start seeing (and have seen a bit already) 360 adds in PS3 games and PS3 adds in 360 games.

Competition is fun.

mattydread @ Nov 14th 2007 12:23PM

meh. Let 'em waste their money. IMO most people I know rarely respond positively to any advertising. It's either tolerable, and dismissed, or annoying and a grudge is built against that product or company.

gonk @ Nov 14th 2007 12:37PM

same with me

Jake @ Nov 14th 2007 12:57PM

I try hard to avoid products that receive more advertising than other products. I encourage others to do the same. It is the only way to stop it.

mietha CAG @ Nov 14th 2007 8:52PM

Honestly "Is that a hemi?" has been inserted in so God damned many movies of late, I will NEVER buy a dodge. Just not going to happen. THE FANTASTICAR IS NOT A FUCKING DODGE YOU PRICKS!

russtophiles @ Nov 14th 2007 12:48PM

Can't say I'm surprised that Proving Ground has it, Guitar hero a little bit, but is it really that surprising? A game that draws crowds of people = great advert opportunity, though the guitar branding makes far more sense than the other stuff. The obnoxious demographic marketing of red bull and Axe body spray is getting pretty tiresome. Skate also featured a lot of advertising, but aside from Adidas (and Nike? Can't remember) pretty much all of it was completely skateboard oriented (no Coke ads) so it fit the game's context perfectly, not to mention they're much smaller companies that most people aren't bombarded with to the point of insanity. In that situation I think it's a win win because obviously for the companies advertising they're getting an integral placement in a (great) game that is making people want to take up skateboarding, I can't say I've ever wanted to start drinking energy drinks after playing Guitar Hero. The decks in the game are particularly relevant seeing how they mostly reflect the designs currently available by each manufacturer, so it allows the player to, in a way, research board components they like, at least from an aesthetic point of view, just by playing the game. I think a brilliant move on their part would be if in the game there was a 'buy this for real' option that would integrate with your Live account (or PSN account or whatever) to order the item you've been skating around with in Skate for 20 hours for real. Not that I crave this much ad penetration in games, but if I were an advertiser I would totally be doing this.

Martin @ Nov 14th 2007 1:11PM

Can I get the audiobook version of your comment? Seriously, paragraphs FTW!

mykie @ Nov 14th 2007 12:55PM

I just finished a Red Bull, and I'm popping in a stick of Wrigley's 5 gum right now.

In a minute, I'll be putting on some Axe and driving my Pontiac down to Guitar Center to buy myself a Gibson Digital, some Ernie Ball strings, Zildjian symbols, some Crate amps, and Mackie monitors and Line 6 pedals.

Because everything I learned about rocking out, I learned by playing Guitar Hero III. Thanks Activision/Red Octane/Neversoft/Vicarious Visions/Bubcat/Aspyr media!

Neon Jebus @ Nov 14th 2007 1:37PM

That thanks on the end there sounded like a regular NASCAR interview!

I hope they dig a lower attachment rate on the consoles. I think this ad issue is going to cause people to buy less and probably rent more.

Seroth @ Nov 14th 2007 12:56PM

As long as it doesn't interrupt the gameplay, I'm fine with it. When we start having to watch commercials between levels, that's where I draw the line.

Still...why the hell aren't these games cheaper because of this?

Jake @ Nov 14th 2007 1:00PM

Because corporations prefer to make more money than less money. Weird, I know. You'd think they would charge until they made an honest earning and then give the rest of them money to the NAACP or gamers.

Martin @ Nov 14th 2007 1:13PM

Firstly: What does the NAACP have to do with anything?

Secondly: These corporations can suck it. They'll go too far and the backlash is going to be immense.

ColossalHat @ Nov 14th 2007 1:59PM

I foresee this point being in a game like Oblivion. A medieval style (or maybe a Star Wars) game will eventually get ads and all hell will break loose when it happens.

Ron @ Nov 14th 2007 12:58PM

NHL 08 has some ads snuck into the game too outside of the hockey related sponsorships. I've recently seen ads for The Simpsons Game, IGN and McDonald's value menu. Sadly unlike the "standard" ads on the boards, someone thought that making all of these ads bright yellow would be helpful. It's too bad they didn't do a good job of making them look like "real" hockey ads.

root @ Nov 14th 2007 12:58PM

70 bucks and ads? fuck off!
30 bucks and ads? hell, yeah!

heyguy @ Nov 14th 2007 1:16PM

personally, I have no problem with in game ads, done right. if I see a coke machine instead of a Mr. Fizz machine, it only adds to the realism. It makes more sense to have real world items in games that take place in the real world. as far as making me buy anything, not gonna happen. now off to drink red bull in my pontiac.

Wilson @ Nov 14th 2007 1:33PM

Even GH sold out? that's a new low for rock dude...

mcatrage @ Nov 14th 2007 1:35PM

How about the NFS Prostreet achievements sponsored by crap.

JonFitt @ Nov 14th 2007 1:43PM

I don't mind adverts in games so long as they do not detract from the gameplay or immersion (billboards in BF2142 are fine so long as they only occur on shops or on highways which happen to be in maps).

But advertisers mustn't try and control what can happen to their in game products. If I see an in-game Macys or Coke machine I want to be able to rocket launcher it just like everything else.
I recall the licensed vehicles of old racing games which weren't allowed to suffer any damage even when driven into walls.

fenix424 @ Nov 14th 2007 1:45PM

It always made sense to me for NCAA Football to have the "Pontiac game Changing Moment" or any kind of sponsored thing like that because that's exactly how a REAL broadcast goes. My problem is not in the use of advertising in games it's the blatant use of ads where they don't belong that kills me.

blakbuzzrd @ Nov 14th 2007 1:56PM

Maybe when you suck at playing GHIII on the sponsored stages, you could get a different message when you fail, like "Investors deem you a revenue risk!"

DiddlyKong @ Nov 14th 2007 2:05PM

I think the Mcrib Farewell Tour 3 ad is hilarious. I believe it's in the video shoot stage.

Donald @ Nov 14th 2007 2:21PM

They're selling out, man!

deaftly @ Nov 14th 2007 2:30PM

Maybe I'm wrong on this one,but for me, the beast
doesn't include selling out.

Garth, you know what I mean, right?

It's like people only do things because they get paid,and that's just really sad.

I can't talk about it any more.
It's giving me a headache.

Here. Take two of these.

Ah, Nuprin.

Little. Yellow. Different.

Werbal @ Nov 14th 2007 2:48PM

It's particularly ironic in Guitar Hero's case because a major theme of the game is that your band has sold out and you have to prove yourself to the fans again.

Of course, when you're rocking out in the Pontiac Challenge Stage with your Axe deodorant guitar, it sounds to me like the fans have made a good point about selling out.

Here's a trade-off: If they're going to be selling advertisement updates throughout the life of the game, why not make the downloadable songs free, or at least something cheap like $1?

Oh, wait. Because that would mean treating your consumers with respect.

JR @ Nov 14th 2007 2:58PM

Isn't the Pontiac Garage a part of Jimmy Kimmel Live? I'm pretty sure that's where all of his musical performances take place during the show...from that aspect it kind of makes sense for the game i guess. But having an Axe guitar to play on? Or some gum banners all over the place? Come on!

It sucks that game prices haven't gone down thanks to the advertisers, but I can also understand that development costs have skyrocketed as well, and the advertisers' dollars work to keep the price in check, but bringing the price back down to $50 would make some of these "logo slaps" easier to digest.

Synner @ Nov 14th 2007 4:03PM

Know what advertising really pisses me off?

I subscribe to pcgamer, the official Xbox magazine and CGW, and there is nothing quite like getting the call phone gaming minimag taking up 30 fucking pages of the magazine you PAID to read. I especially like how one time they had a NFS review and they had a screenshot on one half of the page, 20 pages of "cell play" and then the other half of the picture on the nex tpage, it was awesome.

I really hate this shit because in all honesty, if those shitty cell games were for the PC the PCGAMER review staff would make the interns sit in the dark with no food or water and review them while being lit on fire or something.

jp @ Nov 14th 2007 4:30PM

you're so clever...i mean stupid. before you flame on someone maybe you should read what they wrote. i realize your pissed you had to send your 3fixme back to MS but you dont have to take it out on someone that likes the ps3 more.

oh and yes i know this is a different thread. i didnt expect someone such as yourself to go back to read a response.

Synner @ Nov 14th 2007 4:42PM

No, not all of us are stupid assholes like you. And I have all 3 systems, I love the PS3, I just think you are a fucking retard. And your whole "I am not a fanboy" bullshit is exactly the thing you fanboys like to say to give your whining and crying like the little bitches you are some credibility. I can't wait until you are hit with the banhammer for trolling like all your PS3tard buddies.

PS. I had a circuit city warranty, when my 360 red ringed, I returned it for an elite...

I guess in another 7 years when my PS3 has the same play time invested in it my 260 did, we'll see if it's just as reliable a system.

Douche bag.

Synner @ Nov 14th 2007 5:07PM

Waah Waah, look at me!! I'm jp, so desperate for people to actually see my insightful and biting tro- I mean analysis, that I have to post replies outside of the original thread because everyone ignores me like the little fanboy I am.... Waah, PS3 will rule all you are all suxors.