IGA details Burnout in-game advertisers

by Ross Miller { Jan 29th 2008 at 2:30PM }

In-game advertising company IGA Worldwide outlined today how it plans to provide advertising to Electronic Arts' Burnout Paradise. Advertisers cited include Burger King, CompUSA.com, Diesel, Gillette and Sling Media, among others.

The Gamasutra article notes that advertising will consist of static ads, "including billboards, retail stores, radio stations and vehicles into the game." If they want to be very sneaky and intrusive, might we suggest a mission where you try to flee from an army of masked Burger King fanatics? It may not sell Whoppers, but it's a scary enough thought to make us drive as fast as virtually possible.

Tags: ads, advertising, burnout, burnout-paradise, ea, electronic-arts, iga, in-game-advertising

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

Fernando Rocker @ Jan 29th 2008 2:35PM

The King is always funny =)

GRANTED @ Jan 29th 2008 2:38PM

GET ME A WHOPPER.

FOXHOUND @ Jan 29th 2008 3:21PM

Here is your square Wendy's™ burger, sir. :x

Norm @ Jan 29th 2008 2:39PM

Yeah, one thing about the EA games with ads, (that I have played) they usually do advertising the RIGHT way. IE: Billboards where you would logically see them. You can drive by a Burger King in Need For Speed: Most Wanted. No in your face logos wiping across the screen, no ads on load screens, or annoying commentaries. However, I do NOT want to hear fucking radio ads in this game. I know 'DJ Atomica' is probably the least annoying announcer I have heard in a long time, but I think hearing homeboy talking about a delicious whopper might ruin the game for me.

Walt Jay @ Jan 29th 2008 3:07PM

You must have missed Fight Night Round 3 featuring "The King" mascot as an unlockable trainer. :)

Nick the Hero of Canton @ Jan 29th 2008 3:37PM

Need for Speed Underground 2, no matter how much I loved that game, annoyed me that the Cingular logo was at the top left corner of the screen the large majority of the game.

qbix @ Jan 29th 2008 2:40PM

I'm still pissed at the fact that I can't play this game online because I choose to opt out of an EA account thus refusing to share my Xbox Live account information with EA. I gave EA a chance and they failed. I think I'll be throwing the game away once I'm done with it, I'm not even going to trade it in.

Norm @ Jan 29th 2008 2:55PM

whaaaaaaat
can you explain how that works? I bought the PS3 version because I heard it was the Lead SKU, (not a port). I was considering the 360 one because of the Live Vision support, glad I didn't. I know Skate had something kind of similar, but I didn't really pay attention to it. I don't play that game online though, because it took so damn long to load, that EA NATION Crap. I play it almost every day, but not online. It's too much to deal with. and the PS3 version sux.

But anyway, it shares your personal info from your Live account? is there a lot of potential for abuse with that?

qbix @ Jan 29th 2008 4:02PM

Don't bother with the 360 version. The first time I noticed it was when I tried to beat a showtime record. The game showed me the 1st place gamertag on the leaderboards and I beat it but when I tried checking out the leaderboards, I was presented with a sign up screen which explained that in order to access any of the online features I needed sign up for an EA account. By accepting, you agree to let EA get information from your Xbox Live account. This screen also tells you that they may share this information with EA partners but promises to protect your privacy. It's crap, and I won't accept it. This caveat is written in small print on the back of the box.

So, no online play for me. MS is also to blame for letting EA do their own thing when it comes to online play, including the use of their own multiplayer servers which they can shut down when they see fit. Boycott is back in effect.

FraGNeM @ Jan 29th 2008 4:06PM

There's nothing new to this. From the beginning, since EA joined with Xbox Live, they've wanted to use their own servers over Xbox Live.

To connect to these games, you'll need an EA account.

It's annoying to be sure, but its no different than what you have on the PS3.

AutomagV @ Jan 29th 2008 2:46PM

This is how in game ad's should work. If it adds to the realism of the environment, then it's done right. In this age we are flooded with ad's constantly and reflecting this in a game makes sense. However, If you're in a post apocalyptic future, a subway billboard would be out of place.

Andy @ Jan 29th 2008 2:47PM

I think this is really interesting. The first time I saw an in-game ad that I can think of was in Rainbow Six Vegas. A poster on the wall changed in Calipso Casino. It had an advertisement for the movie "Shoot Em Up" with Monica Bellucci. She looked so good and I was shocked to see it there. I don't remember what was in that spot the previous time I played. I just remember seeing Monica. MMMMM Monica....

ScreamingSkull @ Jan 29th 2008 2:58PM

I was just complaining about this to a coworker. While playing the game, during my first hour, I managed to run into/crash nearby to 4 separate Diesel vans, usually underneath some compusa billboard(aren't they pretty much out of business now?). I mean I'm all for developers making money but if this kind of garbage is what makes it happen, I won't be supporting it, just like I hate going to the theater and paying to watch more goddamn commercials there, which I'm doing less and less of.

Demaar @ Jan 29th 2008 3:00PM

Besides Burger King and Gillette, none of these sponsors are relevant to foreign markets... what are they doing about that?

monkeymonkeymonkey @ Jan 29th 2008 3:08PM

I wish the ads were not static, but change like the new electronic billboards you see on the interstate. Case in point, Compusa ads in Burnout Paradise. Compusa is going out of business. Everytime I see the billboard, I see a failed company (which I hated them anyway). Show me some new ads every week, it will make the virtual city more lifelike.

umm....hello??? @ Jan 29th 2008 3:08PM

how about a mission where we hunt down the BurgerKing dude and run him over a million times like those soccer moms in the minivan try to do in the tv commercial?? I really hate their ads.

But as AutomagV mentioned, EA does do their advertising unobtrusively....although I don't even notice it anymore on the billboards unless its a Burnout billboard that needs to be taken out, so I don't know how effective their ads are going to be.

Esat @ Jan 29th 2008 3:08PM

The Burger King (King) has always scared the living crap out of me....

Saneless @ Jan 29th 2008 3:20PM

The good thing about ads is that means the game's free, right? Right????

Wait, you mean we don't benefit one bit?

creid @ Jan 29th 2008 3:33PM

There is only one IGA, and he works on Castlevania games.

License to ill @ Jan 29th 2008 3:44PM

It would be great if we could run down (takedown)the king...

baskew @ Jan 29th 2008 4:14PM

I think it's funny CompUsa is advertising in the game. Given the whole going out of business/being bought up/closing down debacle.

Deck @ Jan 29th 2008 4:21PM

Yay! Go CompUSA! Good use of money you don't have!

NoHitHair @ Jan 29th 2008 5:05PM

I was about to post on the same thing. How is CompUSA advertising anything? A better question would be - WHY is CompUSA advertising anything?

umm....hello??? @ Jan 29th 2008 5:44PM

I'm pretty sure the contract for the ads were paid for in advance and probably towards the beginning of the game's development--well in advance of any announcement of store closings/going out of business. And current bills still get paid until money runs out...

Mike @ Jan 29th 2008 4:38PM

NO SALE.

Snailking @ Jan 29th 2008 5:36PM

I'm glad someone's going to be paying them money (ads) because now I'm not going to buy it.

Bucfann @ Jan 29th 2008 5:52PM

HA HA! Man that comment is right on the money. I buy very few games anymore, and unless the game is going to knock by socks off I aint buying it. Prices are too expensive, and I hate ads. So good thing for them they got the ads because they arent gonna get much money from some of us. Some of these games are just lame and dont live up to what they should be.

umm....hello??? @ Jan 29th 2008 7:57PM

well, if it weren't for the fact I love the Burnout series AND got a deal from Walmart ($39.99+Tax) for BOP, I wouldn't have bought it at all for the same reason I didn't buy Motorstorm--no local splitscreen multiplayer. yeah, the argument is old for Motorstorm, but IMO valid. However, BOP is done EXTREMELY well with a few flaws (restarting an event) and SLOWWWWW EA servers to connect people (hello?!! steal matchmaking code from Bungie!!).

Bucfann @ Jan 29th 2008 5:50PM

Great more ads shoved in our faces. So when exactly is this advertising crap going to pay off for the consumer? Game prices arent dropping, though should be, 60 bux is a lot for a game. Some companies like EA still charge for download-able content.
These companies are getting paid huge bux from these advertisers, yet I dont see any savings getting passed to us. EVERYWHERE you turn no, even in a virtual world, there are ads being shoved up our asses. It gets sickening to see. So we get the same over priced games (most of which the campaigns are extremely short), consoles, and download-able content. No savings to us anywhere.

GI-Joe @ Jan 29th 2008 7:10PM

In game advertising pisses me off. I mean I have no problem with ads that are in the right kind of game. Like a game based of the Olympics or an Indiapolis racing game or even a regular sports game. Ads that go with the general game itself.

I got really irritated with RainbowSix: Vegas when the single player campaign had 8 Axe body spray deoderant billboards in a row. Not to mention Dantes Casino had Shoot em up AND Terminator: Sarah Conner Chronicles ads updated into them. Guitar Hero 3 did an update and all it did was change the ads for the Terminator series as well.

And I agree on the ads not helping us. The fucking game is still 60 dollars and DLC is still 2 to 15 dollars. I already have had enough of burnout games. They're fun but I'm gonna pass on BO: Paradise.