EA, Massive extend in-game ad deal through next two years

by Jason Dobson { Mar 18th 2008 at 9:40AM }

We can expect ads to continue to be shoved down our throats in games from Electronics Arts as the company has extended its deal with Microsoft's in-game ad firm Massive to offer dynamic ads in games for the next two years.

While Massive will continue to offer in-game ads in existing titles from EA, such as the recently released Burnout Paradise, the new deal will allow more advertisers to continue to hawk wares in existing titles, as well as in upcoming games -- including the next two Madden, NBA Live, Nascar, and NHL releases. According to EA, ads will focus on appealing to guys between the ages of 18 and 34, but interestingly will just be served to versions released for the Xbox 360 and PC. For players on other platforms looking for a similar experience, might we suggest taping up ads from your Sunday circular to the television while playing -- at least that way you have the option to take the nuisances down.

Tags: ads, advertising, ea, electronic arts, ElectronicArts, in-game ads, in-game advertising, In-gameAds, In-gameAdvertising, massive

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

FrankTheCrank @ Mar 18th 2008 9:51AM

It's shit like this that makes me pray for another 1982 and a complete collapse of the videogame market.

I pay full retail for the game and then I'm bombarded with Mountain Dew ads?

StuScotsLazyEye @ Mar 18th 2008 10:01AM

I don't understand why so many people complain about something like this. Ads in a game (to me) add to the realism that the game delivers. EVERY time this comes up its 75% people complaining about these "annoying" additions to a game when I always appreciate some added aspects of real life.

In NHL 08 for example, I LOVE seeing ads from various hockey-related brands and other various companies. It's like being a real NHL game. Doesn't that mean the game is delivering (in the sense of realism)?

Alex @ Mar 18th 2008 11:10AM

To StuScotsLazyEye:

Are advertisements such an important part of your life? I for one am sick and tired of all the ads being plastered all over me: on TV, on radio, in newspapers, in magazines, inside and outside buses, trains, and streetcars, in schools, in universities, on skyscrapers, on street poles, on billboards, on t-shirts, and not to mention all over the internet (thank you Adblock and NoScript!).

Besides, shouldn't HOCKEY be the realistic thing in a HOCKEY game? Why not have a couple of mock ads instead of the same ones you're bombarded with everywhere else?

elmersglue @ Mar 18th 2008 11:56AM

Im gonna have to agree with lazyeye, there's absolutely no reason to complain about ads in games, especially sports games, where not having ads would actually make it less realistic. I mean, come on, when have you ever watched a broadcast of whatever sport without ads EVERYWHERE... It's almost a norm now, and without it, things wouldn't feel right. I would say 90% of people passively ignore ads anyway, its just there... you aren't really effected by it until it's not there, then you start to realize something is wrong/missing. Keep in mind, i highly doubt theyre going to be throwing ads into games where it's not appropriate. Don't expect Neutrogena ads on the cavern walls of Gears of war 2... But running around in the streets of new york...there BETTER be ads, otherwise the game is rubbish and completely unrealistic.

ThornedVenom (Harley Quinn Defense Force) @ Mar 18th 2008 10:09PM

As long as the ads fit into context, I don't really have a problem. What I'd really hate to see though is an AdultFriendFinder.Com advert in my medieval fantasy world.

xFenixKnightx @ Mar 18th 2008 9:54AM

In-game ads dont bother me at all. They actually ad to the realism of football, racing and those types of games. As far as influencing me to buy anything, yeah never happen.

Platinum_Skeet @ Mar 18th 2008 10:12AM

As long as EA doesn't do it Ubisoftsts way I don't care. Ubisoft actually has it where one guy will see a normal truck and to someone else online it'll appear like Gillette truck.

Great way to screw up any serious game...

Bleu @ Mar 18th 2008 10:02AM

Yea that age range that they are advertising too will have some of the most gulliable people you will ever com across and that is why this will actually work.

OH EA SUCKS! BTW!

ChooChooCharlie (Brawl: 1504-5357-9285) @ Mar 18th 2008 5:48PM

Are you sure? I would say that age group (particularly the younger end) would be skewed against major advertising.

Speaking from personal experience, myself (I'm 21) and most of my friends make it a general rule to completely boycott companies that use extremely annoying or in your face ads if at all possible (we avoid them unless we absolutely need the product). For instance: AXE is in GH and their commercials are annoying, and I have yet to buy an AXE product; Mountain Dew Game Fuel, yep, never bought that either; Burger King - I think I've eaten there MAYBE once in the last year.

My point is, that I think most of these ads are actually turning away a large portion of their target audience rather than encouraging the consumer towards a purchase. The only ads that actually work to sway me are SOME game ads, but even then, I still check reviews before a purchase is made.

Toop @ Mar 18th 2008 10:11AM

I've never been directly opposed to in game ads, especially when they are used in a traditional setting within the game. Driving a city with ads on billboards isn't a terribly painful thing to endure. Random logos cluttering up menus and loading screens is a separate issue though, and becomes an annoyance.

I think a big part of the issue for me is these ads been crammed in games for profit and the players don't get a break because of it. Publishers are making more money through advertising and yet we still get charged increasing prices for the games. I know games are getting much more expensive to develop, but you'd think that advertising would allow for a little more variation when it comes to game prices. In other settings, such as websites, submitting to ads means services come free and removing the ads requires a subscription fee. In the game world we are paying for the system, the game, and (in some cases) the online service already.

Vcize @ Mar 18th 2008 10:20AM

Yeah, at least so far these ads have been done tastefully. I can't say I've ever come across one in a game where I just thought it stood out and/or ruined the experience. They're usually done on billboards in a city, or panels in a sports arena. I would almost expect to see these things with fake brands on them if they weren't selling them out to advertisers as they should be there anyway to add to the realism.

If anything was ever done like the image appended to this article then it would become a problem, but thusfar I haven't seen that.

As far not seeing any pricebreak for it on the consumer end, yeah it'd be nice but I'd say that with a hefty inflation rate and skyrocketing developement costs we're pretty fortunate that game prices have remained pretty much constant over the past 20 years. Adjusted for inflation, I think we're seeing huge price breaks.

Brucie B @ Mar 18th 2008 10:25AM

I didn't think it would bother me either, but D@mn just looking @ that pic already looks like it would SUCK!

Also, If there's in game ads, the game should cost allot less!!!

PS EA SUCKS!
I'm Out Lata Fools

Mike @ Mar 18th 2008 11:32AM

But you have to admit it's pretty funny that they're dropping the bombs on Wal-Mart. =D

Jonah5678 @ Mar 18th 2008 10:44AM

I think something we're all missing here is the use of the phrase "dynamic ads". While we can't confirm this, I assume this means that we'll be getting forced "updates" which include downloads of new ads to shell into games. Thus, we'll be forced to waste our resources (money spent on Internet connection for the download process and time spent on downloading) to support this.

You all talk about adding to the "realism" of having ads shoved down our throats in other areas by having it present in our games. That's quite an interesting reflection of the state of entertainment and art. It's kind of sad when people yearn for more commercialization.

Alex @ Mar 18th 2008 11:23AM

Thank you Jonah5678!

Finally someone who is as disgusted as I am by this relentless commercialization of anything media! Radio and TV commercials that insult their audience's intelligence, tacky product placements in every movie, and now advertisement billboards in video games. For shame.

Why does realism equal (to so many!) being subjected to the drivel we are subjected to everywhere else? Why not take advantage of this flexible medium and play with imaginative fake brands and tongue-in-cheek ads? I remember popping in my freshly bought NFS: Underground 2 CD, and seeing a Best Buy billboard... That was the last mainstream video game I ever bought :-(

the_insider @ Mar 18th 2008 5:38PM

Massive does not require you to download 'updates'.. The ads are streamed into the game on the fly...

ChooChooCharlie (Brawl: 1504-5357-9285) @ Mar 18th 2008 5:55PM

Jonah,

That makes me hope that reviewers will be kind enough to mention things like that in their commentaries so I can avoid crap like that at all costs.

@Alex:

Too true. How sad is it when the consumer actually has to WORK to avoid ads like that with TIVO and adblockers and such. I don't ever remember hating ads more than I have the last few years. It's beginning to get ridiculous. I have actually shown up late to movies on purpose just to avoid all of the crappy pre-feature commercials.

Deck @ Mar 18th 2008 11:43AM

I don't like ads in games, period. EA really needs to cut back on this.

As far as Madden though, and other Arena sports games they aren't half bad. Only because the real environment of the stadium has some ads around, so it re-creates the stadium to be what it actually is. Though EA will most likely take this way overboard, adding way too many and try to put them in other games as well that shouldn't have any.

DangerMouse @ Mar 18th 2008 11:54AM

If they're managing and providing the servers you play on, then fine, it's there bandwidth. But if it's a dedicated server that Joe Blow is running (which in turn increases the purpose and popularity of there game, thus doing the developer a favor), then i have a problem with it.

Anthony @ Mar 18th 2008 12:54PM

I would rather have a real ad then a fake ad in a arena.

I would also rather have a real ad in a city based game. Half the time these ads are there anyways but their fake. Few companies are actually creative enough to come up with funny fake ads.

And there is nothing more annoying to me then having fake (funny or otherwise) ads in NASCAR games.

Cal @ Mar 18th 2008 3:53PM

At least Rockstar have funny adverts =)

Sean @ Mar 18th 2008 4:50PM

The problem with in-game advertising isn't that it exists.
The problem is that they are increasing revenue by hurting our experience and NOT PASSING ON THOSE SAVINGS TO US.
I wouldn't give two craps if my AK-47 has a Pepsi logo on it if games were $10, $20, $30 cheaper.

Mike @ Mar 18th 2008 1:44PM

I don't buy games that do this. Last Need for Speed and Burnout.. PASS. I didn't miss anything either.

Expect ads between level loads in the future.. mark my words. Give them an inch they'll take a mile. (we're up to 4-6 mins with TV ads now if you hadn't noticed)

ChooChooCharlie (Brawl: 1504-5357-9285) @ Mar 18th 2008 6:15PM

I've got some bad news for you buddy. They've been doing loading screen ads for a while.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0Xkikk6IRI

(skip to 2:10)

This was in '96 btw.

Jamie @ Mar 18th 2008 2:02PM

I'm sure they'll pass the savings on to the consumer, right? EA are really nice like that.

Smokex365 @ Mar 18th 2008 2:58PM

I remember playing Ghost Recon (2 I think) and noticing a ad. It was nicely integrated and I wouldn't of even noticed it if I wasn't already looking at the scenery during a break in the action. I didn't think much of it until I saw a commercial of it a week later on TV for Discovery's shark week. That made it for me. It made the realism so much more intense.

As long as it's done well and tastefully, have at it!

inlogic @ Mar 18th 2008 3:16PM

As long as the price of the games goes down I'm all for it, but as that won't happen, I rest my case.

fakiu @ Mar 18th 2008 3:33PM

this sux
a lot really

LordMinogue @ Mar 18th 2008 5:11PM

Adds in many games are unrealistically lighted. They glow in the dark, are not dimmed by particle effects, and are pristine in a war torn environment. In games like guitar hero, where camera angles are scripted, the add is front and center more often then the singer. It's ruining the industry, and driving a wedge between me and games that I would otherwise love.