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The Benefits of In-Game Ads
Sagnier and Bartlett are also keen to stress that the implementation of in-game ads doesn’t hamper the game development process. In fact, they say, it can aid it.
Double Fusion’s core product, fusion.sdk, is a library typically integrated into the game code during the later stages of development, while its latest product, fusion.runtime, doesn’t even require developer implementation. It can be implemented at final code freeze or later, including post release. Both suites of tools enable a full spectrum of ad placements to be dynamically served in-game, tracked and reported.
“The implementation of an in-game infrastructure is a relatively simple process and one which we have honed down to a very tight schedule,” says Sagnier. “Our technical team work closely with the development team, but crucially they work alongside [them], negating the need to halt or delay the development process.”
“The producers that we employ are all seasoned game producers so they intimately understand the [development] process and challenges,” says Bartlett. “We get involved with these teams at a very early stage and are engaged with them for a minimum of two years with titles… Our producers have a very defined process that they work through with developers and the technology is very simple, quick and straight forward.”
Integration of IGA’s Radial tech, which is said to take just a few hours, means placeholders for ads are inserted into the game environment and IGA handles the rest.
“What we’ve seen in the past is that developers and publishers have had to go out and actively try to sort advertising themselves to fill those placeholders and that’s quite a time consuming process. This way, all they do is integrate our technology and it’s all done for them by us.”
Dynamic advertising also enables IGA and Double Fusion to track and receive information about gamers’ behavior, such as how long they’ve spent in certain environments, and how long they’ve viewed ads for and from which angles. This kind of stat-tracking is just as important to developers as it is to advertising companies planning their next campaign, according to Sagnier, who says that the data gathered can be used to inform design decisions based on gamers’ needs and wants when it comes to updating existing titles or creating new games.
“The information that we need to provide advertisers with is equally important to developers. Advertisers want to know how many times their ad is seen and for how long. Developers want to know how players progress through a game and what elements are hindering progress. Our code can provide this information easily to both parties, whilst keeping the details of individual players totally confidential.”
IGA offers developers a “beacon tool”, says Bartlett, which helps them to minimize production wastage and focus them “on exactly what consumers want to see… Those kinds of things are really useful for people because when you buy a game disc and it has 30 hours of linear content on it, probably the vast majority of gamers will never get past around 75 percent and so there’s a whole area of that game that’s been developed and published, that’s taken time and effort and money to craft, that consumers never actually see.”
In-game advertising is also poised to dramatically reduce development costs – IGA claims that in-game ads are expected to cover at least ten percent of game creation costs by 2010. If ad revenues can be used to keep developers afloat and keep promising projects from getting the axe then that can only be a good thing for gamers and for the industry at large. According to Bartlett and Sagnier the in-game ad market doesn’t require a hard sell because its benefits are clear to see for all parties concerned.
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lifeat30fps,
I do not even want to get into a debate about the word nigger, it has been so misused and warped from its original usage/meaning it is almost sad, it did not used to be a word of hate, people have turned it into one. That is not irresponsible media, it is a cultural issue within America and the African-(American) community and their want to 'own' a word. But onto advertising.
If I am playing GTA or another game that takes place in a real life setting, I would expect to see ads, it would not be a believable world without them. Advertising performs a useful function, it makes people aware of products or brands that would have forgotten about or had not known about. Please do not preach to me about how the cost of games have not gone down, there are more factors than advertising that go into the decision, like the several times fold increase in development cost with the possibility of smaller unit numbers than the past generation. We shall see how Battlefield Heroes turns out, if it turns out good then I will be validated in that one regard. Also, look at the Korean and other online PC games, many are supported by ads or microtransactions.
Furthermore, if the price of a good game is not lowered even if it has ads, would it not be better that the good developer be able to stay more in the black and in business due to ad revenue when it might have otherwise not? I would take the ads any day.
Lastly, why do people complain about advertising so much, have you ever worked at a small business or any business before? You would know how essential it is to get your name and/or product out there, so more people can keep you in mind while shopping. If you do not like ads, then do not purchase games with them in them, or better yet, ignore them while playing the game, much as you can change the channel, flip over the ad page in a magazine, or ignore billboards in other aspects of life.
frostquake,
You would have to provide me a more convincing argument than that to make be believe directors and movie studios would be willing to sacrifice artistic integrity and movie ticket sales by having interruptions in movies (especially if the movie has not 'intermission). The studios know people will go to the movies less if they realize that they will be constantly haggled with ads during the film.
Don't worry it won't be too long before movies at the Theater will stop half-way through and play a Nike ad, or you open your Car door and along with the light comes an announcement stating,"Today is July 28 2025, Remember on your way to work don't forget to stop at McDonald's for the latest specialty brew, thank you for driving a Chevy Hybrid."
Ads will never stop and with radio frequency id chips now, they will be able to track what is in our very own house and will be able to start gearing ads specifically to what our house has in it.
My very own personal wish though for in-game ads, would be that you have a choice, though in all other media we are not given a choice. Your not given a discounted movie ticket just because you watch a Fanta ad at the beginning. For me, personally it would be great to have a regular priced game with no ads and a discounted game with in-game ads, then I could make the choice as a consumer, but sadly that day will never come, and ads are here to stay, and they will multiply like rabbits on Viagra.
KojiPro, just because something happens everyday doesn't make it right. The fact that people are advertised to as much as they are is disgusting. I don't want that aspect of reality in my videogame, I'm sorry. It's a complete and utter distraction.
Unfortunately, it's also a big money maker. And this is what the industry will keep making it money on. Not on creativity and new ideas (like it used to), but ads, nickel and dime transactions, and endless more bullshit that people like you will just accept.
I really feel lucky to have seen the better days of gaming. It just hurts to see them fade away.
Can you opt out of advertisements while watching all those DVD's you paid for? Nope, and you're not going to while playing games either. What about while watching TV...which you also paid for indirectly through your cable or satellite provider? Nope....try again.
I'm not saying in-game advertising is a good thing, but I'm sick of hearing everybody whining about it, and saying "make the games cheaper" or "this isn't fair...I paid for this product".
News flash. You are being advertised to every single second, of every hour, of every day....whether you know it or not.
"What! You mean my copy of Official Xbox Magazine has advertisements scattered throughout it? But I paid for it....they should take all the ads out!"
Seriously, that card has been played way too many times! Get over it.
Nice conversation though, guys. Solid replies from every one so far...keep it up!
The problem with your analysis is that DVDs, print media, and Television (not yet, at least) aren't dynamically monitoring my actions during every moment of face time and changing the ads at whim based upon that data. I don't like giving a third party that depth of detail in my gaming habits and I should be allowed to opt out of it. The European union is more proactive on these types of issues; hopefully, someone over there will make an issue out of it and get some kind of rules for this type of obtrusive and targeted monitoring that protects consumers. Then, maybe, we in the US will follow suit.
What is the benefit of forcing me to see ads when I've paid $59.99(US) for a game? I paid for a game, not advertisements. I'm also being forced to have my in-game actions monitored by a third party that can give the information to any one they choose. I don't think these things are transcendent. If the game is free, that's another story, but if I've paid a good amount of money for it, I should be able to opt out of advertising. The people that want advertising, get it, and the people that don't, don't. Win-Win.
Also, detailing non-independent surveys, that were paid for by the industry they are profiling, is disingenuous. Read the book Damned Lies and Statistics by Joel Best for a good explanation of why you should be wary of polls and surveys.
gaara42,
those words would hold more weight if the in game ad revolution hadn't happened right as game prices went up $10 for two of the next gen consoles. if ads were bringing prices down, then why'd we see a 20% increase? please, i beg you, show me a list of games that were cheap because of the in game advertising.
along another line of reasoning, would schindler's list have been a much more moving experience if coke had placed fanta ads through out? what if they paid to have their ads be in color in the movie?
personally, i always thought sponsorships were the way to go. the colgate comedy hour...heck, even buying the name to a sports arena is advertising done moderately ok. movie trailers are definitely advertising done right -- a highly targeted product shown to its ideal audience. half life peggle was pretty well thought out, too.
i can give you one really great example of irresponsible media. as a peace corps volunteer in ukraine, during training pretty much everyone was shocked to learn that in this country, the polite term for someone that's black is n*gger. they think that since it's what they call themselves that it's the polite term.
people really need to think about what they promote, how they promote it and the absolute worse case scenario message that could be taken away. advertising is not yet responsible as it sells alcohol and cigarettes to the underage, sex to children and violence to kids.
as soon as we have an advertisers code of conduct for the gaming platform where we know things will be on the up and up, then maybe i will back off a little. how about a maximum number of ads per game? or after you see x number of ads, they are done for x amount of time? how about just saying you won't advertise things that are inappropriate for the rating of the game?
history is paved, though, with genies let out of the bottle before people thought through all the consequences. i highly recommend giving the movie "infest wisely" a viewing.
this was a bit of a ramble. sorry.
brian
www.brianwoods.com
I think it's pretty f-cked up that anyone would think being hit over the head by advertising was normal or realistic. It just goes to show how bad things really are at a civilization level. It makes me think of Greg Kinnear's super hero in Mystery Men with all his sponsorships.
Brian
www.brianwoods.com
lifeat30fps,
It does not show how bad civilization has become, it shows how great it is that we have the freedom to transmit information on products that might help improve or make out lives more enjoyable. It may bring into notice a company you have not heard about or a product you did not know existed. It is unfortunate that people strive to demonize advertising and attempt to bring us back to pre-Industrial times and their minimal or non-existent advertising. It is a win-win for everyone, the gamers get a lower-priced product, the advertising company gets screen time and the game publisher makes money.