Re: ONLINE ADS>>advertising within games

From: Christian Schock <cschock_at_intelligamer.com>
Date: Fri, 30 Jul 1999 16:55:05 -0500 (CDT)

JIM DATTILO WROTE:
>I think this issue of computer games as a vehicle for
>branding is on the horizon, if it isn't here yet... The idea
>of branding within a game may be likened to a Pepsi ad
>appearing in a motion picture, or a singer using a specific
>product brand name in a song.

While Mr. Datillo makes some good points, I think he may be
leading the conversation a bit astray. Games such as Field
and Stream Trophy Buck, NASCAR Pinball, etc. are in almost
every case not branding/advertising attempts by the
licensor. Rather, they are attempts by the game creator (the
licensee) to tap into an existing, established brand to
widen the appeal of a particular game. For this reason it
isn't Field and Stream that is paying Sierra Online to put
it's name on a game. The exact opposite is true, Sierra
Online pays Field and Stream for the right to use their
brand.

For the same reason sports game developers pay people like
Arnold Palmer, Brett Favre, etc. to use their names in the
title of the game and to endorse the game in advertising and
so on. It is the identical phenomena.

A hugely successful game might sell 500,000 copies
worldwide, most sell far less. Unless the "product
placement" is highly obvious it is not clear to me that the
advertiser will be getting a solid return even for
blockbusters. Why is that? The typical game may have 20-50
hours of game play spread over a number of
maps/locations/scenarios. Seeing a can of Coke in one
location one time in a game will have almost no impact,
especially if the game is not a blockbuster title.

There are a few developers that could probably manage to
sell ad space within a game. id software is one with it's
Quake franchise, and many of the sports title could do so as
well (though the incremental revenue to the developer might
not be worth the time to sell said ads.) However, most
gamers I know would be greatly against anything they
perceived to be advertising as advertising. If it was
subtle, similar to product placement in a movie, then no one
would complain. But if it was in your face advertising most
gamers who have shelled out $30-50 for a game already are
going to complain. And complain loudly.

Christian Schock
Publisher
Intelligamer
www.intelligamer.com

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Received on Fri Jul 30 1999 - 18:45:44 CDT