With the lack of new information coming from Mythic, it’s time to dig back into the archived quotes and find something juicy and interested to talk about. Electronic Arts is famous for their in-game advertisement blitz. Every new game seems to have advertisements in one form or another. Most noticeably so far has definitely been Battlefield 2142’s billboard approach. According to EA the billboards having Intel Core 2 Duo ads is supposed to be more immersing. I call bullship on this one. The ads were intrusive and downright awful to look at as you drive down the streets of Minsk in your tank. I think what’s worse than the ads is the data collection. How often players look at an ad, when most players are looking at them, where the players live, and perhaps even more is open game to these supposed “secure and risk free third party” agencies. Now how does this affect Warhammer Online?
Back around June of 2006 EA acquired Mythic Entertainment (for those of you not in the loop at all, Mythic is making WAR) and assumed control over the Warhammer project. To many this opened the door of questioning as to whether or not Mark Jacobs would condone the placement of ads anywhere in Warhammer. So far I haven’t heard anything new on the subject but I found this quote back from December of 2005 to be worth further investigation.
Folks,
Another subject near and dear to my heart. As far as advertising in WH goes:
1) In-game advertising, not a chance.
2) Load screen advertising – Not likely. The only reason I’m not saying not a chance is that quite frankly, we haven’t even discussed the possibility. I think it is also not a chance but I don’t want to eliminate the possibility 100% (instead it’s 99.9%)
While in-game advertising can be effective according to recent studies and while there is an argument that in certain types of games it can actually add to the realism or while it can be used to defray costs, I’m really dead set against it for WAR. When I play games the last thing I want to see are adverts. Here in the States (not sure what’s it like elsewhere), we have adverts everywhere we go and I for one am tired of seeing them.
So before Mythic became the property of EA, Mark Jacobs wasn’t completely 100% against the use of adverts in his game. He did say that he is tired of seeing them and, not to be too harsh on him, he did make us comfortable back then that we weren’t going to see them. So now that EA is calling many shots where does that place us? Instead of a “not likely” are we moving up to a “possibly”? It would seem that right now we know nothing for sure but it’s definitely something to keep an eye on. Do ads in any form belong in-game? I don’t care if it’s a loading screen or a billboard – if it’s in my face while I’m playing the game then it’s in-game. I don’t see this as necessary in any way and would begin to question my monthly fee if such ads were introduced. The purpose of advertisements are to increase revenue. If I’m playing your MMORPG then I’m already contributing just about all I’m willing. I’m never, ever, going to be influenced by your in-game ads. It’s that simple.
What are your thoughts on the whole adverts in games? I strongly believe that they do not belong in any form. I won’t up and quit a game or stop looking forward to Warhammer if I learn there are loading screen ads but I will be likely rant about it for months. Is it a deal breaker for you?
I am fine if advertisements are in free-to-play games IF they are contextually appropriate or at worst on loading screens.
If a game company wanted to put them in a pay-to play game then not only would they have to be contextually appropriate but they would also have to prove that they are lowering the cost of the games monthly fee. “Prove” because I would never buy a game that had ads without showing evidence of the benefit to me as a customer.
I simply would not purchase and play a MMORPG such as WAR if it had in-game advertising, doesn’t matter how good the game was. The advertising doesn’t fit and breaks immersion in the game.
If it were a multiplayer NASCAR Racing where having billboards will ads plastered all over the place selling current day goods actually fit the environment and theme I’d be fine with it as long as they weren’t intrusive regardless of free to play or pay to play.
If past MMO’s are anything to go by however, I have zero faith in the industry to integrate in-game ads effectively without diminishing the quality of the gaming experience. Game after game they’ve shown a lack of integrity with the placement of ads that are intrusive and don’t fit the game environment simply in order to pad the Publishers profit per box sold by $1-2.
If a MMO developer is at ALL serious about the long term reputation and life of their MMO they seriously need to evaluate the worth of an extra couple of bucks in ad revenue over losing tens of thousands of dollars in lost subscriptions due to in-game ads.
The math simply does not add up for a pay to play game.
I trust EA to fuck up Warhammer but I don’t think it will be in game adds. Look to Earth & Beyond for a startling array of money grabbing techniques that EA have used. E.g. Recruiting friends earned you unbalancing skill points and in game money.