Did you agree to in-game advertising?

[Rankaze]

I was a big fan of the Wip3out series on Playstation, going back to the original on the PS1. When Wipeout XL came out, it was "sponsored" by some obscure company called "Red Bull." There was a Red Bull logo on the loading screen, and there were Red Bull ads scattered all over the track.

The thing is, they were advertisements like you'd expect to see at a raceway. It actually looked kind of cool. And it actually encouraged me to try the drink because I liked the game. (I ended up hating Red Bull though. Still do to this day.) But the in game ad in that format was no big deal. I saw it so often, it was just part of the background. No harm, no foul.

Then Wipeout HD came out on the PS3 with the Fury add on. It was an utterly fantastic game in all respects.

Until they started streaming ads on the loading screen. Not just a static logo mind you, but actual commercials with video and sound. This had the effect of actually slowing down the load time of the game, thereby forcing you to watch the ad.

That was not cool. The player base let the developers and the advertisers know, and the ads went away. That's the kind of ad that will get me to scream. If while waiting for the launch animation to complete I'm subjected to an ad that I can't avoid, I'll reach for the pitchfork. But if it's some text in Galnet, a scavenger hunt that I can do or not do because it has zero effect on the game, it doesn't bother me. If they add real-world companies to the holographic signs outside the station, I won't mind that either. It's up to me to stop and look at them. Advertising is already in the game, it's just for fictional companies (so far.) Seeing other passive ads won't change anything. And if it means a game I like to play keeps getting support, especially without a subscription fee, I'm good with it.

As long as it's not forced in your face, doesn't affect game play or performance, I think FD can do what they want to make money.

Edit: one other caveat. FD should be careful in the sponsors they do allow, because the wrong ones will, and I hate to use the term, break immersion. A graphics card company can squeak by. But an ad for the new Toyota Corolla or the hot new romantic comedy will burn up good will in a hurry. Hopefully if ads for current products DO become a thing, FD will have the good sense to choose carefully and make an effort to create ads that don't look out of place.

I could see an ad for the a "Toyota Corolla" being OK... if it includes a picture of a small runabout ship with a Toyota logo on it. Not like anyone couldn't figure out it's a car ad, but it keeps the verisimilitude.

But yes, I wholeheartedly agree - as long as they can make it feel like it fits in the world, and is a part of the world? I have no problem with having advertising for real-world companies/products. More money to keep the game going longer is a good thing!

 

[Lodorenos]

People are making way too much of a big deal out of this in my opinion. I'm 22,000 LY away and never would have even seen the message.

Meanwhile it sounds like the frontier is facing doom because of a GalNet message.

Elite is an amazing game and frankly I don't care if they make the floating signs outside of stations real-world advertisements as long as they keep it in the spirit of the game and it helps development ("Upgrade your ship's controls! HOTAS X-55 blah blah", "Feeling tired in the void? This brand new Senseo module will keep you alert!", "Space is cold, UnderArmor keeps you warm").

 

[jmg]

"Space is cold, UnderArmor keeps you warm".

That's a good one!

how 'bout this one:

 

[Armour]

To be honest, given the choice between FD selling credits/ships/modules for cash, and in-game advertising, I'm more inclined to agree with the former than the latter.

I'm not quite as horrified by the idea of letting the wallet warriors amongst us buy their way to a flashy ship - if they don't have the combat chops, they'll get popped by those who earned their kit in-game anyway. As long as there aren't pay-only exclusive items, or the ability to buy faction influence or rank, I don't have that much of an issue. I can at least roleplay such people as some spoilt rich kids playing tough guy, or traders having a mid-life crisis or doing the equivalent of white-collar boxing to alleviate the tedium of their daily grind.

It's going to be a bit harder to rationalise real-world advertisements on Galnet or holo-billboards flogging 21st Century Earth tat as if no other companies exist.

 

[jmg]

To be honest, given the choice between FD selling credits/ships/modules for cash, and in-game advertising, I'm more inclined to agree with the former than the latter.

I'm not quite as horrified by the idea of letting the wallet warriors amongst us buy their way to a flashy ship - if they don't have the combat chops, they'll get popped by those who earned their kit in-game anyway. As long as there aren't pay-only exclusive items, or the ability to buy faction influence or rank, I don't have that much of an issue. I can at least roleplay such people as some spoilt rich kids playing tough guy, or traders having a mid-life crisis or doing the equivalent of white-collar boxing to alleviate the tedium of their daily grind.

It's going to be a bit harder to rationalise real-world advertisements on Galnet or holo-billboards flogging 21st Century Earth tat as if no other companies exist.

AGreed, plus rep. I've made this point several times . but prepare to be flamed.

 

[aRtFuL]

I play most games because they are fictional and not real, to have fun in a make believe world/environment. Some I just play to compete in, the game itself is a competition (this one isn't) - like League of Legends or Chess, etc.

Adding real world things to the game is completely immersion breaking.

If you are talking about a game that is high-fantasy setting or set in historical times I would agree with you.

However Elite: Dangerous is a game set in humanity's future, using actual human timeline for anything before 21st century.

So imo it is actually quite immersion reinforcing rather than breaking to put real world ads in the game (as long as it makes sense for the time period. I can imagine people still drinks Coke or Johnny Walker Black Label in year 3030).

 

[jmg]

If you are talking about a game that is high-fantasy setting or set in historical times I would agree with you.

However Elite: Dangerous is a game set in humanity's future, using actual human timeline for anything before 21st century.

So imo it is actually quite immersion reinforcing rather than breaking to put real world ads in the game (as long as it makes sense for the time period. I can imagine people still drinks Coke or Johnny Walker Black Label in year 3030).

yeah, just imagine blade runner without the iconic ads. would've lost some of its grittiness. Ad-free seems so Disney.

 

[barcode]

So long as the advertising is like the Nvidia promotion, a harmless fun little contest you're free to participate in or ignore as the player sees fit, I don't have a problem with it.

Now, if I'm forced to watch ads for fast-food I'd never eat and cars I'd never drive, then I'd have a problem with it.

 

[jmg]

Please consider that thousands of people paid for a game promoted with no mention it would deliver adverts. Then they were forced to play online, allowing adverts. Now it seems adverts are to be pushed to all players with no way to opt-out.

uhh.. you want to opt-out, you can stop playing the game.
That's the problem with non-subscription games. There is less built-in incentive to listen to the fan base. If they annoy a few people who, it seems, are in the minority, who cares? annoy a fan base of subscribers, and they lose monthly income. annoy people who bough a box set, they don't care, they already have your money. Want to opt out? stop playing. don't ever buy another FD game or paid expansion again. FD has very little incentive to make you happy, period.
Maybe one of the expansion packs will be "ad free"

 

[BennyBoyW]

Not going to bother answering the poll as it's a total non-issue.

 

[Trafalgar Law]

I was actually expecting the billboards around the station to advertise things like coke. Doesn't bother me at all and they need to make money somewhere.

 

[Defacto]

I would say no, it isn't immersion reinforcing at all, and I would say that this is an objective fact, because this is not a decision grounded in the wish to make an immersive world, but rather a decision grounded in the wish to earn more money. At best, it might avoid breaking the immersion, if the advertisement is well-integrated into the game.

uhh.. you want to opt-out, you can stop playing the game.
That's the problem with non-subscription games. There is less built-in incentive to listen to the fan base. If they annoy a few people who, it seems, are in the minority, who cares? annoy a fan base of subscribers, and they lose monthly income. annoy people who bough a box set, they don't care, they already have your money. Want to opt out? stop playing. don't ever buy another FD game or paid expansion again. FD has very little incentive to make you happy, period.
Maybe one of the expansion packs will be "ad free"

If they push away people from the game, they'll loose income from sales of skins, accessories and expansions. What's the point then, when the purpose of the advertisement only was to make money?

 

[Kaeldian]

I'd say it depends on wither the ad can be considered part of the universe. I remember Jeep running an advertisement in Anarchy Online that used to grate on my nerves because it felt so out of place in a world full of spaceship and lasers.

 

[sneakyfrog]

Brought to you by carls jr!

 

[jmg]

I would say no, it isn't immersion reinforcing at all, and I would say that this is an objective fact, because this is not a decision grounded in the wish to make an immersive world, but rather a decision grounded in the wish to earn more money. At best, it might avoid breaking the immersion, if the advertisement is well-integrated into the game.



If they push away people from the game, they'll loose income from sales of skins, accessories and expansions. What's the point then, when the purpose of the advertisement only was to make money?

uhh, yeah. I don't have the numbers, but I think its a safe assumption that polo shirt sales and skin sales are pretty much good for buying lunch at FD headquarters every once and a while. I'll believe expansions when I see it-- ewhen they come out with those, the anti-ad people will already be gone, and people will be complaining about additional content that they have to pay for.

they lose nothing by aggravating a few lunatic fringe "immersion" players.

 

[Wicz]

I chose yes because the " I honestly couldn't care less " option is conspicuously absent.

 

[Defacto]

uhh, yeah. I don't have the numbers, but I think its a safe assumption that polo shirt sales and skin sales are pretty much good for buying lunch at FD headquarters every once and a while. I'll believe expansions when I see it-- ewhen they come out with those, the anti-ad people will already be gone, and people will be complaining about additional content that they have to pay for.

they lose nothing by aggravating a few lunatic fringe "immersion" players.

And yet, they pay out thousands of pounds for grinding competitions. And yet, their sales are over expectations (I think?). And they didn't even say anything.
Also, are you calling me a lunatic? I'm not a lunatic, just so you know.

 

[Witzo]

Did you agree to in-game advertising?

I don't remember FD asking me about it, so I can't answer your poll. Was this asked of beta backers?
I only backed at gamma level.

 

[AluminumAlloy]

Sure, it would be nice to replace some holo screen ads like the ones you see at stations and in docking bays advertising ship corporations.

 

[BLCBob]

Advertising? In this game? I actually think it could work, with the right hook.
And, if they put that money back into the game, I can only see positives.