As I wrote this post on my Microsoft keyboard, gazing listlessly into my crisp, crystal clear Samsung monitor, sipping wistfully on a delicious Pepsi Max, I wondered aloud — ‘was product placement in a video game a good idea or a bad one’? And, specifically, was it a good idea for Blizzard to add it in its latest next-gen MMO, Project Titan?
It appears as though Blizzard is taking the whole product placement enterprise pretty seriously, advertising for a full time staff member for the purpose of managing product placement within the game’s universe.
The job description demands that the applicants be able to work with “major consumer brands to facilitate product placement and licensing within the world of Blizzard Entertainment’s next-gen MMO that enhances the gameplay experience.”
This part was also interesting:
- Be the key liaison between the development team and other functional teams within Blizzard Entertainment (e.g. creative development, licensing, marketing, legal) to create brand-extending merchandise for the next-gen MMO franchise, including:
Books / Novels
Action figures
Comics
Short movies
Apparel
I supposed this kind of stuff is par for the course when launching a massive platform like I’m assuming Blizzard’s next MMO will be, but it’s interesting to see just how seriously Blizzard is taking the whole enterprise.
Something to ponder, as I continue sipping on my cold, thirst quenching Pepsi Max.
Who feels like McDonalds for lunch? I know I do!
Reign
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 9:48 AM“…that enhances the gameplay experience…”
Surely Blizzard realises that every decision made by them since WoW has been terrible?
David
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 9:52 AM“…that enhances the gameplay experience…”
Surely Blizzard realises that every decision made by Activision since WoW has been terrible?
OzHuski
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 10:48 AMNo, pretty much a lot of there ideas in WoW before Activision was bad.. It really has gone down hill..
Alex
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 4:58 PMProduct placement is in literally every other medium, I don’t care one bit if I see ads, in fact, in many games set in the modern day, the absence of ads in game actually breaks he immersion.
And frankly, if this is a way to avoid micro-transactions, then I’m all for it. Just so long as the ads don’t force you to interact with them to make them disappear or something, they should literally be textures in game, not pop-ups.
ickumo
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 5:47 PMIs it just me or did Mark deliberatelyention crap products
Pixel the Ferret Viking
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 9:49 AMif it fits in the universe, SUUUURE go for it…
but if i boot up Diablo III only to go to the town of Tristram to pass a maccas drive through and Decard Cain merrily sipping away at his can of Coca-Cola, i might find it slightly off putting…
okay very off putting
McGarnical
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 9:53 AMLook, if the local blacksmith wants to advertise their sharp, sharp dirks, or their latest developments in ringlets for leather armour, that’s fine with me.
Pixel the Ferret Viking
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 9:56 AMlol well this is very true…
However if the Local Blacksmith starts talking about how awesome his 2-handed Axe of Ford outsells everything ever etc.etc…
actually no do that, that’d be amusing… in the beginning :P
McGarnical
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 9:58 AMThe funny part is that the local blacksmith simply can’t compete with the loot dropped by the hellspawn 200 feet below him. Sure, you can upgrade your armour at the beginning of the act, but soon enough you’re his primary source of new gear.
McGarnical
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 9:54 AMDo we know anything about this MMO? Like, is it near future or something? If it was, then it would be realistic and possible immersion enhancing, to have flashy billboards about.
Also, anyone else getting a F2P vibe with this?
Rize
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 10:01 AMActually…yeah, this does kinda lean towards that. I think they’d have to at least try to go with a viable F2P purely to compete with Guild Wars 2, and this is one way to offset the loss of revenue.
El Kapitan
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 10:23 AMWell, you’d figure that since it’s ‘next-gen’, it will aim to launch around the time that the next Xbox and PS4 launch, which is still 2 years+ away. However, the phrase ‘next-gen’ is more and more a meaningless buzzword bandied about to try and generate hype.
Zeruel
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 10:21 AMSo they’re gonna be plugging their blizzard store shit in game? Because that list makes it look that way.
notfrank
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 7:41 PMyes
Lachlan
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 10:22 AMI don’t mind real life advertisments, but it only really works when it’s a modern day game. If the next GTA has McDonalds and billboards for real businesses, then that wouldn’t bother me. It’d probably actually add to the experience than detract from it.
If Titan is a Starcraft MMO though, then I’m not sure how well it would work..
Matthew K
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 10:36 AMSaint’s Row 2 has in-game advertising – even two years after the game came out I was seeing billboard advertisements in-game for real-world drinks and deoderants. I think in that kind of game it’s completely seamless.
I can’t remember in GTAIV did, or for that matter if Saints Row 3 does.
Joshy206
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 11:11 AMIt works if it fits. That’s my attitude! :D
Scott
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 12:13 PMI think you are right Joshy to an extent – but if they started using the information we gave them when we sign up to start targeting us in game for dating websites or website tracking the way facebook and google do I would start to see a problem with that. General Ads for stuff like drinks, clothes is fine as long as they draw the line there – the last thing I want is to be playing an mmo with a billboard reminding me that I am forever alone. :P
Andy
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 10:31 AMJust give us Diablo 3 already.
Akra
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 11:04 AMI think its more of using Blizzards new Titan MMO to help sell other peoples products. I mean you only have to look at WoW and SC2 merch to see how they name shifts crappy mouse and keyboards like crazy.
Akra
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 11:05 AMI should have added:
They’ll probably market things like “Titan MMO is played better on Razer Titan Branded Mouse with 40 buttons and this keyboard with electronic keys and trackpoint. You’re a fool for playing it on anything but Titan Razer keyboard and mouse.”
Pixel the Ferret Viking
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 11:10 AM*stares at SC2 Marauder keyboard in front of me*
while i whole heartedly agree, this is actually not a bad product in it’s own right… just too bad they flogged it off for too much money in the first place, where as i managed to get mine for a respectable $60…
but i get what you’re saying, unfortunately it will keep happening because a lot of people (like myself) like the novelty of certain swag…
Nate
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 11:34 AMCollect 2 big mac wrappers and take the codes to grandmaster ronald for you enchanted McRPG..
hahaha. ads are everywhere you look, so it would only be realistic if they were in games. signs and building etc in a game which were rented by advertisers would be good (as long as they’re used to subsidize the cost of playing the game and its executed seamlessly)
Pixel the Ferret Viking
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 11:43 AMBahahaha, Maccas DLC code for novelty in-game items… actually that wouldn’t be a bad idea :P except for the whole you know not-everyone-being-gamers thing… i’d buy a freaking happy meal if it scored me an in-game item in D3 or something :P
Jerome
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 12:20 PMTakes time out from playing IB2 on my iPad2 to ponder if my iPhone4S would make it into Titan lore in some obtuse way that would break immersion, whilst reading Kotaku articles on my MacBook Pro…gee this track pad is awesome *sips Vittoria Coffee*. I wonder if Actiblizzard will release the MMO for iMac?
truncheon
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 12:32 PMActiblizzard, that’s the thing, there is no blizzard any more, play torchlight
Jerome
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 12:51 PMI’m waiting for Torchlight 2. HC FTW!1!
sig
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 12:26 PMwhoever thought of the idea should die a painful death.
Inquisitorsz
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 12:50 PMThere is a website which collates all the Project Titan Rumors.
It will be a not too distant future semi apolcopyptic MMO. I’m thinking something similar to a Fallout MMO.
Thats why product placement such as coke or ford will be appropriate. As for how much coke will be around after some apolocalyptic event… who knows?
http://project-titan.blogspot.com/
Nick
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 12:54 PMI think it’d be more like stuff in loading screens :p
Alinos
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 1:39 PMI really couldn’t care less so long as it isn’t obtrusive.
The real question is that do they plan on trying to charge a sub fee, a MT store and expansion pack costs on top of this like they currently do with WoW.
Akra
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 2:10 PMI suspect they’ll keep the sub free model for Titan, for some reason mention a MMO as Free2Play seems to translate to “Lower standard MMO” for most gamers, when its not the case.
andy
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 3:01 PMi always thought that shooters could have had half destroyed coke signs etc in them. It could work as long as it fits and they dont make it over the top. eg a bright red coke sign that looks brand new wouldnt work in a war torn city but a coke sign with bullet holes, ripping and colour grading to match would work and might help to increase realism.
Gunny
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 3:50 PMSo, one of the very first concrete things we know about Titan is that they’re going to use it to sell our eyeballs to advertisers? Nice.
Xasrai
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 4:13 PMYeah, not impressed at all. I doubt gta v will do this, as they tend to use the names of stores as statements, puns, etc. Anyone remember pro laps?
el goog
Tuesday, January 24, 2012 at 6:15 PMAre they going to bring out a brilliant game this time; then just start tearing it apart after the first expansion to appeal to the “struggling customers”? Blizzard is looking for another cash cow is all and they moved their best devs over to this along time ago. Let’s hope lightning doesn’t strike twice.