@HikariOblivion:
There's one not far from my house. I used to work there.
(Montreal, Canada)

IntelSilver

What happened to the time when videogames just used to be videogames without ads, "required" expensive DLC, excuses for a $10 price increase, and other hidden costs?

Shareholder greed is ruining the videogame industry little by little. Anything to make oodles of extra cash, at the expense of dumbing down the games we love. What a shame...

fenderfuel08

Everybody stop buying video games! Tell your friends, too. That'll show these money-grubbers. The video game industry isn't about making money, it's about catering to the customer, which is us. And it's much better for us to boycott games altogether instead of just accept that we'll be seeing a few Apple logos sometimes.

broomperson

I'm not gonna lie, i clicked the link expecting Activision to be making a game with Koji Igarashi (also known as Iga). I'm disappointed ._.

Shin_Ein

Anyone who pays for games with ads supports terrorism and molests children.

GrandfatherParadox

When a publisher reaches the top spot they seem to do everything in their power to hasten their eventual downfall.

I hate advertising and marketing so much. I don't even have to go into detail how retarded it is. What the hell happened to the product being good enough that it becomes all the advertising you need? People shouldn't be buying crap they don't need in times like this.

Ch0b0

i have no problems if in-game ads are placed normally in the videogame world (meaning on billboards in towns, or on walls of racetracks, character clothing, etc.)

BUT...BUT, if they become independent, stand-alone entities that pop-out, as someone was saying above, during load times, or pop-ups on cutscenes....i think i would go crazy.

F22

@tinkyXIII: Ah, cool :)

HikariOblivion

@LittleBigPlaneteer: It may be a small thing, but I've been teetering between the two for months. This may be all that it takes.

BritBloke916

@strix: dude, it would be grab-a- fucking-torch-and-pitchfork time, seriously.

watching a god dam pharmaceutical or car ad before a video, my god i get so angry, and they really have to tease you even more by leaving that unaccessible progress bar as the fucking ad plays.

look at me, going off...but that's a growing problem online that truly has me seeing red.

F22

Lol...Wtf is wrong with Activision, or did Kotaku start anti-PR campaign on it, bathing it post after post in a negative light? Oh well, it deserves it like Vivendi, which they merged with. Seriously, this company may main franchies even worse than EA.

If you wonder what may happen to Blizzard because of these two, look at the history of another creative company crushed by these money hungry bastards along with Sierra - [en.wikipedia.org] , the creators of legendary Death Track, Incredible Machine and a large number of other great games.

Zorba

i'm not sure how i feel about this. i think this would be perfect for Home, but in-game? no, keep it out

kw4k

@GrandfatherParadox: "Anyone who pays for a game with ads supports terrorism."

Not true. However, they do molest children.

BritBloke916

I might not wanna suport the companys in the addvertisements. There should be a list of the adds on the back of any game that will carry them. DO NOT IMPOSE THEM ON US. we have enough with TV, RADIO and the INTERNET. can we play in peace.

kalitos

@LittleBigPlaneteer: I think that's actually a good idea. I usually walk away anyway, so what does it matter?

broomperson

Activision disgusts me, they are so money crazed right now they'll do anything. They don't even care about the substance of their games anymore. Just making bucket loads of cash at the expense of the gamer.

Their business decisions for the past year or so have all been sacrificing game value for more money. Like trying to lock people in to guitar hero with their instruments. Supporting them in this is allowing them to start a movement that will forever change the game industry.

Daizaru1

@BriGuy: You're thinking too hard if a Pepsi vending machine in the background of some modern day game is going to ruin your experience. I'd have to agree with you if Ico gets health points from a PowerBar, but ads are usually background material (no, not always) or in sports games and music games where story and atmosphere isn't really part of the immersion factor.

I do like your avatar, though.

broomperson

@HikariOblivion: There's still an IGA in Sanford, NC I believe.

tinkyXIII

@BritBloke916:

Why would such a small thing like this change your mind over what to get. I could understand if RB2 has more features that you like, but you're switching because of the announcement of in-game ads? Seriously? Seems a bit hasty.

LittleBigPlaneteer

@Juthan: I remember going to one here like.. 8 years ago? Haven't been to that part of town in a while though, so dunno if it's still there.

I remember when I was really young, I got a bath toy of their logo. I was like.. preschool age then.

HikariOblivion

@LittleBigPlaneteer: Ah, but I can turn up a little later and miss those commercials if I so choose. Given that RB2 represents a solid alternative that DOESN'T force-feed you ads, I'm surprised that Activision are giving any extra ammunition to their rivals in this way.

BritBloke916

@LittleBigPlaneteer: That is exactly the reason to get annoyed! I have already shelled out the cash to purchase the game / go to a movie and should not have to watch commercials or put up with in-game ads or product placement.

Same thing goes for DVDs if I buy them. Haven't since they started putting in Coke ads when it was bad enough that I had to watch previews for movies I will never watch.

vunna

If prices are going down, cram in all the advertisements you want! But wait, they're not! They went up by $10!

That's fine, I can play that game. I simply won't buy any ad-filled games at full price, I'll wait until they're in the bargain bin. Easy enough. If they want my $60, they can drop the ads.

Rhawb

@LittleBigPlaneteer: That is exactly the reason to get annoyed! I have already shelled out the cash to purchase the game / go to a movie and should not have to watch commercials or put up with in-game ads or product placement.

Same thing goes for DVDs if I buy them. Haven't since they started putting in Coke ads when it was bad enough that I had to watch previews for movies I will never watch.

Bastards. . .evil, evil bastards.

vunna

yeah right, I sooooo want ads in my games, that are already overpriced and ridden with DLC just to have a complete game...

QC8472

@Jun581 won't give you tree fiddy!!:

I was, especially at the end when it was supposed to be this "touching moment" and they kept flashing to the back of his laptop.

Daizaru1

@ST19AG_WGreymon: Honestly, same here. The way these companies have been doing in-game ads is by putting them on billboards or posters within the actual game.

If I boot up a game, and I get an ad (in the game I pay for) that pauses the game for 15 seconds while I watch it, that'll be the day I'll be against in-game ads.

.endejas.

@Jun581 won't give you tree fiddy!!: sorry for the double post. :(

Jun581 won't give you tree fiddy!!

I was really confused by the headline. I was thinking why would the Independent Games Association team up with Sony? Silly me :p I then remembered it was the IGDA and D is for Developers.

okenny :) ...building bridges (to hide under)

@strix:
That would suck in the middle of Painkiller in Rock Band. I can see it now...

Almost through the first solo on expert, the end is in sight. There is light at the end of the - wait, what the hell? No! No I would NOT like to meet local girls in my area!! Go away! I've almost beat the - OH GODDAMMIT!!

Lazlo

Wow, and I was actually going to buy this for the PS3 (I understand that the instruments are better than the Rock Band equivalents). Now I think I'll just pick up the RB2 disk and the GH:WT guitar individually.

BritBloke916

So long as it's not "in-your-face" ads, I'm okay with it.

ST19AG_WGreymon

@LittleBigPlaneteer: won't that be a dark day, watching Cheetoes cat dance around for an hour while your installing a next gen game

RET_Ghost

@Sorablade: BINGO!
also, as you mentioned below, Burnout Paradise has them and they don't seem to detract from the game. That's always been my concern. Heck look at Metal Gear Solid 4. Who here was bothered by the apple logo on Otacon's laptop?

Don't worry...I'm waiting?>:

Jun581 won't give you tree fiddy!!

I love that people are getting so enraged over this because you already paid for the game. I paid for a movie ticket, yet they show plenty of commercials before the movie starts. Many of you are paying for Xbox Live and they have advertisements on there too.

Don't think for one moment that paying for a service of any kind somehow makes you special and alienates you from advertising. If there's a large enough install base for it, you will see advertisements there. Simple as that.

LittleBigPlaneteer

@Sorablade: BINGO!
also, as you mentioned below, Burnout Paradise has them and they don't seem to detract from the game. That's always been my concern. Heck look at Metal Gear Solid 4. Who here was bothered by the apple logo on Otacon's laptop?

Don't worry...I'm waiting?

Jun581 won't give you tree fiddy!!

How long until we start getting pop-up advertising in our games?

strix

Ugh. This kind of crap makes me sick. Seeing all of these in-game ads RUINS the experience for me. All I see is dollar signs heading straight into Activisions pocket, completely bypassing any possible savings for the consumer.

BriGuy

@Juthan: Well, you certainly be playing with something.

DragonNinja

Just wait till they find out they can put up advertisements and commercials during game installs (if that hasn't happened yet)

><

LittleBigPlaneteer

@vunna:
It pays for PSN so not so terrible.

enewtabie(Future LittleBigPlanet Master Creationist)

so im paying so they can advertise in my game that i just paid to play? if this knocks games back down to 49.99 then maybe or if they start giving away some free dlc then its all good. but if they dont then all hell is breaking loose at IGA and Activision Blizzard headquarters cause i'm getting my torches and pitchforks ready.

Milkzhakes

Note to self: avoid activision games.

I rather have made up ads,not real one in games; ecause if I want reality, I'd turned off my system and go outside and look at the ads littering the streets of our city. Ads should be banned...everywhere.

pikpikjuice

This will probably generate a lot of criticism on this message board, if not other places. I like the idea of in-game advertising as long as the extra money goes to making better games. Not just the so-called "realism" of products, but story, mechanics, et al.

@Lixie: Won't happen, but hopefully you'll get more for your money.

broomperson

In game ads really don't bother me at all. Unless it's to the point where they're making me sit through 30 minute commercials as opposed to playing the game then we have a problem. If it makes sense in the context of a game then so be it.

Hauler

Is this a surprise? There were soooo many in-game ads in Guitar Hero 3 that they even had to make an entire venue out of a Pontiac truck?! This is no shock at all.

Lazlo

@GrandfatherParadox: wha..? what!?!

Jun581 won't give you tree fiddy!!

@HikariOblivion:
hehe I haven't heard anyone speak of an IGA in many years. My hometown had one that closed down some 20 years or so ago. Thanks for the flashback!

Juthan

@LittleBigPlaneteer: i think ads like in Burnout Pradise are good use.. having them in practical places that relate to the game world

Sorablade

@GrandfatherParadox: does that include paying for xbox live which plasters my dashboard with ads?

Sorablade

As long as it's not obnoxious/in your face ads I don't have a problem. Also it has to depend on the game. I don't care if there's an advertisement in GH, Tony Hawk, or any sports game as that wouldn't bother me or take away from the game. It would ruin the immersive feel if it was placed in an RPG or something.

LittleBigPlaneteer

Whenever I see IGA, I think about the store.

Does it still exist? Haven't seen one in years.

HikariOblivion

If you're going to put ads in my games, at least advertise for the latest Raven Riley DVD, or something! Then again, I imagine I wouldn't be getting alot of gaming done in that situation.

Juthan

Anyone who pays for a game with ads supports terrorism.

GrandfatherParadox

Such a horrible idea. . .at least for consumers. Is it going to reduce the final cost of the games? Not at all. Thanks!

vunna

I don't want realism in my freaking video games...god.

Itri

I'm fine with as long as they give the games away for free.

Lixie

This is activision we're talking about. The odds of non-intrusive ads contributing to the gaming experience are nil, at best.

"Hey, I've got a great idea! We'll take Guitar Hero: Cyndy Lauper but we'll replace the guitars with axe body spray!"

wiregr

@JorgieX:

It's in the games, you know like on the disc? There's a good chance these ads will show up in the 360 version of Guitar Hero. This announcement has nothing to do with PSN

LittleBigPlaneteer

And i guess a lot of people complaining about this downloaded Yaris from XBLA...

Daisuash

@broomperson: I don't expect them to be free, nor do I expect a price reductions. But I hate the idea that I'm buying a product that's advertising to me.

Usually the deal is free things come with advertisements, and paid things come without. But now Activision wants me to pay for the privelege of seeing ingame Red Bull billboards.

Lixie

@2SBs: That's cool that just means more games for us gamers that don't care about ads. As long as the games are still good.

JorgieX

Please don't taint the 360 with this crap

SavidDaunders

So much with the claim that XBL is full of ads and the PS3 has free online and no ads. I guess SONY fans can join in on all the ad fun..lol

JorgieX

isn't this just for HOME?

Hellion86

Let the crying begin!

Boudabras

This common trend of having ads in games is complete bullshit, as they're not passing along any savings to us. It doesn't add realism, it just annoys the living shit out of most people.

dead_red_eyes

@Daizaru1: really??!?! I really don't remember that.

Jun581 won't give you tree fiddy!!

It is not that big of a deal. If this was never made into a news story the majority wouldn't know there was ever a deal. The advertisements in the actual games most likely wouldn't of caused the outrage displayed in some comments here.

You hear there will be advertisements and you let speculation get the better of you, thinking worst case scenario.

As long as the fine folks at Activision use the small portion of their brains that still works/isn't consumed with ______ Hero games and place these ads reasonably, they will go unnoticed.

Hey_guy

Ads in games? No thaks.

Azriel77

Should we expect Coke or Pepsi ads in COD5? I got unbelievably mad when I was playing RVS2 and saw ads for Indiana Jones movie. Haven't played the game since, not buying any Ubisoft games anymore, and from now on I am going to boycott Activision games as well.

2SBs

I'm really worried what will become of Blizzard in the future. Big corporations with dollar signs in their eyes really seem to want to make tons of cash in the easiest way possible...in game ads are easy, releasing incomplete games that put pressure on the consumer to buy expensive DLC is easy, charging an extra $10 and saying its because of higher development costs when others are saying at the same time the games are where the huge profits are at...

I just think of Rare and what happened to them. Same with Lucasarts...both those companies used to be gold. This may be the last great generation before gaming becomes a novelty and not a hobby.

fenderfuel08

@IntelSilver: So that settles it, cool.

HikariOblivion

I've never minded product placement in games, but I can't shake the feeling it's a slippery slope until actual marketing teams start running campaigns inside games. More and more ostentatious crap until it actually starts detracting from the game because "That's marketing brah we GO there".

MysidianMan

That sounds like something like Craptivision, or EA would do.

Ashkihyena

Uhh, Activison is publishing Castlevania?

Poo_and_Weeeee

"By incorporating dynamic in-game advertising in our titles where it is appropriate, we can increase the realism of our games by presenting consumers with authentic environments in genuine settings,"

HAHAHAHAHA! Classic. Reason #12 why I don't own a PS3. ;)

malio

You would figure an ad company would have found another name..

I think IGA stands Independent Grocer Association up here in Canada....

Zatoichi666

@LittleBigPlaneteer: you do realize the difference between IN GAME AD, and DASHBOARD ADS. there's a difference between and in game ads. dashboard ads are for shows and games that are currently available on LIVE, most of these ads are new releases that just came. sure they dont lower prices or anything but you do get an occational free theme or pics or video. Also when you start your game you don't see it again till you go back to the dashboard.

However in game ads are those that appear in like every EA game that show "the next tiger woods game coming soon" every 2 or 3 ads in Burnout. i mean that kind of pisses me off having to see that when im trying to do a take down here.

also i think what also pisses people off is the fact that they are trying to play it off as "realism". when in reality they dont care they just want to make some extra cash. look at GTA those games are semi-realistic, the city feel and looks nice and "alive" somewhat. did they need IGA for that, kind of, realism?

Milkzhakes

Wasn't PSN supposed to be completely advertisement-free? Thanks for selling out Sony.

Shhteve

It is fine as long as it is well done, and the games become $10 cheaper thenthe PC versions.

Sounds fair enough to me.

Hand_O_Death

@malio: Lol yea, I mean the Go Army ads smack dab on my Xbox Live dashboard are much better, along with the Mc Donalds, Burger King and T-Mobile ads......wait.....

Trailnutz

@LittleBigPlaneteer: I heard that MGS 5 cutscenes and install screens are being partially developed by Malboro, Snake's favorite cigarrets.

"War has changed, but this Malboro have the same classic flavor."

Falsoman

@Lixie: This sucks bad. I hope that at least the ads are not that intrusive, like ads with voice or ads that you HAVE to see before the begining of a match.

If it doesn't slow or interfere with the game somehow i don't care that much. But this should be making games less expensive for consumers. So i'm gonna give a big slap on the face to Activision or sony if i star to see instrusive adds on my playstation.

Falsoman

@Shhteve: Where did you hear that?

Artful Dodger

@Shhteve: At least it's free, not like XBox Live, which contains a ton of advertisement anyway... I'm not sure who's selling out more there...

Mokona

@malio: That's a rather funny reason why not to own one, though you must hate it so to actually be numbering the reasons you don't own one.

LordCoCo1

@Shhteve:

this is nothing new, ads on sports games are actually paid to be there (this is just some news of a game company using a marketing company to get the ads for them)

This is done across all consoles too...

Captain Fury

"where it is appropriate"

That's all I needed to know.

Wolfers

Hopefully this doesn't evolve into games having commercials every 25 minutes :/

Futurexrisen

@F22:

totally agree.

joeloliol

@Sorablade: I agree. I actually LIKE the ads in Burnout. I wouldn't hate it if there was a commercial on the radio either, at least not if it's done in a funny way.

As LittleBigPlaneteer points out, I would hate it if it looks misplaced. (Subliminal ftw!)

Gringorilla

@malio: Pretty good excuse to use, instead of just saying you can´t afford it...

Daisuash