advergames
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Doritos announces XBLA game finalists
In many ways adver-games are better than real games, because in playing them you learn something ... about a product. It's like edutainment, but at the end you want to buy stuff. That synergy will be coming to an Xbox Live Arcade near you thanks to Doritos' "Unlock Xbox" contest, which asked gamers to devise an XBLA game that carried the "bold spirit" of the Doritos brand. Judging from this list of finalists, they'll be giving the creepy Burger King a run for his money. Behold: Doritos Dinosaur Dash by Mike Borland of Sewickley, PA Doritos Presents UDC: Ultimate Dodgeball Champions by Devan Moore of Panama City, FL Monkeys from Mt. Dorito by Juanito Lagasco, III of Algonquin, IL PB's Quest for Flavor by Jeremy Mattsen of Colorado Springs, CO Rythum Racing by Kenneth Parker of Warner Robins, GA We know you have a lot of questions, like "Are the dinosaurs actually dashing for Doritos?," "Is Monkeys from Mt. Dorito the best name for a game ever?" and "Why is PB questing for flavor when there are so many delicious varieties of Doritos-brand snack chips so widely available?" The answers, in order, are "We certainly hope so," "Absolutely," and "We have no idea." Hope that helps.[Via Gamasutra]
Advergaming hits Indian movie industry
ZDNet is reporting on Bollywood3D, a new company set up to release promotional games for India's famously prolific film industry. Unlike movie-based games in the States, which count on a box office bump from the film's premiere, Bollywood3D games will come out ahead of the movie to create early buzz, including built-in contests for merchandise and premiere tickets.Bollywood's famous musicals won't be adapted to start -- early games will instead let you take control of big Bollywood action stars like Emran Hashmi and Salman Kahn. With budgets of $100,000 and and a development cycle of two months, the games aren't likely to be AAA blockbusters in their own right. But as a marketing promotion aimed at India's millions of computer owners, it might just work. Hey, if they can sell two million Burger King games, anything is possible.
