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Sony, Double Fusion sign in-game ad deal
Clearly Sony has warmed up to the idea of garnishing gameplay with advertising, as the company has inked a new deal with in-game ad firm Double Fusion to deliver ads in games running on the PS3. The deal is Sony's second in as many months, following a similar partnership last month with competing ad firm IGA Worldwide.As mentioned previously, the move, while contrary to comments made by Sony's own CEO Howard Stringer, keeps with the PS3's recently opened advertising platform, which allows company like Double Fusion to sink their advertising teeth into Sony's console. Notes SCEA senior VP Phil Rosenberg, "PS3 is open for the ad business," though we imagine that by "PS3" he really meant to say "our wallet."
InterPlay conference coming May 22nd
theMIX agency and RoomFullofPeople just recently announced plans to host InterPlay, a one-day event that will explore the overlap of online games and social networks that has nothing to do with that other Interplay. The conference is planned for May 22nd and will take place at the Kabuki Hotel in San Francisco.If you happen to attend you can expect to see speakers from companies such as Bebo, DoubleFusion and Electronic Arts. Their will also be a strong showing of venture capitalists to offer their own perspectives on several subjects. The panels being offered seem like they'll vary, some of the included examples are "Micro-Transactions and Virtual Goods", "Funding the Social Gaming Sphere "and "Advertising and Marketing on Social Games".Sounds like a fairly well-rounded event and being that it's only one day it should be full of interesting discussions for those interested in either social networks or virtual worlds.
Eidos and Double Fusion enter in-game ad deal
In-game advertisements continue to walk a fine line between enhancing the believability of a game world (billboards in a modern city) and utterly destroying any semblance of it (billboards in a medieval city). Advertising firm Double Fusion has announced that it will be treading that line with Tomb Raider and Hitman publisher, Eidos Interactive, for the next three years in a newly established agreement. Gamasutra reports that the deal will cover ten "key" titles currently in development with the publisher, though no games have been specified.While advertisements worming their way into future Eidos titles should be as unobtrusive and fitting to the game's environment as possible, we rather like the idea of strangling Agent 47's prey while donning an elaborate Burger King disguise. It represents a fun gameplay mechanic and a cautionary tale about healthy eating!
Take-Two signs in-game advertising deal
Take-Two and independent advertising company, Double Fusion, have announced an agreement that will see up to nine upcoming 2K and 2K Sports titles riddled with in-game "advertising opportunities". The official press release notes that Double Fusion will be exclusively providing dynamic advertising technology across all platforms, with the exception of the Xbox and the Xbox 360. While the online implementation of ads is nothing unheard of, it's the actual description of the embedded, offline versions that prove to be a bit scary."Select versions of 2K and 2K Sports titles will feature integrated, hard-coded placements that will offer marketers opportunities for deep integration into gameplay and storylines, reaching users of the games whether or not they are connected to the Internet."In-game advertising is often a tug-of-war between a subtle man in a trenchcoat and an obnoxious exhibitionist with an oily burger in his pocket. It's all a matter of balance, with the product or service demanding the player's attention, but in a way that seems natural and unobtrusive within the game's framework. The best in-game advertising often lends to the believability of the world (billboards in a dense city make complete sense), whereas the worst destroys it completely (billboards in Hyrule, not so much). Let's hope Take-Two doesn't have us taking our band of adventurers into the ancient NIVEA forest as we search for the magical PANASONIC DLP SCREEN. (Hint: Speak to the merchant elf -- he'll give you a BMW with GPS navigation.)
