There's enough brouhaha about in-game ads that you'd thing we were debating something truly controversial (OMG! There's ads on TV! How revolting! WTF! There's ads on my radio station! Damn them!), so I won't go there. But lately, I've noticed a reversal. I'm talking about ads designed to appeal to gamers. For products that have nothing to do with games.
I'm sure the Dtoid army is about ready to revolt and burn down the tower, conjuring images of a Frankenstein movie. How dare advertisers invade our inner sanctum. And by "inner sanctum," I mean the basement of our parent's house. But I gotta admit, I've seen a couple of ads recently that tickled my funny bone.
Like this McDonald's ad for instance ...
Now, first of all, I want to just point out that the latest McDonald's campaign -- which focuses on the "Dollar Menunaire" -- is overall pretty lame. The concept of reaching out to cheap ass mofos seems misguided, as if we don't already think that Mickey D's food is already bottom of the barrel fast food (is there such a thing as Grade D meat?). Our sister site, Pop Rox USA, goes into more detail on that.
But the latest ads targeting gamers were pretty darn funny. And they used the Konami code. That's pretty cool. And they offer up some free strategy guides as well, which is pretty nifty too. The problem? They get the Konami code wrong...
I will say this -- if companies really want to target gamers, then they need to speak our language. And when they do, you can bet we appreciate it. Like the World of Warcraft spoof that featured the Toyota Tacoma. Nit picky gamers may note that there's no such things as "explosive arrows" in WOW, but the ad did work. On the flip-side, you've got Toyota making the crappiest XBox LIVE Arcade game alive, Yaris. A shooter that uses a car. Wha?
So this is really a call out to advertisers who see dollar signs when they hear how gamers are now a hot commodity -- if you really want to speak to us, you better know who we are. And to all you gamers, while we pretty much better brace ourselves for the inevitable onslaught of ads geared towards us, at least feel proud and almighty in that we are finally considered a prized demographic among advertisers.
And not just from energy drink makers, and the US Army, either.
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Dr. Boa may sound like someone who starred in some porn with Dirk Diggler, but his true passion is gaming. He's notched +15 years in the gaming industry, so he's got a healthy perspective on what goes on from the flipside. It's amazing he's not a jaded cynic yet. He's finally glad to see more drug filled parties with playboy bunnies and B level celebs like all other entertainment fields. Yes, gaming has finally made it.
Contest:
7:14 PM on 04.23.2008
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Also the fuckers got the code wrong, naturally. It's BA.
i swear that will never get old
you forgot technical colleges where you LEARN TO MAKE VIDEO GAMES OH WOW, while talking about things that prize us as a demographic
also, I won't mind advertisements where appropriate. Things that piss me off are enemy NPCs in my way having a friendly conversation about the MLG when they should be shooting me summons anger of the gods within me.
also, who is Dr.Boa?
also... no, too easy.
oh wait...right.
I don't really care whether or not advertisers are trying to reach me through my gaming interest or not. I tend not to buy products based on witty or relevant commercials in the first place.
Errr, those are free services covered by ads, jackass.
Junior? You know, I paid your mom a lot of money so that you wouldn't contact me. You were put up for adoption long ago for a reason. Oh well. Hi.
So when was the last time you watched TV for FREE? EVERYONE pretty much pays for TV now, since they have cable/sat access. And there are ads on satellite radio now too. Or you can use other examples: Magazines, newspapers, and even buying a computer. You get ads now installed on your computer when you buy one!
Anyways, you miss the point. That there's great ads and bad ones, just hope you get good ones shoved down your face.
My whole life? I've never paid for TV (Australia) =/
Point taken, just the opening line seemed overly hostile towards anyone who hates ads. The hostility and complete dismissal to those who hold that opinion can be jammed up your beefclackers.
Wanna put your ad on a billboard in a game that's in this time era? Go for it, sometimes it gives the game more realism. Wanna put your ad on the 360 marketplace? Sure whatever. Wanna make a shitty xbl game that, whereas it may be shitty, it gives us great martial to joke about as gamers (Yaris 2: The re-yarising: Comedy gold) then go for it. As long as it's not be intrusive, I couldn't care less.
Fuckers.
We're on to you Boa...
Yes I do THING that
@BA_chieftain:
its only select start if you playing with two players!
When they slap adverts in there then charge the same amount (just making extra $$ for themselves) then I kick up a fuss.
I agree if these companies want to target us gamers, they do need to do a little research first.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=zfhZfSVuup4
That's the cheat from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles 3: The Manhattan Project for NES. For some reason, it uses that code rather than the normal *,B,A,Start sequence.
As far as advertising, really don't pay attention to it nowadays and I'm surprised so many people do. It's all tailored to grab one stereotypical group or another and it's all filled with half-truths and outright lies. This is why I try not to watch live tv and only recorded programs where I can skip past commercials and DVDs. Targeting gamers won't aid in my influence over certain products at all, so it doesn't affect me who they try to win over with them.
There's ads on TV, fair enough. Ads on pay-TV, starts to piss me off. Ads interrupting a movie, necessary evil I guess. But ads inside a movie? That is revolting, and hopefully everyone agrees. Ads on the 360 Dashboard are fine by me (of course I'd do without, but it's very tolerable), but ads that alter the look and possibly the mechanics of the game (say, nameless soda restores 20HP, Pepsi restores 35) are an abomination. That is, unless the game in question is an explicitly promotional, free game like Yaris.
And I guess that explains the 'Konami' tag, huh.