Sony planning program to incorporate real-world ads in PlayStation games
Think for a moment about how irksome media product placement can be. Sure, when done subtly and non-intrusively, it can be included without breaking immersion; but a lot of the time, it just… isn’t. Space Jam 2 leaps to mind, with its never-ending rotisserie of intellectual property being forced on you, as does literally any moment on television where a character will nonchalantly chug a can of Pepsi or Coke, all while ensuring its logo is turned toward the camera as they exalt its virtues. Luckily, by its very nature, console gaming tends to be free of that sort of thing – after all, why do you need to pay off advertisers during a product consumers have already put down money for?
Whenever a real-world product does pop up in a game, it’s often the source of ridicule, like in Pikmin 2, where the little critters carted about packets of Haribo and Duracell batteries. For shame, Nintendo. However, as IGN reports, it may not be only the big N with their sights set on bucking the trend and shoving in ads to the gaming experience. Sony, of PlayStation fame, are looking to “monetize them beyond microtransactions and battle passes.” Uh-oh.
Foodfight, except in video games. Cheers, Sony
According to Advertising Insider, “the goal for Sony is for the ads to fit in with the rest of the game, like putting real-life ads on billboards in virtual sports stadiums.” Imagine having a kart race or virtual kickabout, only to see McDonalds’ being shilled in your face. They’re also “looking into rewarding players for watching ads and promotions with in-game items, including avatar skins.” In short: all the fun of the mobile gaming experience – its hours of idling for cosmetics unless you acquiesce to consumerism – is being faithfully replicated on the big(ger) screen. Exciting times for all!
Naturally, this announcement has been the cause of concern for some, especially given the potential for the whole thing to become, in a word, shameless. Where is the line drawn? Will we be seeing gambling sites being hawked during Sackboy’s latest adventure? To address this, “one source in the report said Sony has a strict vetting process for selecting ad partners, ruling out any company that collects personal information like email addresses and names. ” Ah, so that would rule out… almost every single contemporary corporation? Can’t think of the last time I was able to use a digital or online service without ponying up my personal details for a login.
We won’t have to wait too long to see how this pans out, and I for one am humming to bear witness to the inevitable fallout. Per the report, the program is supposed to launch by the end of this year, with the profits “to be shared between the game developer and ad company.” Better get to brainstorming, folks. What’s the most ludicrous product/game matchup you could conceive? Playboy posters cropping up in Ratchet and Clank? Actually – no, that would fit rather well. Raunchy buggers.
How about you? Are you opposed to this monetization? Let us know!
Via, IGN.
