As I may or may not have mentioned in this space before, I have a thing for marketing. "A thing" is probably a little too vague - it was almost my career path of choice before technology stormed in and wooed me with its mariachi band of love. I don't think I have a particular talent for it or anything like that, but I've always been enamored by the creativity that the industry attracts/ breeds. Perhaps in a future life, I'll dabble in the art.
Anyway, with this as a background, I'm sure it will come as no surprise that video game advertising is a facet of the profession that I find particularly interesting. Not just how video games are marketed, but also the budding "in game advertising" field (advertisements within a video game), which some expect to be a $2 billion business by 2010. Need an example? See if you can figure out who is a major sponsor of the pro basketball game NBA 2K8. Subtle, eh?
There have been a few in game advertising stories that have caught my eye of late, and what better place to talk about them than right here. Vamos!
Bogost Talks Game Advertising
I never cease to be amazed with the understated thoughtfulness in which Ian Bogost writes, and one of his newest posts most certainly lives up to par. A quote to wet your whistle:
Solid Snake Rocks the iPod
Apparently, Solid Snake, the main character in the upcoming blockbuster Metal Gear Sold 4, will have his very own, in game iPod, which will allow him to change background music... or something.
Personally, I don't think this example of product placement is going to help sell more iPods (everyone owns them) or help with brand recognition (everyone knows how they work). I'm actually going to take things in reverse - that Metal Gear is hoping to borrow from the familiar to enhance design elements within their game. Or put another way, the iPod isnt using Metal Gear, Metal Gear is using the iPod. I won't claim that to be the truth - just a possibility, and I'm sure regardless of which way the wind blew, Konami was well compensated for their use of the top selling MP3 player.
The Sims and IKEA
If you've ever played a SIMs game, then you've undoubtedly had that sense that something just wasnt quite right. That something was missing. Well if you thought that something with low priced Sweedish furniture, then you were spot on. And EA, who is well known for stealing people's thoughts, is happy to oblige you with a new Sims expansion that will include, yes... IKEA furniture.
What could be more perfect than a game that lets you play house, using REAL pieces of furniture. Or better still, imagine IKEA setting up Sims kiosks and letting customers build out their own rooms and bring their saves right into the store. Oh, and let us not forget that IKEA will also be getting into the mind's of little consumers who might never have thought about name brand bed frames before - well before they are ready to furnish their first room. A beautiful play says I.
Ask A Ninja Goes Live... Xbox Style!
If you are an Xbox owner, you've probably noticed the Ask A Ninja ads plastered all over the Xbox Live Marketplace. Obviously there is nothing wrong with giving consumers another way to watch the show, but Ask A Ninja's X-pansion has an advertising twist. Over the course of the summer, a handful of episodes are being offered free, care of the upcoming game Ninja Gaiden 2. This works beautifully for everyone involved. Xbox, who has been seeking to expand their entertainment offerings though Xbox only tv shorts, gets to pull new people into the idea of watching video content via the Xbox. Ask A Ninja gets a new outlet for distribution, a new source of revenue, and possibly a new demographic (though Ask a Ninja is too awesome for anyone of any demographic not to already know about). And Ninja Gaiden 2 gets promotion through one of the most popular vodcasts around, and moreover, one that meshes perfectly with their game. I love it when a plan comes together. "And I look forward to virtually killing you soon!"
Halo 3's Award Winning "Believe" Campaign
If you watched tv, owned a tv, knew anyone who owned or watched a tv, or had a pulse sometime around Summer '07, then you probably experienced one of the many "Believe" commercials in preparation for the Halo 3 release. The ads, which I thought were outstanding, took two tracks - one showcasing an elaborately built battlefield model, the other, interviewing "survivors" of the fictional covenant war, using real actors as they recounted their tales. Interestingly enough, the campaign didnt actually show any of the game (not that it needed to), which I think made it all the more enticing, and got closer to creating the relevance and emotional depth that I think Bogost is alluding too. "Believe" was playing in an entirely new league as far as video game marketing went, which it needed to, given the reported $10 million budget it had.
As it turns out, I wasnt the only person who loved the campaign - it recently took home best in show at The One Show and a Grandy from the International ANDY Awards.
Enough food for one thought. Stub... AWAY!
Image from gamepositive.com, kotaku.com, and Xbox.com
Anyway, with this as a background, I'm sure it will come as no surprise that video game advertising is a facet of the profession that I find particularly interesting. Not just how video games are marketed, but also the budding "in game advertising" field (advertisements within a video game), which some expect to be a $2 billion business by 2010. Need an example? See if you can figure out who is a major sponsor of the pro basketball game NBA 2K8. Subtle, eh?
There have been a few in game advertising stories that have caught my eye of late, and what better place to talk about them than right here. Vamos!
Bogost Talks Game Advertising
I never cease to be amazed with the understated thoughtfulness in which Ian Bogost writes, and one of his newest posts most certainly lives up to par. A quote to wet your whistle:
"This untapped potential of games upsets the very foundation of advertising as we know it. Instead of surrounding us with images that reflect lives unlived, games can allow us to try out hypothetical lives with new products, people and ideas. To realise this potential, advertisers of both goods and viewpoints must stop blindly inserting their billboards into games or creating feeble copies of the cornerstones of videogame pop culture. Instead, they must start simulating the products, public policy positions, charitable interventions and other worldly ideas in new games – games worthy of our attention."As usual, I agree with Bogost to a point in so much as I think advertisers need to start thinking critically about how to effectively utilize games as a means to push product instead of just putting old methods in a new medium. But there is also a certain degree of pragmatism that needs to be approached if you are talking about a much more meaningful, substantive advertising message in games. Do we want advertisers sitting down with game designers from day 1 of the design process? I don't mind, and in fact enjoy game designers using the medium as a form of expression if done well (Metal Gear, Call of Duty 4, Mass Effect, Bioshock) but I'm not sure how happy I would be if I know that expression was done to satiate advertisers.
Solid Snake Rocks the iPod
Apparently, Solid Snake, the main character in the upcoming blockbuster Metal Gear Sold 4, will have his very own, in game iPod, which will allow him to change background music... or something.
Personally, I don't think this example of product placement is going to help sell more iPods (everyone owns them) or help with brand recognition (everyone knows how they work). I'm actually going to take things in reverse - that Metal Gear is hoping to borrow from the familiar to enhance design elements within their game. Or put another way, the iPod isnt using Metal Gear, Metal Gear is using the iPod. I won't claim that to be the truth - just a possibility, and I'm sure regardless of which way the wind blew, Konami was well compensated for their use of the top selling MP3 player.
The Sims and IKEA
If you've ever played a SIMs game, then you've undoubtedly had that sense that something just wasnt quite right. That something was missing. Well if you thought that something with low priced Sweedish furniture, then you were spot on. And EA, who is well known for stealing people's thoughts, is happy to oblige you with a new Sims expansion that will include, yes... IKEA furniture. What could be more perfect than a game that lets you play house, using REAL pieces of furniture. Or better still, imagine IKEA setting up Sims kiosks and letting customers build out their own rooms and bring their saves right into the store. Oh, and let us not forget that IKEA will also be getting into the mind's of little consumers who might never have thought about name brand bed frames before - well before they are ready to furnish their first room. A beautiful play says I.
Ask A Ninja Goes Live... Xbox Style!
If you are an Xbox owner, you've probably noticed the Ask A Ninja ads plastered all over the Xbox Live Marketplace. Obviously there is nothing wrong with giving consumers another way to watch the show, but Ask A Ninja's X-pansion has an advertising twist. Over the course of the summer, a handful of episodes are being offered free, care of the upcoming game Ninja Gaiden 2. This works beautifully for everyone involved. Xbox, who has been seeking to expand their entertainment offerings though Xbox only tv shorts, gets to pull new people into the idea of watching video content via the Xbox. Ask A Ninja gets a new outlet for distribution, a new source of revenue, and possibly a new demographic (though Ask a Ninja is too awesome for anyone of any demographic not to already know about). And Ninja Gaiden 2 gets promotion through one of the most popular vodcasts around, and moreover, one that meshes perfectly with their game. I love it when a plan comes together. "And I look forward to virtually killing you soon!" Halo 3's Award Winning "Believe" Campaign
If you watched tv, owned a tv, knew anyone who owned or watched a tv, or had a pulse sometime around Summer '07, then you probably experienced one of the many "Believe" commercials in preparation for the Halo 3 release. The ads, which I thought were outstanding, took two tracks - one showcasing an elaborately built battlefield model, the other, interviewing "survivors" of the fictional covenant war, using real actors as they recounted their tales. Interestingly enough, the campaign didnt actually show any of the game (not that it needed to), which I think made it all the more enticing, and got closer to creating the relevance and emotional depth that I think Bogost is alluding too. "Believe" was playing in an entirely new league as far as video game marketing went, which it needed to, given the reported $10 million budget it had.
As it turns out, I wasnt the only person who loved the campaign - it recently took home best in show at The One Show and a Grandy from the International ANDY Awards.
Enough food for one thought. Stub... AWAY!
Image from gamepositive.com, kotaku.com, and Xbox.com
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