We interrupt your simming for a commercial.......

[simmiecal]

Got the link from Snooty.

http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jan2006/id20060124_792815.htm?chan=tc

The Sims 2 Open for Business, the expansion pack in the popular Sims franchise that hits stores in March, allows players to launch virtual restaurants, stores, and other entrepreneurial ventures. But, oddly enough, they won't be able to interact with true-to-life financial services companies, or see any on-screen versions of objects, food, or clothing representing recognizable brands. Although the game's publisher, Electronic Arts (ERTS ), considered product placements and even wrote some into early storylines, the game's ad and design staffs decided against it.

More at link

[Assmitten]

My god, EA made the right decision and didn't just chase the money. Good for them. I am really shocked. I would HATE having giant corporate stuff in my game (EA's placements are enough) and din't download the corporate/branded stuff for Sims 1. SO GLAD it was optional. If they start adding objects I'm going to rip them out, and if it's unrippable I will boycott.

[Persephone]

Got the link from Snooty.

http://www.businessweek.com/innovate/content/jan2006/id20060124_792815.htm?chan=tc

The Sims 2 Open for Business, the expansion pack in the popular Sims franchise that hits stores in March, allows players to launch virtual restaurants, stores, and other entrepreneurial ventures. But, oddly enough, they won't be able to interact with true-to-life financial services companies, or see any on-screen versions of objects, food, or clothing representing recognizable brands. Although the game's publisher, Electronic Arts (ERTS ), considered product placements and even wrote some into early storylines, the game's ad and design staffs decided against it.

More at link

This article makes it sound like that Counterstrike game invented ads in games, but I seem to remember Intel computers and mcdonalds kiosks in The Sims 1, and in TSO.  I wonder what changed EA's stance when they did it before?

[Assmitten]

Ah, yes, the kiosks. I'm so glad those were optional! I didn't dowmload those. They're just little pixel people, but I couldn't make them eat McDonald's. I saw screencaps from TSO...that game just never appealed. When did it finally die?

[Persephone]

Ah, yes, the kiosks. I'm so glad those were optional! I didn't dowmload those. They're just little pixel people, but I couldn't make them eat McDonald's. I saw screencaps from TSO...that game just never appealed. When did it finally die?

People still play it, but I think its been dead for years.  TSO was one of the biggest disappointments I've ever experienced (I've been lucky) and I'm still bitter over how bad that game sucked after how much promise it had. 

[J. M. Pescado]

Promise? It was a festering pile of doody waiting to happen from the outset! I predicted it would fail.

[Persephone]

Promise? It was a festering pile of doody waiting to happen from the outset! I predicted it would fail.

It could have been done right.  But online games have no appeal for me anymore... other people ruin everything.

[Assmitten]

Promise? It was a festering pile of doody waiting to happen from the outset! I predicted it would fail.

It could have been done right.  But online games have no appeal for me anymore... other people ruin everything.

Ha! Yes. People compain about Sims being stupid...I saw some blogs 2-3 years ago recounting behavior on TSO. It sounded like it turned into total dystopia. Fun to watch, but not for $20 a month. MATY is a much better value.

[Renatus]

Oh, oddly enough indeed! Never mind that all the things that come with the game and the expansions are parodies of things in reality if they relate to 'brands' at all. It's called not breaking the fourth wall, for pity's sake. It also cracks me up they refer to the dinky little starting fragments as 'stories'.

[Dark Trepie]

Still, it makes you wonder.  With all of those cell phones what service do the sims use?

Sprint?  Alltel?  Cingular?

[Taz]

Simgular.

.99 Simoleons per sim minute. Average cost of call...27.70 

[angelyne]

It's a slippery slope.  First you include some ads to add to the flavor of the game (like a billboard in a city).  Next thing you know, the game becomes just content built around the ads.  And they still charge you 60$. Not good.

Hmmm.  I wonder how long it will be before they start offering "free" games filled with advertising.

[J. M. Pescado]

Hmmm.  I wonder how long it will be before they start offering "free" games filled with advertising.

I personally see nothing wrong with the concept of advertising and product placement in games, provided it's done in a tasteful, well-integrated way that is not intrusive or unnatural. Games have to make money somewhere, and this seems a relatively harmless way of doing things. There are certainly far more obnoxious things companies could be doing that the mere placement of a Pepsi ad on an in-game billboard where one would logically expect to see a billboard.

[simmiecal]

I like the way Simlish isn't English. If they were going to do some in game advertising, I'd want the advertising companies to have a little bit of a sense of humor about it. For example - McSimonald's. Who wouldn't recognize the golden arches but the "advertising" could be in Simlish. An advertisement for athletic wear could have the Nike swoosh in it. All the ads should feature sims and not get in the way of game play.

I don't understand why EA doesn't offer "bonus" downloads that are nothing but product placement. They could charge the advertisers by the number of downloads and there would be plenty of people that would download the items just because they were available. It would be a win-win. EA gets game revenue and players that don't want the content wouldn't have to deal with it. EA could even argue that they know the items get to more players than the "official" download count because these items *cough*hotrodcar*cough* get shared by simmers that want them.

[angelyne]

I personally see nothing wrong with the concept of advertising and product placement in games, provided it's done in a tasteful, well-integrated way that is not intrusive or unnatural.

I wouldn't mind either if it was as you said well integrated and tasteful.  And if it meant the game was cheaper!. But I don't know.  Advertising has become so widespread.  You can't even take a pee in a restaurant without having to look at some advert pasted on the stall door.  TV, Radio, the net, billboards, magazines, newspapers.  How many advert does a typical person see in a day I wonder.  Seems like video games are one of the last few activities that are left that are advertising free.

Simmiecal, I'm still torn on the subject of advertising in games, but those ideas are simply brillant

[simmiecal]

Simmiecal, I'm still torn on the subject of advertising in games, but those ideas are simply brillant

Actually, I am too. When I first read the article, I thought that if they did that, it would be what would push me away from the game. I HATE advertising that is forced on you. But, at the same time, if you look at the MATY hood I did, there are a couple of McSimonold's in them. I guess a bigger issue for me is having it forced on you. I like the flexibility in the sims game. If you like the game playing part, you can ignore the story making part - or maybe you like building. I think I'd be much more open to having adverts in the game IF they were done well and they were my choice. I wouldn't mind having some different billboards in the hood - in fact I had been looking at various sites to see if anyone has recolored them.

[J. M. Pescado]

There's already advertising in TS2. It's just that all the products advertised within are currently fictitious.

[angelyne]

And I hate those sims tv commercials more fervently than I do in RL.   In RL I don't watch TV, I play the sims instead

[Gwill]

And I hate those sims tv commercials more fervently than I do in RL.   In RL I don't watch TV, I play the sims instead

Sadly I do both at the same time.    I also tend to read forums and download stuff while watching TV and playing the sims.

[Assmitten]

Games have to make money somewhere, and this seems a relatively harmless way of doing things.

Hey! What are they doing with our $60 for the base game, and $30 for each EP? Giving it to starving children? Is the profit margin on games that low?

[Gwill]

Hey! What are they doing with our $60 for the base game, and $30 for each EP? Giving it to starving children? Is the profit margin on games that low?

Maybe with some sponsors they could sell it cheaper.

[Assmitten]

Okay, Gwill, good point. That's a tough choice. Real-life ads, and less expensive, or more expensive and no ads. I wonder what most people would choose.

I would choose no ads, because I am obviously too impressionable. I have been spending way too much time here, and the other night I dreamt I was in the audience of JM Pescado's wedding. He turned into his little Sim person, and so did everyone else. Man, did I feel weird when I woke up.

[Gwill]

I have absolutely no faith in that it'd ever happen.  Maxsis would surely pocket all the mony for themselves, but it's a nice thought.

I've had Sim dreams the last two nights, but I think that's just due to withdrawl.

[Assmitten]

Oh, I am so glad it's not just me. I'm starting to dream in pixels. I need to go outside.

[Gwill]

I had the weirdest dreams while I was sorting my hair downloads.  I was working on it night and day for over a week, copying and pasting in simpe and sorting in subfolders.
I dreamt about files, I dreamt in hex-code, I dreamt about hair, and I dreamt about sims with bad hair days from hell.