Attention players of The Matrix Online: prepare to get served
With ads, that is. According to Gamespot, next week’s update will introduce in-world billboard ads for real-world products, courtesy of Massive Inc. No big surprise, really, except maybe how long it took for this to actually happen.
If a billboard goes up in the Matrix, and there is nobody there to see does it really make a sale?
Posted by: Thabor | Nov 18, 2005 at 16:13
hehehe
awww poor matrix, such potential, such horrid execution.
Posted by: drypulse | Nov 18, 2005 at 17:31
Now in-game advertising and product placement might not be that bad if it fits the world and the scene. Say where vehicles are available, introduce some RL concept car. Or hold sponsored events.
As for billboards... How long until we have a Matrix Online version of Adblock?
Posted by: margoth | Nov 18, 2005 at 19:10
How long until we have a Matrix Online version of Adblock?
Or of the Snow Crash virus?
Posted by: misuba | Nov 18, 2005 at 20:16
Yet another move guaranteed to generate love for SOE!
Posted by: Mark Asher | Nov 19, 2005 at 00:50
On the plus side, this is sure to be a popular move with the makers of the next Deuce Bigalow movie. ;)
Posted by: Torley Torgeson/Torley Wong | Nov 19, 2005 at 03:15
Whoa. I know ad-fu.
Posted by: Endie | Nov 19, 2005 at 07:06
[i]Thabor> If a billboard goes up in the Matrix, and there is nobody there to see does it really make a sale?[/i]
Interesting question. Perhaps some clever presence-aware technology has been implemented. If I were an advertiser I would certainly not pay for having my ad in the Lonely Dark Sewer. In real life ad prices are high if the audience numbers are big. Is this similar in MxO?
Posted by: espie | Nov 19, 2005 at 08:59
This news didn't really surprise me. What I did find interesting was the possibility of player-generated in-game advertising.
Posted by: csven | Nov 19, 2005 at 11:05
Hey, speaking of SOE... I'm a little suprised that Terra Nova hasn't tackled the near-total revamp of Star Wars Galaxies. Talk about straining a social contract....
Posted by: That Chip Guy | Nov 19, 2005 at 14:42
That Chip Guy > Hey, speaking of SOE... I'm a little suprised that Terra Nova hasn't tackled the near-total revamp of Star Wars Galaxies. Talk about straining a social contract....
If we were organized and had some kind of foreign correspondent system with bureaus in all major VWs then I guess we would have done but as we are all too busy playing WoW right now it's a wonder we ever write anything. I think my SWG account is still good so I'll try to hop over and check it out.
Posted by: ren Reynolds | Nov 20, 2005 at 05:59
I personally wonder if we'll ever see a time when Ingame Advertising is validated in a successful game. While the purist/conservative/old-skool folks may take issue with it, no one can deny the ever-increasing costs. Like the real impact $4.00/gallon gas would have on the American economy, there's only so much of a monthly fee gamers are will to pay. Ingame Advertising can defray this cost.
And heck, it's more palpable than legit RMT :)
But to date it's only really be centrally featured in AO, PS, and now MxO. None of these have achieved the subscriptions necessary to drive emulation. It's almost like they could get ingame advertising at all because of how narrow or niche their players were. Heck, as a big fan of PS, I personally have to wonder if anyone would even know it was gone if it went away.
What about advertising in a game big enough to drive awareness?
Posted by: Darniaq | Nov 20, 2005 at 22:36
Oh, and yea, I'm chomping at the big to hear what folks here think of the SWG revamp! "Revamp" doesn't quite cut it in terms of impact :)
Posted by: Darniaq | Nov 20, 2005 at 22:37
Coming soon, Darniaq. (Tomorrow, maybe.)
Posted by: Timothy Burke | Nov 20, 2005 at 22:45