Why are advertisements being placed in video games?

[NightShade25]

In Need for Speed Underground, the main character uses a Cingular phone.
In Fight Night Round 3, Toyota advertises their Dodge car for the fights.
In Splinter Cell Chaos Theory, Sam uses a Sony Ericson mobile phone.
Burger King made 3 Xbox 360 games for 4 bucks each.

I know it's lucrative to place ads in video games, but many gamers are getting annoyed by it. They don't want to play their favorite game and then an ad for Mcdonald's comes up.

[NYTrigga101]

im not annoyed by it, it adds realism.

But be happy that its not like TV. It could have been something like after each level there is 5 minutes of commercials.

And Rainbow 6 Vegas has a hidden Axe Deodorant, if you find it you get some small video

[Nick]

Developers and publishers need more money - games are becoming more and more expensive to make. Without ads, games could cost upwards of $100.

[sabuc]

It adds a sense of realism but I hope it doesn't get to be real ridiculous. If crackdown 2 has Dodge trucks, with TomTom GPS system, motorola PDAs, Nike shades, Sean John clothing, and requires the agents to replenish energy by driving through Wendy's or Macdonals ala Sts Row THEN i'll jump on the ban the ads banwagon.

BTW, dont know if anyone else noticed that in Rainbow Six Vegas they had in game advertising but it was country based. On LMV campus on the bottom floor of the library near the double door they had a poster to an upcoming movie. I was talking to one of my buddies in Europe where the same poster was for their local military (?) service or something. That was cool.


EDIT: FOR THE MUCH NEEDED MONEY!!!!!

[B Nanny]

I really don't mind them until I get a "Come and get your loooooooooove!" message after I chainsaw someone in Gears. If it's not all-up-in my face then I'm cool, but I know exactly what you're saying.

[KingPin909]

MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY MONEY.
Thats it they want to make money!

[Speaker Ender]

To tell you the truth, I think product placement is the future of marketing. When TIVO can skip all the ads, the only time you can influence people to buy your product is during the actual show. Same w/ movies--they started showing commercials for 10 minutes before the movie started, so everyone showed up 10 minutes later.

It's a whole new world.

[Nbag3]

Its funny that in splinter cell there were Nievia ads everywhere

[B Nanny]

To tell you the truth, I think product placement is the future of marketing. When TIVO can skip all the ads, the only time you can influence people to buy your product is during the actual show. Same w/ movies--they started showing commercials for 10 minutes before the movie started, so everyone showed up 10 minutes later.

It's a whole new world.

I think you're brilliant at this moment...

Then again, I thought this other guy was until he told me I was going to hell because I wouldn't convert to his religion :shock:

Just don't pull any fast ones on me and we're cool :)

[Bulldog360UK]

At the end of the day its the money aspect... games cost a fortune to develop and developers agreeing to add adverts and what not for money back in their pockets is just plain old good business sense.

[modus operendi]

Yeah, the developers sell ad space to pay for the game

Its as simple as that

[Genocide]

Hey, they make the games we are playing better. What more can we ask for, I mean think about it, they are funding production of these games we are playing.