Now this sucks. I’m sure there are many other men like myself that have grown up with video games. At 38 I’ve seen quite a few games come along. Perhaps not all will remember Pong, Atari, Colecovision, Donkey Kong, and other early games. Still the interactive gaming industry generates 30 billion dollars a year, and teens aren’t getting all that from mom and dad.
While it’s nice to know that video games can appeal to a wide range of people, there have been changes over the years. The trend in creating open ended games was a good one (like Elder Scrolls), the greater graphics look fantastic, and real time strategy can be intense. On the other end there is the growth in violent games, violent without any cause like Maniac, or others that I find insulting, like Grand Theft Auto. Even so there is one trend that really irritates me. Ads.
The growth of advertising in video games has grown quite a bit in recent years. At this point you can find dozens of ads filling sports, racing and other games. It’s annoying, and not a reason I buy a game for. I don’t find the inclusion to be subtle or add to the atmosphere. I don’t know of anyone who thinks they do. And any game that features an ad prominent enough for me to notice is a distraction to what I am doing. Yet the money that an ad can provide is too lucrative for a video game company to pass by.
It’s similar to ads at the movie theatre. No one likes to arrive and watch an ad for anything in-between future movie clips and the show itself. Whoever thought that up was brilliant, in a sadistic kind of way. But there is too much money to turn them down, and now its just gone too far to stop.
The same applies to interactive gaming. If you thought it wasn’t too bad then you are unaware that Nielsen Media Research will start giving ratings on games. This is so advertisers can be charged more money to include ads, and to target the ads demographically. And in that one move the floodgates have been opened. Like to drive? Hope you like passing unlimited miles of Pepsi and Coke-a-Cola billboards. Basketball your passion? Expect to watch Adidas and Nike ads in that slow motion replay. Yeah, that sounds appealing.
Like advertisers think that this will get me, or anyone playing a game to stop, run out and get their product. More likely it will stop me from doing so. With potentially up to 3 billion dollars in ad revenue though, games will be built around the ads and not the other way around. Just like how ads are even in DVD’s especially the ones you can’t fast forward past.
I hate this idea. I don’t see it helping to get any innovation. It will probably go the other way if you think about it. Wait and see. One game will sell well, and advertisers will love how their ads did. They will pay enough money that there will be a cheap knock-off sequel made. Not to be outdone, competing companies will see how much money was ponied up by the advertising companies and make their own crappy knock-offs. Before you know it all the innovation and imagination of the industry will go the way of Hollywood movies and broadcast network television.
The future has rarely looked so dim.
This is what I think, what do you think?
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