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Video Game Product Placement
By Reena Jana - Is That a Video Game -- or an Ad? Marketers and game makers alike are latching onto in-game product placements and advertising. Is it an intrusion or another creative element?
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.
EA's decision to avoid real-world brands in The Sims 2 Open for Business is just one example of how leading developers are balancing the sometimes conflicting interests of in-game ads and product placement vs. game design.
Ahorre February 2, 2006 06:22 AM