This picture even has a gamer's editing put to good humor while playing this alien infested game.
When does advertising get out of hand? New games such as All Points Bulletin a similar MMO game to Grand Theft Auto was able to place billboards around the cities and people could post their own ads either from profanity or actual real life businesses.
In 2008 when Obama was running for office a few games had ads running asking for player's votes in the upcoming elections.
Have companies and advertisers gone too far today? I think so. You have to realize that some of these kids will play hours on end and will see that sign over and over and over and over every lap of the course and have it branded to them that they should vote for Obama and they won't even know why. If that same billboard was a McDonald's ad then they might turn to obesity as well. Can you blame advertisers fully? No, but some has to be there. As well as some falls onto the game developer, similar to the schools we talked about in class. They either accept the money or they don't and needing the money just might be the only option sometimes.
What do I accept as advertising in video games? The subtle stuff. For example,
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It was hard to find a good picture but in game it is crystal clear that the cell phone used is a Nokia model. This is hardly noticed in the game and has a playful touch to it. In my opinion it goes too far when I am playing a shooter and I have to call to my teammates that the enemy just ran behind the coca-cola sign or jumped into the McDonald's branded dumpster etc. What is too far?
Wow. Talk about a hidden message. I understand that companies are trying to sell their products.. but really, is it really a video games job to tell us to exercise our political power? I don't think so. I have to wonder how far things are going to go. What's next?
ReplyDeleteIt is definitely crazy the amount of advertising on a day to day basis we are exposed to. It makes me wonder how much of this advertising actually affects me, how much of this advertising as worked on me? Its pretty crazy. Kids these days are being surrounded by considerably more and more advertisements each year. It amazes me how advertising has found its way into video games, but it makes sense. There are a a lot of people who play video games for hours on end. So gamers are an excellent audience, plus the makers of the video games are always down for another avenue to make money. So to me it makes perfect sense, but its kind of scary? How much further can this really go?
ReplyDeleteI do think it is okay for advertising to be in video games as I believe it is all a big cycle that keeps the economy going. If McDonald's has their ads in a certain video game, then McDonald's will give out toys for that video game in their happy meals. It is all of a "you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours" kind of thing. While I don't think all of it is morally okay, it does keep the economy stimulated and food in people's mouths.
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