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Video Games as a new frontier for product placement?

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Wayne s world product placement

For years, we’ve seen product placement in movies for long enough that it’s not only expected, it’s joked about. From cars to food and everything in between, companies are getting their brands out there when people might expect it least. Always looking to be one step ahead of the rest, King Price has gone so far as to include product placement in some recent games, and it somehow makes the games more immersive.

First up, we’ve got Watch Dogs, the free roaming open world game that fell short of my expectations mainly because Aiden was boring and shouldn’t have been given a gun. However, the recreation of Chicago in the game was absolutely excellent and felt so realistic. I loved hacking everyone, although I wished that there were more agency about hacking people I considered bad and giving money to those I thought might need it. I never even noticed this advertising, though – is that just a sign of how well it fit in, or am I just blind to easter eggs?

Watch Dogs 1

I think it makes a whole lot more sense in sports games, though. I mean, we’re all used to seeing the advertising displayed on the billboards that surround the field, so why not have the same experience in our virtual sporting games? Pro Evolution Soccer uses this excellently on the pitch. It might not FIFA, but plenty of football fans actually prefer PES, so why not let them view some real product placement.

Pro Evolution Soccer 1

But who needs real football gaming action when there’s Rocket League, right? RIGHT? Everyone is raving about this game non-stop and every time I check what my friends are playing on PSN, the majority are jamming Rocket League. Again showing more forward thinking than some of our own staff who still haven’t downloaded the game, King Price is already on board, offering product placement for all your adrenaline fueled car football action.

Rocket League 1

But it’s not just sporting games and open world recreations of cities that can get the product placement love. Shooters also involve navigating environments that often include easter egg laden billboards and other secrets. It should come as no surprise, then, that we can see some actual advertising within the games themselves, like in Ghost Recon.

Ghost Recon 1

I’m curious how players will respond as this becomes more universal. Will we see brands dishing out big cash for the cars or guns used in games to be authentic models of actual products? Could we see localization of games take an advertising as well as language leap? I’m also wondering just how many people would SMS a number found in a game; I’d bet gamers would be more inclined to scan a mysterious QR code that they would assume unlocked some hidden secret. Then again, brand awareness is a thing, and it’s cool to see that in-game advertising is the latest growth industry. I just wonder what the natural evolution of this trend will be.

Last Updated: August 21, 2015

17 Comments

  1. Fnuik

    August 21, 2015 at 15:38

    Don’t mind product placement in games (or movies). As long as the game still works offline and billboards still display a generic game ad or something when I’m not connected to the internet.

    Reply

  2. Hammersteyn

    August 21, 2015 at 15:40

    Movies are doing it, why not games. I nearly walked out when they ate McDonalds in The Kingsman and The Equalizer is basically one big Sony advert.

    Reply

    • RinceThis

      August 21, 2015 at 15:42

      Oi! No one can walk out of Kingsman, too much AWESOME!

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        August 21, 2015 at 15:44

        Nearly walked out. Oh, and don’t get me started on Michael Bay movies >:(

        Reply

        • HairyEwok

          August 24, 2015 at 08:50

          Exploding advertisements?

          Reply

          • Hammersteyn

            August 24, 2015 at 10:22

            XD

        • RinceThis

          August 24, 2015 at 10:05

          You have no taste!

          Reply

          • Hammersteyn

            August 24, 2015 at 10:22

            Reading your reviews it’s clear to see that you don’t either
            *RUNS

  3. The Sten

    August 21, 2015 at 15:45

    If it doesnt affect the game’s experience negatively then they can go nuts as far as im concerned.

    Reply

  4. Gavin Mannion

    August 21, 2015 at 15:49

    I’ve always liked the idea of real advertising in games.. as long as it doesn’t interfere with the game.

    If they want it to be interactive then they could do something like for every 10000 McDonalds billboards you shoot you get a free burger?

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      August 21, 2015 at 16:01

      Well that’s one way of playing games for a living. Grind billboards for food.

      Reply

    • HvR

      August 21, 2015 at 17:12

      And every 100 horse you run over in GTA you a free Spur burger

      Reply

    • Brady miaau

      August 21, 2015 at 21:45

      It has been done before, but very limited. I see no reason why not, especially if it is just there in the background.

      Not, for example, staring at a plate of Harga’s ribs for 10 minutes.

      Reply

    • email..nyuyservi@gmail.com

      August 24, 2015 at 05:20

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    August 24, 2015 at 05:21

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  6. MakeItLegal

    August 24, 2015 at 05:56

    aha , Ubisoft , i see what you are doing there , intstead of spending money on pc ports you are making money advertising in games that are less than optimised for pc…bitches i see through u…fucking ubisoft

    Reply

  7. MakeItLegal

    August 24, 2015 at 05:56

    aha , Ubisoft , i see what you are doing there , intstead of spending money on pc ports you are making money advertising in games that are less than optimised for pc…bitches i see through u…fucking ubisoft

    Reply

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