Topic: Take Two signs deal to have In-Game Advertisements for their games

[MysterD]

Oh no....Looks like we got another BF 2142 situation on our hands, boys....

Take-Two signs in-game ad deal
Double Fusion to provide both static and dynamic in-game ads for "up to nine" 2K and 2K Sports games through 2008.

By Brendan Sinclair, GameSpot
Posted Dec 4, 2006 5:37 pm PT

Take-Two Interactive and Double Fusion today announced that they have reached an agreement to have the in-game ad firm handle the advertising duties for "up to nine" 2K and 2K Sports titles releasing in 2007 and 2008.

Under the agreement, Double Fusion will handle all of the static advertising (ads that are in the game when it ships and never change) for the North American and European releases of the games. Double Fusion will also handle Take-Two's dynamic in-game advertising (ads that are regularly updated and refreshed in online games after they have shipped) for PCs and "certain console platforms except for the Xbox and Xbox 360." However, parts of the agreement surrounding dynamic ads are conditional on those other console platforms even supporting dynamic ads.

"With respect to dynamic ads, we can only serve dynamic ads as platforms authorize that," Double Fusion CEO and president Jonathan Epstein told GameSpot. "And right now, Sony and Nintendo, who have been very busy launching platforms, are still formulating their policies in that regard. So our arrangement is contingent on those platforms authorizing in-game advertising in the first place, and then authorizing Double Fusion as a vendor. We're hopeful that during the time of the deal...we'll see such authorizations and approvals."

Epstein said Microsoft has communicated its intention to make the Xbox 360 platform open to third-party advertising firms. (The software giant recently acquired the in-game ad network Massive, which inked a deal with 2K Sports for dynamic ads in MLB 2K6.) Epstein said he expects Microsoft to open up the Xbox platforms to third-party ad vendors in about a year. He added that Double Fusion didn't pursue the rights to dynamically serve ads for Microsoft's consoles so as not to limit Take-Two from that potential revenue stream.

[Ghandi]

No surprise. This will be normal in 10 years; every game will have in-game ads.

Edit: The new kind, I mean. Dynamic in-game ads.

[Xessive]

*HSSssssss* I hate ads!

I don't mind in-game advertising as long as its appropriate and modest. I don't need an invasive ad campaign in my game world where I often go to escape!

Abusive advertising is why I've been gradually quitting TV.. I only watch TV in very small doses now.

[sirean_syan]

It's just for sports titles... that I can deal with for two reasons.

1) I couldn't care much less about a sports game.
2) It actually sorta works with a sports game. Sporting events always have a bunch of posters and stuff around them. In a way, having those ads change with time is authentic in a way.

[Quemaqua]

Exactly.  This, I have no problem with.  However, doing this should make the games cheaper, and it doesn't.  *That* I have a big fucking problem with.

[Xessive]

Exactly.  This, I have no problem with.  However, doing this should make the games cheaper, and it doesn't.  *That* I have a big fucking problem with.

Exactly. That and online software delivery systems i.e. Steam, Direct2Drive, etc.

[Quemaqua]

Yeah.  There's no consumer benefit because the fucking companies can get away without giving us any.  It benefits them, sure, but if that doesn't travel down the line to us, there's something drastically wrong with the model.

[Pugnate]

Looks like we got another BF 2142 situation on our hands, boys....

Yes general.

[Ghandi]

That's yes sir, soldier.