Google Confirms Ads for Online Games

Google Confirms Ads for Online Games

October 8, 2008

Dean Takahashi reports in VentureBeat that Google will begin offering a service that will place ads into online games.

The search giant's beta launch of AdSense for Games will initially target Flash games. Takahashi cites figures showing that 200 million games of this type are played online each month. Sony Pictures, Sprint and eSurance are among advertisers participating in the rollout.

Game publisher Konami is on board and will reportedly publish Flash versions of Frogger, Track and Field and Dance Dance Revolution with Google ads included.

Where does Google go from here? Not surprisingly, Takahashi sees further expansion:

Google’s entry into Flash web games is likely just the first step. After this, you can expect to see the company move into PC downloadable games, console games, and then mobile games. Rivals in those markets include NeoEdge Networks, Microsoft’s Massive, Double Fusion, IGA Worldwide.

 

This is one more ad market where Google and Microsoft can duel... The Yankee Group predicts the market will be worth $971.3 million by 2011. Proponents of in-game ads believe that gamers will embrace them because the ads can be integrated into storylines or environments. You can, for instance, put an ad into a billboard inside a game. That ad can change every time the user passes by the billboard. Of course, it’s hard to do that in genres such as fantasy games.

Comments

Re: Google Confirms Ads for Online Games

So essentially now that Google is doing it its earth shattering news?  

Re: Google Confirms Ads for Online Games

True enough, it's always smirk-inducing to see a real-life ad in a videogame. But I'll be damned if I get a pop-up while saving the earth one day! :P

Re: Google Confirms Ads for Online Games

this is nothing new, Anarchy Online has in-game ads already. i remember seeing video commercials, billboards and such when i played it about two years ago.

Re: Google Confirms Ads for Online Games

Fuck advertisments in video games.

 

Fuck advertisments of any kind.

Re: Google Confirms Ads for Online Games

Then how would know about great products with low low prices? /sarcasm

nah, if it would make the games cheaper, then maybe I'd tolerate it. But alas, they'll still charge full price (or overprice here in the uk) for the game.

 

But I don't want to picking up a packet of skittles in a high fantasy game. Or a "Sword of Cola +3 delicious-ness"

Re: Google Confirms Ads for Online Games

Proponents of in-game ads believe that gamers will embrace them because the ads can be integrated into storylines or environments.

I had a dream once. In this dream ingame advertising went too far. I was playing one of the latest Zelda games and I picked up the "Wikipedian Shield of Wisdom". That is the one that stood out, but basically every item in the game had a real world sponsor.

I would really hate to see the video game equivolent to product placement. But that is all in the past now, unfortunately.

E. Zachary Knight
Oklahoma City Chapter of the ECA
MySpace Page: http://www.myspace.com/okceca
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Re: Google Confirms Ads for Online Games

What bothers me is when an advertisment isn't affected by anything happening in the world around it, and it breaks the experience.

Re: Google Confirms Ads for Online Games

When ads get into my games and slow down the gameplay, I get pissed off.  So how about we keep the ads to the side and all around the flash games, and let me waste my time in peace, looking over at the ads during load times, and not being part of the load screen unless it is a game that all on its own is an ad for Coke/Pepsi, a tractor company, or something that puts a theme to the game.  Other than that, just leave it alone.

Re: Google Confirms Ads for Online Games

yeah, I'm with you on that - the three most annoying things in Video games are: Slowness, DRM, and Dependancy on the Internet. Mix the three and you have major suckage.

Re: Google Confirms Ads for Online Games

Google Ads + Game = Would you like some gaming with the advertisement you are watching?

Slowness + DRM + Required Internet = Would you like some gaming with your peice of shit?

Re: Google Confirms Ads for Online Games

I don't mind ads in video games, as long as it's not annoying and it fits the game.

--- Official Protector of Videoland!

Re: Google Confirms Ads for Online Games

If i'm paying to play a game i don't expect to see advertisements. Maybe with some free game downloads or something like that but not a game i pay to play.

Re: Google Confirms Ads for Online Games

Online gaming is very harmful for college and university students who have no time to write their academic papers.

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Posted 11/07/09 at 10:58am
JDKJ: Which could be explained by both (a) and (b).
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:56am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: You forgot C) the fact that, for some reason, every time he did something that would suggest he shouldn't be in the military, let alone an officer, higher ups ignored it or let it slide.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:51am
JDKJ: Part of the problem is, I believe, that (a) the Army had a lot of time and money already invested in him and which they were unwilling to simply write-off and (b) an increasing need for the type of skills and services he provided.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:48am
JDKJ: And that even if he was begging not to get cut loose, he was apparently a real good candidate for being cut loose, anyway.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:11am
JDKJ: @chada: And while Kennedy once noted that there's usually more than enough blame for everyone to get a slice, the possibility that the Army was unwilling to cut loose someone who was asking to get cut loose could be a factor.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:07am
ZippyDSMlee: *noms on his feet*..nomnomnomnom*droooll* ...wuuutttttt uuu looking at?
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:05am
JDKJ: I'm no psychologist, but I'm told that crazy people have a tendency to do crazy things.
Posted 11/07/09 at 10:03am
chadachada321: Whoops, was out of the convo for awhile. I do wonder what type of ammo he used etc, but the real issue is WHY he did it, not HOW
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:56am
JDKJ: But if it turns out that they actually did, they'll have Hell to pay.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:45am
JDKJ: And I'd tend to rule out the possibilty of FN Herstal supplying restricted ammunition to someone merely because they're ordering it from a military base.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:37am
JDKJ: I know you don't leave your gated community and get around much in dark alleys, so you may be surprised to learn that there's this thing called "the black market" where, if you've got enough money, ain't too much of anything which can't be bought.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:36am
Austin_Lewis: Or, maybe he or someone else at the base ordered the SS190 from FN Herstal.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:32am
Austin_Lewis: the hands of private owners. They run about 300 dollars minimum for a box of 50, and boxes of AP 5.7 are extremely scarce, mainly residing in the hands of Class III stores or individuals who for one reason or another got a demo box of it.
Posted 11/07/09 at 09:30am
Austin_Lewis: There are other firearms that fire the 5.7. However, I too would like to know where he got the ammo and what kind was used. Maybe Hasan, planning not to live through this, went out and bought one the boxes of SS190 that are floating around in
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:44am
JDKJ: And it isn't yet clear what type of ammunition Hasan used. It's strange that he purchased a gun but didn't purchase ammunition for it at the same place and time. Especially because the calibre required is peculiar to the actual gun.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:40am
JDKJ: We can sit here all day and debate the relative merits. However, I think the events of recent days suggest that an FN Five-Seven ain't exactly the same as that Daisy BB gun you got for Christmas when you were a kid.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:38am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: tumbling can be quite dangerous. However, the rounds that commonly tumbled were variants of the SS90. Civilian ammo tends to tumble far less commonly.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:33am
JDKJ: I understand that while they don't have much expansion effect, they tend to "yaw" on impact. Yaw can be almost just as damaging as mushrooming.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:30am
Austin_Lewis: JDKJ: Except when one considers the lack of expansion for the 5.7, it basically ends up leaving a far smaller hole.
Posted 11/07/09 at 08:29am
JDKJ: But if the latter's travelling at close to twice the speed of the former, there's a compensatory effect on the weight difference.
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