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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GamePolitics ShoutBox

Posted 07/04/09 at 11:08pm
Andrew Eisen: LGJ - Not that I'm aware of. The Twitter feed was someone else's live blog of the debate.
Posted 07/04/09 at 11:04pm
Leet Gamer Jargon: @AE: Wait, wait, wait: JT has a Twitter account?! Are you serious?
Posted 07/04/09 at 09:24pm
PHX Corp: For those that want to know what i watching it's called man vs cartoon(a.k.a fixing Wile E. coyote's Mistakes one trap at a time by EMERTEC)
Posted 07/04/09 at 08:20pm
GoodRobotUs: Went out for my Mum's 65th Birthday, which is the only relevance 4/7 has in the UK for me ;)
Posted 07/04/09 at 08:18pm
Andrew Eisen: Beach + fireworks + root beer + strawberries, blackberries, raspberries, whipped topping, and pound cake = my Fourth of July!
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:58pm
GoodRobotUs: Which seems to be the only point Jack proved, that some people find some games offensive. i.e. Nothing.
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:57pm
GoodRobotUs: The discussion was supposed to be whether games were dangerous not 'Do you find some games offensive'...
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:55pm
GoodRobotUs: Some agreed, some didn't, but it was their choice to make, not the governments.
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:55pm
GoodRobotUs: By asking the audience their opinion, he more or less proved that it's a matter of personal choice
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:55pm
GoodRobotUs: Meh, he ended proving Mark's point for him
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:26pm
Erik: Jack if you are reading this you are a LIAR. There is no legal weight to the MPAA's ratings.
Posted 07/04/09 at 07:24pm
JDKJ: I still think my buddy the midget who rides a unicycle backwards while juggling four bowling pins would have been a much bigger hit with that crowd. And he can make up statistics and misinterpret studies, too.
Posted 07/04/09 at 06:33pm
Alyric: Of course, Mark falls into the common trap about Columbine, which had nothing to do with bullying, etc. See: http://slate.msn.com/id/2099203/?GT1=3256 for a more thorough explanation.
Posted 07/04/09 at 06:32pm
PHX Corp: Read this http://www.destructoid.com/sgc-09-liveblogging-the-jack-thompson-debate-138502.phtml#ext
Posted 07/04/09 at 05:54pm
PHX Corp: JT is afraid of such ban then advocates it That's what i call a total Hypocrite
Posted 07/04/09 at 05:50pm
PHX Corp: AE: JT is a -Bleeping- Jackass
Posted 07/04/09 at 05:07pm
Andrew Eisen: JT "knew it would be a good audience." Not what he said on Tuesday.
Posted 07/04/09 at 05:01pm
Andrew Eisen: VG cause violent behavior. VG companies influence behavior to get sales. Yeah, that makes sense. (To be fair, the Twitter feed makes deciphering JT's point pretty tough.)
Posted 07/04/09 at 04:52pm
Andrew Eisen: Yes, it's been proposed but as far as I know it has not been passed. Big difference.
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Cheater87: http://www.gamezine.co.uk/news/formats/xbox360/all-violent-video-games-be-banned-in-germany-$1301757.htm
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