Gamespot’s Dubious Honors Awards for Despicable Use of In-Game Advertising

29 02 2008

gamespot logo

Gamespot use the dubious honors awards to point out games that shines in the spotlight in a negative manner. The choices are fun and some are down right bad ideas when you think about them… no wait they had bad execution really. See what the editors and readers picked.

Dubious Honors:
2004:
Editors Pick: Need for Speed Underground 2
Readers Choice: N/A

2005
:
Editors Pick: SWAT 4
Readers Choice: N/A

2006
:
Editors Pick: Fight Night Round 3
Readers Choice: Battlefield 2142 (PC)

2007
:
Editors Pick: Need for Speed ProStreet
Readers Choice: Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock

Do you agree with these choices?



Sony Opens Up PS3 and Talks In-Game Ads

27 02 2008

Sony Playstation 3

Last year I mentioned Sony’s in-game ad unit (here and here) and how this is an interesting move and competes with Microsofts’ Massive, Google’s AdScape.

Sony’s open platform is a clear departure from how things are done on Microsoft’s Xbox, whose exclusive model means all dynamic in-game ads must be brokered through Massive, a company the software giant acquired in May 2006. That acquisition essentially closed off the opportunity for other in-game ad brokers to sell inventory in games that run on its Xbox and Xbox 360 consoles — and it elevated the bet they are placing on Sony.

I can see how Sony’s plan could complicate things but at the same time I think it’ll all work itself out in the long run. I know if I want first party action I talk with Sony. Otherwise I talk with the publisher who may or may not tell me to talk with their in-game rep. One thing I could see happening is publishers got their own in-game ad team… especial if Sony’s system is going stay this open. You’ll always have to buy through Massive for Microsoft, but not with Sony. Sony also signed that deal last year with Nielsen to help measure in-game advertising as well as hiring Darlene Kindler, who was most recently was at AdScape, to head up their in-game ad team. Sony is making a gamble but I think it will edge out Microsoft in the end. Plus I always love cheering for the “underdog”.

[Via AdAge]



Quantity vs Quality: Guess Who Won?

25 02 2008

Quantity vs Quality: Guess Who Won?

After attending PodCamp Toronto this past weekend. An interested debate took place between Ryan C and myself about quantity vs quality. One thing I find challenging with clients is helping them get past the numbers and start to look at the quality of the results. Quantity only matter to a threshold until it starts to have a diminishing return effect.

If you look at Coke’s Virtual Thirst numbers from what was released then everything looks great. But as you dig a bit deeper and look for the quality in it all. Then you start to realize that there isn’t a lot going on. The campaign was a failure from the outset… more or less. One thing we always have to keep in mind is that it’s not always about how big you are but how much quality is in the relative size we are speaking about.



Weekly News & Link Roundup: February 17 - 23, 2008

23 02 2008

Here is the latest news and stories having an affect on our industry over the last week. Our readers share bookmarks with the BandwidthCamp community by tagging them BandwidthCamp on del.icio.us (a social bookmarking tool). If you’d like to participate, sign-up for delicious and share articles you think the community might find interesting. Enjoy some light reading over the weekend.

Entertainment Content Convergence in Online Worlds

ICED makes game out of Immigration debate



EA gets inspired by eHarmony commercials

18 02 2008

Electronic Arts has some fun spoofing the eHarmony.com campaign in a collection of new spots promoting its Burnout Paradise driving game. See a bunch of the ads here, in which couples laugh about how they found compatibility largely through “T-boning” and “rear ending” each other (in the game).

[Via AdFreak]