In-game advertising: gathering thoughts, opinions on the matter

[Aimless E]

Since the poll did not specify they device or the means of the advertising I can't say I disagree with adds. I have an android device and most of the apps I have are free and ad supported. However, splash screens are horrible in regards to ads and making a user connect to a network to play/access an application is totally unrealistic. The best approach I have seen, on Android, has been to have a free version with ads (in the corner or on the title screen) and then have a paid version that removes the ad. Since we have no payment system on the Pandora each developer would have to setup their own system for authenticating the payment. I don't expect their will be many ad supported apps on the Pandora but if it is allowed and found acceptable by the community we will have a better chance of getting far more apps and much more of our moneys worth out of our favorite cursed object. Case in point is everyones loathed game "Angry Birds" the developers stated that they made the app free/ad supported on android because they were afraid of piracy. The Pandoras lack of DRM (thank God) is easily the biggest deterrent for commercial game developers. But if you can prove that we will play an ad supported game, and show that it has potential to make a profit then the likely hood of a port is far more likely.

 

[Christoph.Krn]

Donations often don't work that well.


In-the-face-advertising isn't an option.


Instead of a "Donate" button, you can create an "Ad-donate" button and put it in the main menu. When clicked for the first time, it presents an explanatory screen that explains why the developer(s) would like to get support. It then explains the "Ad-donate" function, which is that whenever the "Ad-donate" button gets clicked, a full screen ad will open up for let's say 5 seconds.


The explanatory screen would offer three buttons:

• "Enable Ad-donate"Shows message: "Ad-donate can be disabled again in the settings menu."
  
• Disables the explanatory screen
  
• From now on, clicking the "Ad-donate" button will show an ad for 5 seconds

[*]"Disable Ad-donate"

• Shows message: "Ad-donate is now disabled. The Ad-donate button will be removed. You can still access this screen from the settings menu."
  
• Permanently removes Ad-donate button from main menu

[*]"Close"

• Closes the explanatory screen

Maybe it would be possbile to add a smaller "advanced Ad-donate settings" button to the explanatory screen from where you can enable that ads should automatically be displayed e.g. before closing the application and/or on other occasions, but that would need some further examination because some ways of displaying ads would definitely have to be avoided, such as while/before loading the next level (that would interfere with the game experience).


This is just an unpolished idea, but I think it might be a rather good-ish way for developers to get support if they need it. As a user, would you use that button to "donate"? Would you think it's "annoying" or "cheap"? What else comes to your mind when you're thinking about this idea?

 

[Cameleon]

I don't mind in game advertising. Sometimes it helps the game, like in Burnout: Paradise the vans driving about with different brands on them make the world seem more persistent and believable. Then other times, like in the new Wipeout, when you are at a loading screen and all you get is "ADVERTS...BUY THIS NAOW!". If I were to use in game ads it would be in a tasteful and decent manner, like billboards and posters nothing more.

 

[- Theo -]

If it has ads that I cannot block, I delete it from my console. As simple as that.

 

[Granitehead]

This is just an unpolished idea, but I think it might be a rather good-ish way for developers to get support if they need it. As a user, would you use that button to "donate"? Would you think it's "annoying" or "cheap"? What else comes to your mind when you're thinking about this idea?

I wouldn't click on it, because it consumes some of my time which I would rather spend doing other stuff.


I think it is the better idea to integrate the ads ingame in way they don't annoy too much. In some games that's easy, in other near to impossible.


I think instead of ads I would require people to donate an amount of money they can choose themselves to get the game.


I, personally, would never pirate an Indie game which I can have legally for $1. Then, instead of paying $1 I would pay rather $5 or something like that.

 

[Asiyura]

[…]


I think instead of ads I would require people to donate an amount of money they can choose themselves to get the game.


I, personally, would never pirate an Indie game which I can have legally for $1. Then, instead of paying $1 I would pay rather $5 or something like that.

Makes me think I just bought the latest game from Jason Rohrer "Inside a Star-filled Sky", the bottom price was 1,75$.


I gave him 12 more $ because his previous game (Sleep is Death) was pure pixelated awesomeness

(and I had the cash sleeping on my paypal account)


Ho, and in-topic : I hate ads. Most of the time they ruin the in-game immersion.

 

[b1llygo4t]

i think the topic of the thread needs to be further defined. are we talking about ads for the same developers games? ads for other companies so the developer can make cash? product placement for cash?


back in the snes days i would have purchased just abut any square game that came out, because square used to rock and everything they did was gold, not because i subscribed to an ad service magazine. i still hate it that my suikoden manual has an ad for killzone on the back cover.


1 make a game we all wanna play.


2 charge us for it.


3 make more games.


4 ????????


5 profit!!


im all about creating our own market. screw coke


::EDIT:: typos n exclusions

 

[kc187]

Hi all,


Here's a hypothetical situation for you:


Suppose there was a fairly compelling Pandora game that would, once every four or five launches, attempt to fetch and display a targeted, non-trashy ad banner on exit that would launch the default browser when clicked on (let's assume it wouldn't be mandatory to click it to exit the app, and would ask for permission first or have an option to disable this).


Would you be willing to accept such a thing? Would you click through to support the developer? Is this dipping into sleazy territory? Is there some ad placement that would be less obtrusive, but still good enough to get eyes, mindshare and stylus clicks?


Topic is open for discussion and debate.

I don't like an OS specific advertisement system.


Makes me think of the Gizmondo. Frankly, I didn't pay for advertisements. I thought ads were for something that was free.


edit: I meant "free" in relation to the Pandora itself. In game advertising like in Burnout Paradise doesn't bother me. But pop up ads? No.