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June 5, 2008

Ford and Microsoft Sync Up for Viral Roadtripping

Microsoft has teamed with Ford for a highly experiential, super soft-sell microsite around Microsoft SYNC.

SYNC is a voice-actived gizmo for your car that's kind of like an iPod crossed with a Blackberry: it does music, text, and telephone. Cool, but it's a sell with a high educational curve.

Sync My Music, which lives on MSN, features a game, tons of content and a number of video webisodes about Kim and Seana, two music-obsessed girls, who road-trip across America in a SYNC equipped Ford in their respective quests to become a singer/songwriter (Kim DiVine is the real thing, actually), or to hook up with hot male indie band members.

The game unlocks additional content such as wallpaper and MP3s; the Explore section of the site is a region-by-region guide to the myriad cities the girls visit in their travels. It contains info on local clubs and bands and planning your own road trip. Which may prove difficult, as most of the links are crosswired. Select NYC's hippest bands, for example, and you land on Atlanta's arenas, clubs and cafes.

Oh, well. Given current gas prices, you probably weren't really going to do the roadtrip thing this summer, anyway.

Microsoft wants users to digg, blog and forward the site to a friend. Given the chicks meet popular local indie bands from time to time, the viral has got some real potential. Not just from the fans, but from the bands, who are promoting the heck out of the site on MySpace already.

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May 28, 2008

Ikea's Mobile/Web/Game Ad Hybrid

Ikea is pulling out all the interactive marketing channel stops to promote the opening of its new Brooklyn store. The campaign -- aimed at getting New Yorkers to the new big box retail location in a seldom-visited area -- utilizes e-mail directing recipients to play a game played both online and via mobile device.

The Ikea Brooklyn Get There Giveaway asks viewers to locate boxes hidden on the pathways leading to the store on a map interface built in Ajax. Find and click on boxes containing designated Ikea products and players are given a code they can send via SMS. Each text message is an additional entry into a shopping giveaway.

The game is clever and somewhat engaging -- but it's not really apparent why mobile would come into play here. There's no apparent rhyme or reason in jumping across channels to actually enter the contest. That said, it doesn't unduly burden users, either, given mobile devices are usually within arms' reach.

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May 19, 2008

Media Buyers Take Aim

Intergi created "Media Buyer's Revenge, a first-person shooter that understands why your heart pounds every time the phone rings, and every time Outlook alerts you to new e-mail.

Of course, while the game is played from the perspective of a media buyer, and has sales people in the crosshairs, Intergi itself wants you media buyers to advertise on game sites on its network. But happy shooting!

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February 27, 2008

Shame on EA, Publishers, and In-Game Advertisers

One of GameSpot.com's "Best Games of 2007 Dubious Honors" awards is the "Most Despicable Use of In-Game Advertising." An honor executives from Microsoft's Live and Massive teams once confided to me they work all year to avoid being nominated for. This years nominees include "Guitar Hero III" (Xbox 360, PS3, PS3, Wii), "Need for Speed ProStreet" (Xbox 360), "Skate" (Xbox 360), (All-Pro Football 2K" (Xbox 360, PS3). The reader's choice, with 56 percent of votes, was "Guitar Hero III," a game that sold every pixel to product integration and ad placements.

The top honor from the GameSpot editors goes to EA's "Need for Speed ProStreet" for the ads appearing everywhere including the Xbox Live achievement points. The $25 instant skill boost doesn't help the game's status, and players found the constant downloading of dynamic ads a problem throughout the game's connected lifespan. Let's go to the video.

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February 19, 2008

Mining Game Franchises for Ad Dollars

In-game advertising in game sports franchises, driving simulations, gritty, real-world depictions where brands help convince while allowing brands to share a message with players has shared certain synergy. Then there's the untouchables: The "Halos," the "Devil May Cry," the "Age of Empires III." When Microsoft's Xbox Live and Massive guys were in town last fall I asked them about placing a product integration for Hershey's in a game like "Call of Duty" and they said, "There are 'awards' given each year for the worst use of brand advertising in a game, and we don't want it."

Enter the next generation of games on the in-game ad network rosters. Ubisoft is monetizing its back catalog on Double Fusion's network, Electronic Arts is creating a cartoonish version of its popular "Battlefield" series in an ad-supported "Battlefield Heroes" and now IGA Worldwide has partnered with id Software o provide advertiser sponsorships and in-game brand integration for Quake Live (now in beta sign-up mode). The two companies announced the partnership at the Game Developers' Conference in San Francisco.

Previously I would have classified the "Battlefield" and "Quake" franchises in the somewhat off limits category with the caveat that present-day and even near-futuristic releases such as in the "Battlefield" series have successfully had advertising, but "1942" and "Vietnam" would not work. Because these integrations are more Web-based in nature, they are primarily not in the game but around the game, the access screens and banners surrounding the gameplay screens. Of course that depends on the arrangement with the ad network and publisher.

Posted by Enid Burns at 4:48 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

February 5, 2008

Google Beta on AdSense for Games Coming

This week at Casual Connect, the casual games conference, in Amsterdam, we expect a handful of announcements on Web-based games. One such announcement, unconfirmed by Google, is the launch of Google AdSense for Games in beta. A source we spoke to confirmed it will participate in the beta for its Web-based games. We didn't get too many details, but were told initial placements would be video units.

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January 23, 2008

Electronic Arts Experiments with Ad-Supported PC Gaming

Electronic Arts has announced that it is to release a new instalment of its popular PC game series 'Battlefield' entirely free of charge. Instead of being sold retail, 'Battlefield Heroes' will be distributed digitally and will seek to generate revenue through in-game advertising and small in-game transactions.

Unfortunately EA declined to comment on what exactly 'in game advertising' would entail. However, Ben Cousins, senior producer at EA Dice, told BBC News that no ads would be appear in the game itself, but that they would instead appear on the Web site and the 'front-end' of the game.

Although this release will represent EA's first foray into ad-funded gaming in Western markets, a free version of its Fifa Soccer series has been available in South Korea since 2006. Users can spend small amounts on extra kits or skill-sets for their players.

The in-game transactions in Battlefield Heroes are likely to work similarly, with users purchasing new virtual outfits or attributes for their characters. However, Cousins told the BBC that E.A. expected 95 percent of people who played the game never to spend any money, suggesting that the ad revenue should be sufficient to finance the entire game.

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January 10, 2008

Hair Club Shows Some Skin

It's official: Hair Club for Men, best known for its "replacement systems for hair loss," and Playboy are now bedfellows.

The pair offers an online game, PhotoHunt, where players are shown before and after photos and are prompted to identify what's changed before moving up to the next level. Cowboy, a New York City-based agency, designed the creative.

Participants get to "play" with either Jinger or Amanda.

Better cut this blog here.

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January 2, 2008

Young Scots Targeted In-Game

The Scottish Government plans to target young gamers age 15 to 24 through in-game advertising, in an effort to reduce drunk driving. The buy concentrates on driving games "Need for Speed: Carbon," "Need for Speed ProStreet," "Project Gotham Racing 4," "Pro Evolution Soccer 2008," and "NBA Live" each on the Xbox platform. The campaign, featuring messages like "LOS 3RS, Drink Drive. Lose License. Don't Risk it." is valued at just under $20,000 (£10,00). The Scottish Government's director of road safety, Michael McDonnell said in a statement the trial will initially carry the anti-drink drive messages, but may be used for other road safety messages in the future.

In-game advertising firms like Massive - the likely network in this deal - talk about the ability to do geotargeting on campaigns, but not many specific examples have been discussed. Clearly in this case, ads will target gamers within the governance of Scotland. The local government stated 73 percent of U.K. 15 to 24 year-olds have access to a gaming console, however the figure doesn't specify which console.

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December 28, 2007

Gnomes for Ron Paul

Political rallies and marches are nothing new, and online campaigning is a well known trend, but when the two come together with a bunch of gnomes, it's hard not to take notice.

Grassroots supporters of Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul have invited supporters that play online game "World of Warcraft" to join them in a rally and march on New Years Day. Organizers of the virtual event have scheduled the event to start in the snowbound city of Ironforge, so it's sure to involve lots of gnomes and dwarves, before they march to Stormwind.

No word at this point if "Horde for Hillary" or "Orcs for Obama" counter events have also been scheduled.

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November 15, 2007

Gaming Events Draw Major Sponsors

It seems clear that some major brands are taking video game tournaments and events as an effective means of reaching their target audience. Having worked with them for the past year, PepsiCo's Mountain Dew soda brand signed on again with the Championship Gaming Series (CGS) worldwide professional gaming league for another year of sponsorship. Mountain Dew’s deal with the league consists of TV and event promotions, and includes the "Dew Trophy" to be awarded to the CGS World Champion next month, along with a $500,000 top prize. Separately, the Austin Independent Game Conference has signed on IBM, Icarus Studios, Vivox, and GNi as sponsors of its event for game developers later this month.

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AOL's Games.com Plays Catch-up for Advertisers

AOL relaunched Games.com in an effort to provide advertising integration "beyond banner ads." The new opportunities include in-game advertising integrations in online games, pre-roll ads, and in-game interstitials. Is this anything new, or just playing catch-up to casual and Web-based game sites already monetizing effectively through advertising? The site offers more than 400 online and downloadable games, and plans to add 20 new games by the end of 2007.

Posted by Enid Burns at 12:29 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 25, 2007

'Guitar Hero III' Plays Up Product Integration

There's game franchises that remain largely untouchable to in-game advertising and product integration, such as "Halo" and "Call of Duty." And then there's game franchises that fit so well you wonder why it's not until the third game in the series before every brand and their subsidiaries wants in. For "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock" due in stores on October 28, the product integration really moves the needle on the virtual amp, so to say. Brands present in the game? Gibson, Guitar Center, Audio-Technica, Crate, Ernie Ball, Krank, Line 6, Mackie, and Zildjian on the instrument and equipment side. Post performance, players can view their reviews in Alternative Press, Decibel, Guitar Player, Kerrang, and Paste magazines.

If the direct music tie-ins aren't enough, branding from Pontiac and Axe, among other brands, appear in the game. Serious shredders will also want to upgrade the controller from the standard guitar to the Guibson Guitar Les Paul model for about $10 more.

Brands eager to align with the popular title likely haven't yet missed the window. There's unlockable content, rock venues (including the Pontiac Garage), and Activision and Red Octane plan to keep the game updated with downloadable content. Each of those game events offers opportunity for sponsorships.

Posted by Enid Burns at 3:39 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

October 24, 2007

More on MySpace Games

In the wake of the news of the upcoming MySpace Games channel, I wanted to highlight the quality and engagement potential casual games can add to the site. Deep Focus CEO Ian Schafer called run-of-site ads on social networks "among the worst performers," and said ads in and around casual games have potential to be more effective as games foster a captive audience, and there's less to compete with.

Ad effectiveness in casual games on MySpace has been and will be proven before the channel even launches in 2008. "MySpace is all about depth of engagement by connecting users," said Daniel Stein, CEO and founder of EVB, a creative agency with clients including Adidas, 2K Sports, and VO5.

"It makes perfect sense to use multiplayer games to take this concept to the next level. As brands look for ways to be relevant to the digital consumer, multiplayer gaming is going to make a lot of sense for an advertiser." EVB will soon launch a multi-platform campaign for client VO5 which includes a partnership with MySpace as a gateway to a game.

Will a games channel provide a clean environment for CGM-shy brands to advertise? "I would say probably not, but that's fine. Social networking isn't a clean or controlled environment, which makes it cool and interesting. Whenever the user controls or creates an experience, there is always unpredictability. Brands that presently utilize MySpace as part of its digital marketing already understand this and likely embrace it."

Posted by Enid Burns at 2:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Is it True There's Free Mobile Games?

Yes, the days of mobile handsets coming pre-installed with a free game of Snake may be coming to an end. But while Mobile Magazine is reporting the free game is winding down, it fails to mention the emergence of ad-supported mobile games from sources like Greystripe, and various developers using a platform from Amobee and Exit Games. Plus, there's advergames like one from DHL. Handset manufacturers don't have to provide games anymore, users will find them whether they want to pay for the game or see ads in order to gain access. Nokia was among the handset makers to provide games, and is now building out its N-Gage platform and moving into mobile social networking and other ad-supported media.

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October 8, 2007

'Jam Sessions' on YouTube

Ubisoft wants your "Jam Sessions" footage on YouTube. To promote its Nintendo DS title "Jam Sessions" where players strum the touch-sensitive DS screen with a stylus as if it were a guitar pick to compose music, Ubisoft created a contest on YouTube where gamers can submit videos of themselves of any original song with lyrics, played using "Jam Sessions" on the DS. It's a creative use of a YouTube contest. And the videos Ubisoft pre-populated the site with include a producer walkthrough to explain the game mechanics, and performers singing, rapping, playing the harmonica, and playing "Jam Sessions" as the rhythm guitar along with other instruments.

YouTube users will select the winners. Does the prize match the contest? Winners will be featured on YouTube's main page. The winner will also be flown to New York to perform live on FUSE TV.

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October 5, 2007

The Halo Effect

Microsoft reported "Halo 3" reached $300 million in sales in its first seven days at retail. The attention spread to the Web with a 150 percent increase in searches for the term "halo 3" in the four weeks ending September 29, 2007, according to Hitwise. People primarily searched for the game's skulls, release date (September 25), cheats, weapons, and reviews.

At Advertising Week held in New York last week I met with Microsoft and Massive executives, and attended a handful of panels on in-game advertising. The coveted title is and always will be off limits to in-game advertising, but there are ways to align your brand with "Halo" and other out-of-boundaries games. There is "around game advertising" which is largely sponsorships of tournaments both online and offline, inserts in boxes, co-branding promotions, and advertising on enthusiast Web sites. Discovery Channel entered a strong co-branding opportunity with Halo's Master Chief to promote its "Last One Standing" show where Master Chief played as a contestant, and headlined a sweepstakes. For Microsoft, Massive primarily handles in-game ad placements, but the Xbox team has some innovative solutions around the game including placement on the heavily-trafficked Xbox Live.

Posted by Enid Burns at 2:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

September 27, 2007

Google Middle Earth

The road through Middle Earth is long and windy, and now it's been mapped by Google. For its "Lord of the Rings Online" game, developer and publisher Turbine, Inc. licensed the Google Maps API to map out world of "Lord of the Rings." And like all things Google, it's in beta! "We will keep it in beta as long as we're adding features," said Jim Drewry, director of marketing at Turbine. The map and wiki Turbine offers to its users is part of a retention-based marketing strategy.

When Turbine called Google to ask about licensing the map API to create a map for Middle Earth, Google was a little taken aback. When you use the API Google "almost assumes you will be mapping the earth. When it's not the earth, things get interesting," said Drewry. Turbine created the map with hundreds of thousands of map tiles stitched together. It's hosted by Turbine, and trafficked through Akamai.

link

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August 10, 2007

EA Teases Upcoming Game Title with Web Show

To keep up engagement with the newest title from a longstanding videogame franchise "Command & Conquer," EA created a content site for "Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars" The Command & Conquer Web site will air BattleCast PrimeTime, a sportscast-style show which discusses the C&C universe, and detail multiplayer matches. BattleCast PrimeTime debuts August 14 at midnight PST, and acts as a forum for players. More shows are expected to be added.

Note: Command & Conquer 3 Tiberium Wars was released in March.

Posted by Enid Burns at 4:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 17, 2007

Jostens Supplies Super Bowl Rings for Madden ‘08

The highly-coveted Super Bowl ring worn by NFL players is now available to players of EA’s Madden NFL 08. Those who reach a certain level of accomplishment can order design a ring through the game’s interface, then order it from Jostens. The “Ring of a Champion” can be custom-designed by the player, and not only signifies a player’s reaching a certain stature in the game’s rankings, but can also reflect extraordinary achievements pulled of in those winning games.

Like your old class ring, players can choose from non-precious metals, 10K white and yellow gold, and simulated gemstones. Prices range from $149 for a non-precious ring to $495 for 10K gold designs. If a virtual champion wants the full bling of genuine diamonds, instead of cubic zirconium stones, Jostins will do it for a few dollars more. Madden NFL 08 with the ability to play for and create your championship ring comes out on August 14.

Posted by Enid Burns at 1:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

July 10, 2007

In-Game Ad Buys Getting Bigger

A recent report from Yankee Group pegged the average in-game ad buy last year at between $30,000 and $40,000. This year that figure will grow by a factor of 10, it said, to between $200,000 and $600,000, and in 2008 it will "approach $1 million." That's extremely rapid growth, and the first time I'd heard about so much money is going into individual media placements.

The report also found global in-game ad spending will near $1 billion by 2011, up from $77.7 million last year. It predicts 2007 will be the first year publisher revenue from dynamic in-game advertising will exceed what they make from static ads. By 2011, Yankee estimates static ads will represent less than a fifth of all in-game ads.

Parks Associates reached similar conclusions in a game-based ad spending forecast of its own late last month. That report examined not only in-game ads, both static and dynamic, but also advergames and marketing in virtual worlds.

I'm often skeptical about these in-game ad forecasts, since the market is still by and large ill-defined and chaotic. Many factors could hinder or accelerate its growth. Topmost among them is the problem of measuring ads in games, which was a hot button at the ARF's Audience Measurement conference last month and which the measurement firms and game publishers have scarcely begun to address. Additionally, both the Yankee and the Parks forecasts were assembled by speaking with in-game ad networks, publishers, and other firms that have a vested interest in projecting heat around the channel. That said, the analysts of both reports have fundamentally sound methodology and close ties with the big players. In any case, take it for what it is: educated guessing.

Update: A comment on methodology from Parks Associates analyst Michael Cai: "One thing I want to point out is that our forecast is not really based on conversation with industry players. In fact, I sent my forecast to a few of them and they all felt my numbers are low. For dynamic in-game advertising, I forecasted the total audience for a certain platform, the average hours they will spend per month playing games, average impression per hour and then I made assumptions about what percentage of these impressions will be monetized based on the momentum behind DIGA in a certain year."

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June 19, 2007

Further In-Game Ad Research Underway

There's been studies, forecasts, and controversy over measurement of in-game advertising. IGA Worldwide said it will underwrite what it calls "an intensive U.S. study of the effectiveness of in-game advertising." The research will be conducted by BASES/Nielsen Entertainment. Partners include Electronic Arts and Activision on the video game side, and Omnicom's Organic and PHD units on the agency side. EA and Activision games will be used to conduct the research.

IGA outlined the objectives:

• To support in-game advertising opportunities.
  
• To deliver new insights between brands, consumers, and the medium.
  

While any research in the space will benefit the medium, it's not the first, and it won't be the last. A recent eMarketer forecast puts at $502 million for this year, and says U.S. video game advertising spending could reach $969 million by 2011. Double Fusion conducted research a few years ago on recall of ads seen in games. Research will be conducted in June, and results are expected to be available in August.

Posted by Enid Burns at 12:54 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

June 11, 2007

Social Networks Get Geeked

Wizards of the Coast (WotC), the creator of the "Magic: the Gathering" card game and publishers of other fantasy role-playing and adventure games like Dungeons and Dragons and Dreamblade, wanted to find a way to become more sticky for its users, but also attract the next generation of geek-inspired gaming. Enter Gleemax, a social networking environment where Wizard fans can meet others, play games, and build out their personas. The term gleemax is referenced on this Wikipedia page as an inside joke among both Wizards R&D and Magic: the Gathering players. "The infamous alien brain is said to secretly manipulate the Magic R&D division."

Since the WotC uses its Web site to promote its stores, games and products, Gleemax is currently under the same umbrella of support for the brand. However there is likely to be free- and premium-content on the site. WotC may also implement advertising in the future, where it works on the site.

The advantage of Gleemax over other social networking sites is the niche audience. "The demographic is geeky. Other communities are populated with the 'jerks' from high school you don't want to hang out with," said Randy Buehler, VP of digital gaming at Wizards of the Coast.

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May 30, 2007

Nancy Drew Sleuths Marketing Opportunities

With just over two weeks away from the movie release of "Nancy Drew," a modern telling of the classic teen mystery series, yet another marketing campaign surfaces at the mall. Earlier this month two separate campaigns deployed the Web and mobile phones to peak viewers' interests. Now there's "Nancy Drew and the Cotton Caper" making its appearance in malls in 15 markets around the country.

The Cotton Caper draws from a partnership between Warner Bros. Pictures, Cotton Incorporated, General Growth Management (the owner of malls across the country), and Her Interactive (the publisher of the Nancy Drew video game series). Activities originate in a "cotton-themed interactive mall experience" where consumers receive an activity book of clues and instructions to find answers hidden in a mall display. Looking for more sleuthing after a trip to the mall? Consumers can go to Cotton Incorporated's thefabricofourlives.com and subsequently the microsite for Nancy Drew and the Cotton Caper where consumers can find more clues, locate a participating mall, learn about the title character's cotton-laden wardrobe. There's also a link to longtime "Nancy Drew" video game publisher Her Interactive and a snowball fight mini-game made for the upcoming title "Nancy Drew: The White Wolf of Icicle Creek," which retails on June 12.

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April 26, 2007

River of News(breaker)

How do you attract a younger audience to news sites? Make it into a game. MSNBC gave contextual meaning to the classic "Brickbreaker" with Newsbreaker. It plays like the old arcade title or the default game on your Blackberry. In addition to power ups, you also have to catch headlines raining down the screen. If you catch 25 headlines, you earn an extra life. The headlines collect to the right of the playing field, and can be browsed when the game ends, or by pausing the game. The game's designers even branded the bricks using the colors of the peacock.

Posted by Enid Burns at 11:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 16, 2007

Second Life Jumps Shark?

First the currency, then the virtual agencies and any number of corporate outposts.

And now this, from my alma mater:

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March 15, 2007

Virtual Worlds Present Corporate Problems

Corporate marketing and PR departments have virtual communities like Second Life in their sites for opportunities to reach consumers. Every day a new corporation seems to be setting up shop. It seems the IT department has Second Life and online games on their radar for entirely different reasons: They want to keep their employees out. A recent survey conducted by Sophos finds 90.4 percent of IT pros want to block users from accessing Second Life and other similar sites; and 62 percent find it essential to block users from accessing from their corporate PCs.

The reasons include increased IT security risks; burden to company bandwidth, and wasting valuable business time. The issues are numerous. How many Second Life users are going virtual on their lunch hours, or using their PCs after work, and therefore being blocked from the dose of brand exposure they would get during their daily visits. But also, are any unsuspecting PR and marketing departments going to be blocked from maintaining their virtual presence until negotiations are made between IT and marketing? Sophos is now assisting its customers in shutting off access to over four million corporate users.

Posted by Enid Burns at 2:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

March 12, 2007

Do You Like Mii?

Last week at the Game Developers Conference Sony announced PlayStation Home, a virtual world to be played on the PlayStation 3. Nintendo has a virtual personae creator with a bit of a virtual world baked into its Wii system. Gamers can create characters called Mii to interact in the world, and also become the characters playing certain games like Wii Sports bowling, boxing and golf. The creation of Mii characters is the topic of two Nintendo commercials. The commercials show functionality beyond the Mii channel, with unlikely gamers playing golf and bowling with their newly-created Miis. Nintendo also created the MySpace page How Wii Play. There's more Mii fun to be had, flickr user n1c2c8 posted snapshots of characters created for NBC's The Office last month.

Via Joystiq.

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March 7, 2007

Another Day, Another Virtual World

The galaxy lost a planet when scientists reclassified Pluto, but virtual worlds are seemingly announced every day. Earlier this week LEGO said it was working with NetDevil to create a branded MMOG due out in 2008. Consumers can sign up to get exclusive content and participate in the development process. After posting news on the Web site, LEGO preceded to use its little plastic bricks to build a wall to block press inquiries. Those bricks really hold up to some battering. Though there was speculation on blogs like Clickable Culture on how well LEGO will be able to maintain a safe environment for its target audience, kids, when users can design less than sanitized objects and messages with the very LEGO blocks that build construct the world. It's still a pretty cool concept for a virtual world.

At the Game Developers Conference (GDC) Sony announced PlayStation Home. A virtual community for the PlayStation 3 which sites like Joystiq are calling comparable to Second Life. Early screens portray a utopia-like environment and certainly nothing like the world of Miis populating the Nintendo Wii system. As advertising on the PS3 has been somewhat at Sony's discretion, brands wanting in on the action may not have as much free reign as in Second Life.

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February 23, 2007

PS3: How to Kill Your Brand

Video game enthusiasts can be a fairly loyal and at times a very snarky bunch, so I wasn't too surprised when a few game developer friends of mine tipped me off to this video floating around the Internet about Sony's PS3 sales woes verses the Microsoft Xbox 360.

But as the song repeats its chorus of "How You Killed Your Brand" intermixed with samples of Phil Harrison, the president of Sony Computer Entertainment Worldwide Studios, supposedly hemming and hawing over answers to questions, and even several shots of PS3 declining sales charts, I was hard pressed not to chuckle at things as well.

A brief search on my part failed to uncover where the video came from, aside from the fact that it was recorded by someone named Doc Adams, but it's hard not to smell some of Microsoft's hand in things. If viral marketing is all the rage, was viral mudslinging not too far behind? Or perhaps some viral dancing on graves?

Still, it's a catchy tune!

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February 16, 2007

Is Google Game?

It's been well reported that Google is in talks to acquire in-game advertising firm Adscape Media. More speculation surfaced today as Greg Sterling's blog Screenwerk points to a Red Herring article that attaches the price of $23 million to the deal.

The story is moving along, but as Google is a public company and can't comment due to regulatory issues, no named sources at either company have been able to confirm the deal. ClickZ reached out to contacts at both Google and Adscape Media which have not yet been returned.

For various reasons, many agree it makes sense for Google to get into in-game advertising, and others affirm the choice of Adscape. Sterling offers Google's general range of "Sub-$20 to $30 million" for most acquisitions. And in a Q&A with in-game ad firm Massive's new CEO Cory Van Arsdale published earlier this week, he Google's interest in in-game advertising makes perfect sense, "Google has made investments to try to expand from Web-based advertising in terms of user experience," he said.

The possibility of Google buying up Adscape or another in-game ad firm makes things interesting for its Redmond-based competitor. Massive calls Microsoft's Xbox unit family, yet tries to keep it at arms length in order to do business with competing console manufacturers. If Google moves into the space, it doesn't have a console shackle which could hold Massive back from certain deals.

The Red Herring cites a source saying "an Adscape acquisition gives Google little beyond a few potentially interesting patents," which is a good point. When I spoke to Adscape late last summer, Adscape's VP of marketing Eva Woo discussed an in-game ad unit that behaved a little differently than typical in-game ads, but at the time Adscape was in the process of getting the unit into games. Still, the company has a product, and an experienced staff drawing from the game industry and has Bernie Stolar as its chairman.

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February 1, 2007

Pre-Game Fantasy Super Bowl

Didn't you hear? The Indianapolis Colts beat the bears 38 to 27. At least that's the score as played on Electronic Arts' campus using its Madden '07 game. EA might not spring for advertising during the Super Bowl, but this shows it finds its own way to associate itself and its property with the big game. The other factor in EA's favor is the NFL license. No other game publisher can replicate the Super Bowl because EA owns the NFL license and its players for the computer and video game space. So real you can use it to place bets? You can look up EA's stats on each player and base a decision, but it is still the difference between a real and virtual game.

Posted by Enid Burns at 4:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 31, 2007

In-Game Adjacency Issues

One component of in-game advertising is to provide a realistic feel to games. At times, companies get a certain amount of free advertising when a developer decides to go with the real-world sponsorships over placements. While this is not final code, 360 Gamer in the U.K. noticed the presence of PlayStation 3 branding in the Xbox 360 beta of an upcoming EA title based on UEFA football (soccer to those of us in the U.S.). Sony actually sponsors the UEFA games, and has prominent stadium placements. It's not yet known whether the space will be sold to other advertisers, or how EA might handle the adjacency of how one console's branding plays on a competing console.

Via Joystiq

Posted by Enid Burns at 11:56 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

January 18, 2007

Online Game Publisher Opens Affiliate Marketing Program

K2 Network, a publisher of massively multiplayer online games (MMOG), said it began an affiliate marketing program to run banner ads for its games on game enthusiast sites. The publisher will offer 5 percent on every purchase generated from links from the banner. The publisher's after Web sites with endemic traffic like video game Webzines, fan sites and community sites.

The publisher has an interesting model in that its games are "Free2Play" through their entirety, though gamers can opt for a subscription, which makes upgraded weapons and character classes available. A clear incentive. A number of K2 games run ads using Double Fusion.

Posted by Enid Burns at 5:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 20, 2006

Breaking Down the Price of a Video Game

An advertising component often brings the price down on content, if it doesn't make it free. Yet while more games are baking in advertising, the retail price of the current generation of games -- ones developed for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Wii -- the price just increased by 20 percent in some cases.

Forbes has an excellent article, "Why Gears of War Costs $60 which itemizes the cost of each component behind the retail price. It's hard to get a video game publisher to dish on that information; especially when the licensing fees to the three manufacturers are part of the list. It's estimated that advertising buffers the cost of the game by $3, though that's taken in by the publisher, not necessarily passed on to the consumer.

Also of note concerning video games and the consoles, is analysis from Joystiq about the effects of a PlayStation 3 shortage. Gamers holding for a PS3 are buying more PS2 games rather than picking up an Xbox 360 or Wii. This will affect third-party relationships with publishers, turning them off to Sony for lack of installed base and therefore sales. It could alter title commitments to the PS3, and even the Xbox 360, and Wii, and therefore hurt in-game advertising opportunities.

Posted by Enid Burns at 4:19 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

Snowing in Activision Land

Sometimes branding in holiday cards, and sometimes the subtlety works. Another example of how this works comes from Activision. Its holiday card was a little game where you control a penguin and have to catch falling Activision game boxes while avoiding snowflakes. It's not quite up to Activision standards for a game, but gave me a minute of enjoyment.

Posted by Enid Burns at 3:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

December 11, 2006

A Level-a-Day for Nintendo Europe

Nintendo Europe's in a holiday mood. At Mission in Snowdriftland, there's an advent calendar created by Extra Toxic. After a long intro detailing the storyline of corporate intrigue, a snowman is recruited to embark on a deep-freeze adventure in Snowdriftland.

Behind each day's window is a new level of a side-scrolling adventure reminiscent of a Mario Bros. adventure. Beside each playing window is a creative for a Nintendo title. It's a brilliant way for Nintendo to spark interest for its classic catalog, which it's making available on the Nintendo Wii through its points program.

Posted by Enid Burns at 5:03 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

November 28, 2006

Microsoft Buys SportCenter Ads, Quizzes Viewers

If you're watching ESPN's SportsCenter tonight, you might notice all seven minutes of advertising are for the Microsoft Xbox 360 including its "Cops and Robbers" spot and "Mad World" for the game Gears of War. Pay attention: viewers will be prompted to enter the three-week online sweepstakes at Xbox360winitall.com and answer five questions about the commercial spots.

It's OK, a 60 percent average, three correct questions of five, will get you entered to win. Prizes include a trip to Bristol, Conn to visit the set of ESPN's SportsCenter; Xbox 360 videogame and entertainment systems as well as games and accessories for the systems.

Correction: Microsoft evidently did not qualify for its own sweepstakes. Three points it corrected in a follow-up e-mail include:

• People are not automatically entered into the sweepstakes; they have to get three out of the five questions correct to be in it. (I actually think they got this right the first time -- Ed)
• People do not win a free trip to Bristol, Conn. to visit the set of SportsCenter, but will win "a trip to New York, including a tour of the ESPN Studios." (because who really wants to win a trip to Connecticut? -- Ed)
• The date that the sweepstakes ends is December 19 and not December 18. (no comment -- Ed)

  Posted by Enid Burns at 5:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

  November 16, 2006

  Junk Food Marketing Guidelines Reference Advergaming

  The pledge this week by McDonald's, General Mills, Hershey, Coca-Cola and other food companies to restrict their marketing of junk food to children will have a few implications for the Web .

  Regarding the use of interactive games, the guidelines say food marketers should "limit products shown in interactive games to healthy dietary choices, or incorporate healthy lifestyle messages in the games." A second rule dictates that "if an advertiser integrates a commercial message into the content of a game or activity, then the advertiser should make clear, in a manner that will be easily understood by the targeted audience, that it is an advertisement." My first take on the second rule is that it's a virtually meaningless gesture, since the "targeted audience" referred to is children under 12 who often can't distinguish between content and advertising anyway.

  There's a larger debate raging about whether the food industry's pledge is meaningful, since the marketers in question declined to identify specific ways their marketing tactics would change -- not to mention that the notion of bringing about change through ad regulation is a bit of a sleight of hand when the food items most directly responsible for record rates of youth diabetes and obesity remain the same. But I'm not the blame business type, so I'll just do my part by urging any little kiddies out there reading the ClickZ Marketing Blog to think twice before you eat that next antibiotic-laced HappyBurger or morning bowl of Technicolored Sugarchunks.

  Posted by Zachary Rodgers at 3:49 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

  November 15, 2006

  Virtual Knock-Offs Knock Over Virtual Businesses

  
  The virtual world of Second Life is seeing its own "in-world” version of digital content knock offs, and it’s leading many businesses to shut their “doors” till something is done about it.

  One of the draws of Second Life being the ability to start your own business and sell “products” for a virtual profit. But earlier this week some players noticed others were duplicating all the goods held by other Avatars using a tool called CopyBot. The goods could then be resold or used for “free.”

  People, not surprisingly, were annoyed.

  Employees of Linden Labs, which runs Second Life, posted on the company’s blog that using CopyBot or similar programs would violate the Terms of Service agreement and victims should file a complaint so that the perpetrators “may” be banned, but that “Second Life needs features to provide more information about assets and the results of copying them. Unfortunately, these are not yet in place.”

  Moments later businesses began putting up signs like this one and shutting down their stores.

  Economic chaos, breadlines, inflation and virtual soup kitchens with the tune “Brother, can you Spare a Dime?” piping through the game’s ambient music score are expected at any time.

  Posted by MatthewNelson at 9:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

  November 14, 2006

  Sony Revamps PlayStation Site for PS3 Launch

  The release of Sony's PlayStation 3 is near, and this week the console manufacturer launched a redesigned Web site for the PlayStation property. It's meant to "serve as the premier consumer destination for information and content related to the entire PlayStation family," said a message from Sony's Computer Entertainment group. It's got tabs for PlayStation 3, PSP and PS2. Players of the legacy PlayStation system can find what they're looking for after a few clicks.

  The site features pictures of the shiny new PS3, and a streaming video explaining its Cell processor's capabilities. Of course there's also info on all the games coming out for the system, but no help for actually getting a PlayStation 3 this season. A few retailers are unable to fill all their preorders according to today's reports.
  

  Posted by Enid Burns at 4:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack

  November 13, 2006

  An Alien-a-Day from PlayLinc

  To promote Verizon's PlayLinc service, it is giving away an Alienware Aurora 3500 with a 17" LCD monitor each day for 50 days. The runtime of this sweepstakes is November 10 through December 29. With its active following of gamers, Alienware is an appropriate partner for Verizon's contest to attract gamers to its free online gaming service.
  

  Posted by Enid Burns at 11:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack