Double Fusion in-game ads expand with THQ, SEGA, Eidos and Midway
by Andrew Yoon 
{ Dec 1st 2008 at 11:25AM }
"One only has to look at the recent videogame sales figures to realise that games are the one form of entertainment consumers don't want to live without," states Jonathan Epstein, president and CEO, Double Fusion. "We are pleased to partner with and provide incremental revenue opportunities to game publishers by offering advertisers a variety of hand-selected cross-genre games we know will be a hit with gamers and the marketers looking to reach them."
Double Fusion will be specifically targeting male consumers, ages 18-34 in their various campaigns. Next time you play a Sonic game, don't be surprised to see him wear some Nike shoes.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jerses @ Dec 1st 2008 11:29AM
THQ lol.
Does 4 companies havent done a good game since the 90s.
Fane @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:45PM
Jerses, I understand that your first language isn't English, but the word is "those".
Jerses @ Dec 3rd 2008 5:50PM
You´re right sorry i always get confused with "those" two words... see what i did there :P Thanks you! it helps me with my english. Im from Mexico Btw
The1stMJC @ Dec 1st 2008 11:32AM
At least Sonic will be wearing some Nike. Because if it were Reebok that would be lame.
Dan Rabot @ Dec 1st 2008 11:34AM
i think this is brilliant, finally gaming has been realised as more than kids playing with toys. Most of us are money earning, product buying adults and to market to us is a step forward for the acceptance of gamers.
Plus, it will be nothing but a winner for games to include more real life products, logos, billboards, etc.
Wonder if we'll ever get Xbox ads on our PS3 games - that would be funny, perhaps some blatant lies from Microshaft.
jarhead906 @ Dec 1st 2008 12:49PM
It's the consumer like you that makes me want to hate the world.
Nothing will shift the stereotype that is placed on gamers and video gaming as a collective whole, especially advertising in games.
It's sad that you cannot make the connection between paying a premium fee for a service or product and getting slapped in the face with an additional advert.
As "veedee" stated, I've never understood why more and more people are accepting this. Even with reduced prices (which would never happen, $60 a pop til PS4/720 ), I would still question the purchase.
And no, Jonathan, only fools would be afraid of letting ads brainwash them. The fact is they are annoying and take away the quality of a work, with many games managing to be art in themselves.
And Jonathan, realistically the quality of games wouldn't magically go up. While we would hope for improvement, that wouldn't happen very often.
ScottishPrik @ Dec 1st 2008 5:37PM
Imagine if shadow of coloussus had in-game advertising. You're just riding your horsy fighting one of the big ass bosses and then out of the corner of your eye you notice a billboard for McDonalds....sorry but in-game advertising is the wrong way to go. If this keeps up imagine the kind of advertising games like MAG will have if they don't use a subscription service.
Dan Rabot @ Dec 2nd 2008 5:00AM
I agree, not in all games! That would be aweful! But in games like Burnout, GTA, Real world games, even if MAG had a war torn MacDonalds resteraunt? Certainly not non realistic, non fitting adverts. GTA clothes shops, why not branded clothes? Why not have Branded items in games? like GT, will have real life cars and tracks, would it hurt to have to real sponsors and billboards?
If it made life easier for developers? - In a world where us PS3 users are a (growing) minority. Do we really want developers shunning our high cost console due to a lack of funds? Or do we want them to have as much money to hand as possible so they continue pushing things forward and towards the PS3's capabilities??
Either way suitable adverts placed in realistic places in suitable games can only help the industry, but I agree they do need to be careful where they put them and I'd hope they would do as much as possible not to be detrimental to the game.
blkant @ Dec 1st 2008 11:53AM
this crap and the xbox crap is going to start the end of gaming, oh well....
veedee @ Dec 1st 2008 11:59AM
No way I'm ever going to pay £40 for a game which bombards me with advertising (have to wait to see the extent I guess). Why people have become so accepting of advertising in products they pay to use is beyond me. If it means the price of new games lowers to £15-20 or less then perhaps I'll make the compromise.
YoonsALiar @ Dec 1st 2008 1:38PM
Microsoft are the pioneers of this, and have been doing it for years. The Xbox retards pay to play online, on a peer-peer service, thats subsidised by adverts, Microsoft are laughing their asses of at them.
Popfrogs @ Dec 1st 2008 6:56PM
I have to agree. Unless these ads are subsidizing the game cost (drops it to $40 new or so), why should any of us be expected to tolerate them?
I guess it pays for Burnout Paradise expansions, which is cool, but if they're just advertising to advertise, screw them. It's going to be easy to boycott if it's just THQ, Sega and a few others.
Jonathan @ Dec 1st 2008 12:17PM
I never understood why people are so against advertising. Are they worried that they will be subconsciously affected to go buy the products that are advertised? I just ignore the advertisements and if it makes the developer more money (which they can then use to either put more quality into the game or maybe even lower the price of the game), then I'm all for it.
reyes @ Dec 1st 2008 1:28PM
Totally agree. I don't even use AdBlock in Firefox because I figure I have gotten so used to ads that I just ignore them 99% of the time. The 1% of the time that I may actually be looking for that kind of product, I don't just click and buy it when there are so many price comparison utilities so readily available online these days. If ignoring ads in games means they'll either cost less or make the developers more money, then I'm all for it.
1664 @ Dec 1st 2008 12:30PM
it depends how descret they are as to whether it would bother me in game, things on bill boards an stuff would be ok if the bill board was gonna be there anyway etc, but the day im forced to watch any kind of advert or its made to blatent will be the day i start useing pirate games on pc unless there was a big price drop
mrebe @ Dec 1st 2008 2:21PM
argh, just hope game wich will overabuse add won't be successfull...
people are complaining on this shit capitalist global-system, then are all too happy to have advert even in games! really , really money will drive everything, thanx in part to the wii.. once a world of passionate with some casual stuff, tomorrow (next gen) casual world with some hardcore game.. (look today cheap crap games on a old overclocked console sold full price (wii), or next-gen costly game which require in-game advert to balance dev.cost.. )
all gamers who bought a wii should think at themselves as contributor to the shit of today and tomorrow..
Brythefry @ Dec 1st 2008 3:12PM
Uugh.
Good move in the business sense of things to generate more capital at the development level but I rather come across made up advertisements (GTA, Fallout for example) that fits with the game content. And who knows really how much freedom advertising has in the gaming world: I doubt that the next medieval RPG would sport shield with the big Nike "Swoosh" across them.
The Burnout Paradise billboard advertisements are a bit tacky in my opinion but they blend fairly well with the game environment so I'm not bothered by them.
Gonzo @ Dec 3rd 2008 3:42PM
I also get tickled by the fake ads but I wouldn't mind real ones mixed in there if it meant a discount or tons of free DLC like in Burnout.
Araskaz @ Dec 1st 2008 5:11PM
Lol guys, you ever heard of MGS4?
Ipod?
Mac?
Regain?
The works!
Advertisements!
Dmacleod14 @ Dec 1st 2008 5:35PM
i dont really mind the idea of in game advertisement, as long as it doesnt look like that picture. those billboards stand out so much from the rest of the world. if mcdonalds has the decency to make ads that blend in with the background and fit the tone of the game, im fine with it as long as i get my games for slightly cheaper. if it stands out like that though, i think it would be like "YOURE PLAYING A GAME!!!!" and piss me off
Think Adrian @ Dec 2nd 2008 2:44AM
if they would use the PSN data to see the age, sex, and interests they could target any audience.
also, if adverts show up on bill boards n stuff that already are in games, they won't affect the gaming experience.
Mike Monahan @ Dec 2nd 2008 10:15AM
I think that if it fits into the environment, say an urban setting, it can work and I will be able to stomach it. But Sonic wearing Nikes would be horrible....and I don't even play Sonic. It's already begun.....EA Sports games have them......Ads on the boards in NHL, which I don't mind because it adds realism....there are ads on NHL boards. The Dodge Drive Summary on Madden. As long as the ads are worked into the game in a realistic manner I'm fine with it. But do you really think this money will go into the further development of future games or into stock holders pockets.....if it's pumped into the game development and done tastefully, I see no reason to be totally sickened by this movement. But the ads I run across in my Episodes of Qore on PSN do make me angry.
maskedrose @ Dec 2nd 2008 10:37PM
ugh. ew no. After spending 60 dollars, I prefer Cluckin' Bell anyday over Taco Bell.
Video games are an escape from the real world. GTA is NOT realistic... How many times have you flipped a car off of a bridge and kept on driving?
And remember... when you eat a hamburger from McD's or Burgerking.. you could be eating a mexican immigrant who fell into the grinders...