Banzaii - The blog of online games and games of Jorge Mediavilla

Last week, specifically Monday, March 15, was in Alicante and called my attention to see the capital entirely papered "Kratos" . "Heaven is hell," "Do your revenge," "An eye for an eye" could be read in most shelters and bus stops. All billboards shone like the following:

Everyone knows that God of War III has raised much attention, being one of the most anticipated video games and more reserves has reached a figure of 35000 units, you just need a week to sneak into the No. 1 top sales and remember this month is a unique game is a platform like PlayStation 3.

But the advertising campaign conducted by Sony , has not been there a few months in most centers, Media Markt and even on the web, featured a countdown of the days, hours, minutes and seconds remaining until they come out the video game market. Also on sites like youtube and many websites filled us with banner ads with the imminent arrival of the game.

In cities such as Madrid and Barcelona many LED screens announcing his departure, and even a "Kratos" flesh and blood (yes, you heard right) walked freely through the city, the metro, shops, ...

Curious was the campaign that have taken place in Italy, coinciding with the elections, you could see election posters in the streets calling for the vote to "Kratos", also as part of marketing.

Few games have reached a level so great as to advertising campaign is concerned. While recently watched the Final Fantasy XIII bus , particularly I do not remember another game that apart from his trailer on TV, has announced an incredible way in our country.

Like a film premiere it were, the in-game advertising is taking this direction, papering entire cities with their posters, with trailers and TV websites, presentations and previews in the big cities ...

It is clear that the video game market is growing and is becoming increasingly larger, and companies tend to adapt to the times, and hence Sony has made an excellent campaign with this God of War III.

¿You had been envisioned for years, see a huge poster of Super Mario Bros in your city shelters announcing his arrival on the NES? Those were different times ...

Like yesterday it worked great article by the news of the day, I return to the fray with those of today. The Sony still not back on track, somewhat disoriented and making statements such as "the main premise of PS3 games are." Kaz Hirai, global head of PlayStation and in this heady claim, has been at the level of footballing topics such as "Football is football," or "are 11 to 11". Of course the core of a console is the games! When do you lose the north? (The news in Meristation ). And if this were not enough, Sony PlayStation Home is expected to sell consoles. I admit that there are people who buy the PS3 Metal Gear Solid 4 or even the unfinished Gran Turismo 5 Prologue, but do not see anyone buying the PS3 to get into that virtual world. Do not get me wrong, you look great, but then to sell consoles ... (Source: Yahoo! Video Games )

And I'm lowering the morale of my valued users "fanboys" Sony (nobody is perfect) with the rumor that there will be Metal Gear Solid 4 on Xbox 360. Eye that is not news but a rumor, which is the eve of the news. As explained by my admired Dandel , Sony could soon lose its last great exclusive. It is a very persistent rumor, and when the river sounds ... (More on Yahoo! Games blog )

And near the end, one of hypocrisy that comes directly from U.S. politicians. While Obama, Democratic candidate for president of the United States is not in favor of video games for corrupting the youth and other crap, uses them to advertise. It's been concretely in my idolized Burnout Paradise where your advertising appears ( Photos on the blog of Yahoo! ).

Meanwhile, Activision is not ready to lose the fight for skateboarding video games. Following the success of the draft EA, a game inexplicably called "Skate" has no choice but to innovate and it is rumored that the next chapter in the saga see with peripheral light. The information comes from one of those analysts who then do not get one, but they must have seen what can be done with the Wii and the Wii Balance Board, have joined the Guitar Hero guitar and have attacked ends. What ports! ( The original story, in English ).

And finally, more obvious. From Sports Interactive British study draw our attention to the success of promotional campaigns on social networks like Facebook, MySpace or Youtube (I add Myspace). They say that does not require much financial effort and gives you direct contact with consumers. Good news for those who have interesting products, but bad for their own social networks, which have high traffic, but no clear business model and defined. The make up how to monetize it may be the next Bill Gates. Any ideas? ( More Gamesindustry ).

I say goodbye to remembering that you can win game Saints Row 2 and I have already asked comentándoos my Play TV on the Internet. I hope I get in a few days. Let me tell you my impressions.

I had heard of occasions where contextual advertising was very funny or inappropriate, but I never came across any myself. Looking for Sara Montiel the video coming out in promoting the MTV Music Awards on MTV page I found the tab of the artist (Video no sign), not just information, but contextual advertising associated with somewhat offensive ...

For those who do not know English, "Lose weight fast" is "lose weight fast" ...

What I firmly believe: The paper is dead. Gradually, the game companies are realizing that investment in magazine advertising revenue growing less. I know that two of the largest multinational videogames have already given orders to focus on Internet and that, sooner or later, and taken to the extreme will be the death of the paper. No ads No games magazine magazine to be maintained.

There is a standard industry decidedly continuity, which I can not understand is that the magazines have to be in the form of advertising "yes or yes" because that is your target audience. This is true not deny it, is your target audience, but in small quantities. They make good investments in media that allow them to get in the best case, to 100,000 readers, according to data released by the OJD.

In Internet time is not invested much, but it is clearly time to do so. Why? It is still relatively cheap and can reach more people with the same budget that was published a few pages in a magazine. Besides advertising formats are ripe and can do many things outside of the traditional banners, including video, large down ...

This may not always be so. As the Internet is going to impose on television and other media we will meet with rates increasing. Is the time and, as I say, there are game companies they already know and they will take advantage of it. The purchase decision is now on websites, in forums, in their surveys and blogs, far from any physical medium.

The fact that the paper die (Understand that I'm exaggerating a bit, its role will become increasingly marginal), does not mean that the companies that publish will disappear. Flushed from their brand new portal, but you may already be too late and you're well established sites with strong communities, with more independent information ... will lose the train.

- Ojea OJD data from various magazines .

Lately the market is somewhat revolutionized the subject of advertising in video games. The latest news are saying that Google would be interested in an in-game advertising company called Adscape Media. Microsoft, meanwhile, already bought Massive for some time now, so have some advantage. It is clear that great games are in uncharted waters and potentially beneficial to their coffers.

My opinion on advertising inside video games is that it is effective, if properly used, and can become very dangerous for the industry and users. Let me explain. Effective if well implemented, so that is something repetitive, but not get bored, if well integrated into the game and the user can stop it if it takes over the screen (as in NBA 2K7, when Toyota sponsors repetition of a large counterattack). That advertising is well integrated, not intrusive and the content makes sense and marry the whole (like the billboards of a football field) is well in my opinion.

It is dangerous for the industry because advertisers are demanding, like out of the script, getting more and more with the same money, get more performance, and this means intrusion, going beyond reasonable limits for users. It is also dangerous for the user because the risk that the advertising dollars thicken the coffers of the companies without that income being noticed in the retail price is great. You also run the danger of enjoying lower quality games with intrusive advertising. Others will wonder why they have to endure advertising when they pay 60 euros for a game, which is something.

In short, if advertising means lower prices, for my good, provided it does not bother me in the gameplay.

Then there's the advertising that make various icons of video games like Lara Croft or Sam Fisher, a variety of products and services. I have nothing against Fisher announced that gum on television, frankly, do not I like a myth or anything.

And then there's that include spyware in their games, systems that scan the contents of your hard drive and send the information to their machines in order to send you advertising to match your tastes. This is totally illegal. It seems that one of the big game companies have used it and is totally reprehensible from the standpoint of morality, not only from the law.

I believe that advergaming is rather the practice of using games to publicize a product or service. In this sense is not equivalent to putting advertising in a game or video game, it is rather to make a game expressly and exclusively for promoting something. On the Internet there are many games like that, but there are also conventional video games in this spirit, as Ford Racing, for example, where one can compete with cars of that brand.

To me, this is the year of advergaming. There are already many companies that handle flash-games, shockwave or java to advertise. In addition to endow their brand interesting content sites, valuable, fun and engaging for the audience. Prices do not know, but I will not be very expensive. See if someone Ompet, with whom I have spoken on occasion, or of Exelweiss, with whom I have not had the pleasure of dealing personally, but through Carlos Blanco, we illustrate. Thank you!

- Source: Article in GameSpot .
- News in Ojobuscador .

After Microsoft bought a company known in-game advertising, Google is now who has bought one. Google was hiring and radio spots to place their ads and now it seems that it intends to do the same in video games.

I read a study saying that advertising in video games does not work, but I think it's not true. I'm a fan of the NBA 2k7 and every time you make a good counterattack repeat the sponsor Toyota. Then after the game you choose the "player of the game Toyota." Well, that advertising in video games can be very effective. As always, it depends on the implementation and a good idea for you between the eyes, repeatedly and without disturbing. If this makes it cheapen the games, so be it, another thing is that I put advertisements and do not cheapen ...

- Source: Google develops advertising to bring in video games .