Report: Gamers don't mind advertising

GameSpot UK survey finds that most gamers are happy to see adverts in-game, provided that they are "contextual and realistic."

A survey conducted by GameSpot UK in conjunction with the Internet Advertising Bureau has found that, surprisingly, 73 percent of respondents did not have a negative opinion of in-game advertising. The survey, which was advertised on the site between June 20 and July 11, was completed by 3,575 UK-based gamers. Half of these respondents had seen in-game advertising in the past 12 months.

Forty percent said they thought in-game advertising added realism, and around a third admitted that they didn't notice it. However, 14 percent thought that in-game ads spoil the gaming experience.

As far as brands go, 28 percent said that advertising affected their perception of the brand, and 64 percent of those said it was a positive perception change, compared to 28 percent who experienced a negative perception change--assumed to be because the advertising in question had not been realistic, context-sensitive, or in some other way detracted from the game or gaming experience.

However, there was some confusion over what gamers thought constituted realism. When asked if a character interacting with a brand in-game (for example, drinking a can of Red Bull to replenish energy) was advertising, 63.7 percent said yes. When asked if brand names being shown in games constituted advertising, 77.3 percent also said yes.

One third of respondents said that they would be very or quite likely to buy a product that they had seen advertised in game, whereas the remaining two thirds were not very likely or not at all likely to buy.

More and more companies these days are signing up for in-game advertising, including recently Eidos and Codemasters. Enemy Territories: Quake Wars codevelopers Splash Damage recently announced plans to use in-game advertising to offset the costs of maintaining the online title.

Some 86 percent of survey respondents said that they might welcome an increase in advertising if it meant cheaper games, whereas a third said that they might welcome it if it remained contextual and realistic.

The vast majority of gamers surveyed were male (98 percent), with 76 percent aged between 13 and 24. Most owned multiple gaming platforms, and spent 10 or more hours gaming each week. The survey also found that 58 percent play more games now than they did 12 months ago, and that watching TV was the activity most likely to be displaced to make way for more gaming time.

290 Comments

  • Chunkstein

    Posted Oct 24, 2007 5:29 pm PT

    the only time in-game advertisement doesnt bother me is if, a) the price of the game is reduced while maintaining the same quality as a full priced game, or b) the game includes exceptional amounts of content which have been underwritten by the added revenue from the advertising.

  • YukoAsho

    Posted Sep 5, 2007 5:32 pm PT

    Despairity6s - 8 million to produce? Maybe a Wii game is 8 million to produce, but even high-end PS2 titles are more expensive than that.

  • jbot666

    Posted Sep 5, 2007 1:44 pm PT

    I guess I'm not most gamers

  • Reno117

    Posted Sep 5, 2007 10:57 am PT

    It doesn't bother me personally as long as it's done right like in fifa 07 or in crackdown thats subtle and dosn't detract from the game play but if for example they added a advert into halo 3 saying ' buy the new landrover today for just £25,999 that would ruin the whole halo feel, yh so as long as it's done right i don't mind it but in the end the devs of thr games can do it if they want they are offering us a some thing and if we don't like the content of that game nothings making you buy it

  • veveqa

    Posted Sep 5, 2007 9:38 am PT

    The facts at the end really ruin any validity these figures might be seen as having - the gamers surveyed were 98% male and 76% were between 13 and 24 - This basically means we're talking about male children, which is far from the majority of the gaming market, considering the average gamer is now what, 25-26 (and that's just the average, and already outside the survey), and that NO part of the market has as low as 2% female gamers.

    So basically the survey tells us nothing other than "male children who like advertising enough to fill in a survey don't mind advertising". Whoa, real shocker there!

  • peyo670

    Posted Sep 5, 2007 8:56 am PT

    in sports game pubs add realism

  • Despairity6s

    Posted Sep 5, 2007 8:32 am PT

    Let me put this in perspective, people are using hollywood as an example of advertising and product placement. This is the dumbest thing someone could ever do. The average Hollywood film in 2007 costs 68.5 million dollars to make. The average consumer cost is 10 dollars for a movie ticket and 15-20 dollars for the dvd. The average PS3 title costs 8 million to produce with a cost to consumers of 60+ dollars. So even if the customer purchases the movie ticket and dvd they are still only being charged 30 dollars for a 68.5 million dollar product. In game advertising is a new form of revenue for a studio nothing more. If developing games at 60 dollars wasn't yielding a profit they would have dropped from the race long ago. The companies that scrape by are either piss poor studios or they are just starting out and trying to make a name for themselves. Don't fall for the hype people. Keep the advertisements out of my purchased goods. If you want to advertise to me, reduce the price of the title by A LOT or give it to me for free like McDonalds did with Rayman and Prince of Persia.

  • cherrybomb257

    Posted Sep 5, 2007 8:12 am PT

    I guess most gamers don't mind an icepick through the eye either.

  • ghsacidman

    Posted Sep 5, 2007 7:38 am PT

    I seriously doubt anyone who plays games and has half a brain would say "I love when Burger King tries to shamelessly sells itself to me in video games". WTF? I hate all those stupid Axe ads... Axe and Burger King are taking over a pixel at a time. I can't count how many times I've died in Graw because I was distracted by a Dodge ad. Bright red cars, on new looking billboards... in the middle of civil unrest? Everything is half destroyed and covered in dust... BUT THE ADS. This is the worst thing to ever happen to video games. I hope these companies don't expect me to pay full price for their games... cause I won't.

  • gatsbythepig

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 10:54 pm PT

    It's just plain silly.

  • SirSmokeal0t

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 10:48 pm PT

    rusty_ghia said it right.

    That's what it basically boils down to.

  • rusty_ghia

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 6:48 pm PT

    It is very simple: put an ad in the game, and I won't buy it.

    Easy, no?

    Why should I pay money for the opportunity to be told to buy crap that I don't need?

  • e-racer22

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 4:06 pm PT

    I'm in the camp that thinks, if the context supports it, say bill board ads or actual storefronts, say, in Need for Speed title, then there is nothing wrong with it.

    I do not believe that in-game ads will lower the cost of the game to us as gamers.

    I wouldn't have a problem with it showing up in the on-line connection screens.

    I also think it would be neat to see current companies try and create "retro" so that period games such as Mafia or BioShock wouldn't seem out of place.

    Finally for the user complaining about all of the advertising on GameSpot, I again, don't have an issue. These guys don't do this for charity. They are trying to make a living. If you don't like it, pony up for their subscription which should greatly reduce the number of ads you do see.

  • Redsyrup

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 3:56 pm PT

    If you force me to read an ad in order to progress in a game, you suck.

  • prioritymail

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 2:51 pm PT

    It would be ok as long as it isn't blatantly out of place, like in fight night where the king (burger king) could be used as a trainer for your fights...

  • packernation31

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 1:49 pm PT

    It doesn't bother me one bit. In a way I'm immune to it, like I don't even notice it. But if it means cheaper games, splatter everything with an advertisment!

  • playstation_wii

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 1:48 pm PT

    I don't mind advertising if it makes sense. I can handle playing a simpsons game, and see a 7 eleven as I drive by, but I don't want to see a billboard out of nowhere in Halo 3 saying drink a coke.

  • JonnyNemesis

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 1:36 pm PT

    I've never really cared about in-game advertising. If it helps the developer fund more games, then more power to them.

  • ocdog45

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 1:35 pm PT

    i cna care less about advertise ment. i always see gs editors making a bug deal about it, its not that serious

  • Redsyrup

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 1:24 pm PT

    Yeah but I hate how they shove a product down your throat at every turn. Buy cola in the title screen, buy cola in a sub menu, buy cola on build boards, drink cola for a power up, see cola in the credits.

    Enough is enough, just be cause a developer sells their soul for a few pennies doesn't mean they have to take me with them.

    Ads suck

  • Miracle_Air

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 12:55 pm PT

    In the games ads have been in, they're VERY acceptable, specifically EA's games like BF2142, the Burnout games and various others. They enhance realism and make it feel more tied to well... reality. XD

    I mean, it's not like I'm seeing Coca Cola ads in WoW or a Subaru ad in .hack//G.U. so I'm a happy camper.

    When a game should attempt to tie with reality or the future, it's a good idea. But in the past (Like said a CoD game) or in a fantasy world (Like Azeroth) it just wouldn't work and would stick out like a sore thumb.

  • captainfork

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 10:59 am PT

    For games that involve environments with advertising (like arenas, interstates with billboards, cities, etc.), real life ads enhance the sense of reality. However, I do agree with some gamers that oversaturating a game with ads can jerk attention away from gameplay.

  • joeyfine

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 10:28 am PT

    I happen to enjoy in game advertising in sports games. it makes the game feel real. unlike triple play '98 with lobster cola in it.

  • darkchaostitan

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 10:17 am PT

    this wil only be an annoyance to gamers and developers, i mean I wouldn't want to spend the time thinking of what great place an ad would go in developing the game. I just wouldn't want ads in games, the whole contextural bs is just so they could take part in that survey(paid).

  • R3DN1N3

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 10:14 am PT

    I guess I'm in the 14% (hate) category.
    In game advertisings are annoying.

  • RoC1909

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 10:13 am PT

    Ads lowering the price of games !?!?! Ya, right. Ads are something that have become VERY intrusive in our society. Look at how many ads are on ANY given webpage. Look at how you MOST OF THE TIME have to WATCH a commercial before seeing a video on Gamespot. Look at how you hardly EVER go directly to the MAIN Gamespot page but instead, end up looking at a advertisement. This crap has gotten so ridiculous it borders on being funny. Oh, and look at how many times a window has popped up advertising a psion. Of course, my statements are just for online content. Television ads have gotten EVEN WORSE. Thank god for Tivo and for episodic (season) DVD's of my favorite shows. I could never get throught watching a episode DUE to commercials.

  • UnReAL_LeGeND

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 10:07 am PT

    I really don't mind in-game ads, especially in games like Splinter Cell and Def Jam, theyre barely noticeable and i like seeing them. However the EA sports games kind of irritate me where its like "Play Axe Bodyspray Shootout Mode!" or things like that

  • methedemon

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 10:04 am PT

    I hate in game ads, i don't want them even if it lowers the game price.

  • Sigil-otaku

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 9:40 am PT

    If the games had reduced prices then I'd agree that in game ads are okay but they never do as 'qiwihead' said so. I believe the ads take away from the game but I would accept it if the games creators were to pass on the money they get from the ads by reducing the cost of the game.

  • qiwihead

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 9:33 am PT

    I suspect that a lot of gamers claim that in-game ads don't bother them because they think ads will lower the retail price of the game. Many posts in this thread support this theory. Please, people, stop being naive! When have game companies ever lowered their prices? In-game ads have been around for a few years now, but have any publishers lowered the prices of game with ads? No, and they won't. They see ads as a secondary revenue stream, not as an offset to costs. The one possible exception is for online games like Quake Wars, which might have otherwise had to charge a monthly fee were it not for ads. Other than that, it's all gravy, so please stop telling these bloody pollsters that you don't mind in-game ads if that's your reason.

  • Timotht

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 9:31 am PT

    I think its ok so long as its tastefully done and doesn't detract from the atmosphere of the game

  • megamega777

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 9:25 am PT

    There are real ads in Crackdown you know, last week I seen an ad for the movie "Shoot'em up". And one for 300 before it came out on DVD

  • demollyon

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 8:45 am PT

    Ads in games suck!

  • Cobra5

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 8:16 am PT

    For anyone who thinks in-game ads add realism, play battlefield 2142. They stick out... I am in the middle of an apoclyptic war between two super powers fighting to survive, then bright and right in the middle of the battle "HEY! BUY GHOSTRIDER! ITS ON DVD!"

    If it made the game cheaper- it'd be bearable. Honestly I think I'd rather just pay the extra price though...

  • ColdfireTrilogy

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 8:01 am PT

    Then suddenly right as each gamer was leaving, the ones that voted well were given 2000 dollars and told thank you by the advertising industries.... I can only see ads in game being a positive thing, IF and ONLY IF we actually get a monetary break in our purchases. When people are still paying the same 69.99 or however much expensive next gen games are these days, I think that is ridiculous. In game adverts should be able to drop the price at least 5$ ... even if it is also paying for the online services as well. Most notably, its usually user payed for servers that run games like ET QW and BF2, so what online prices they are offsetting is beyond me... Especially when a 64 man ranked bf2 server is $400+ a month and the bandwidth, machine, and space isn't really that great most of the time.

  • The_Weekend

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 8:00 am PT

    I don't think it's wrong ... it can really help lower game prices!

  • Moon_Child

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 7:06 am PT

    I was thinking about it and I am with the majority that says that it ads realism, as long as it is contextual and well, realistic. The one thing I would definitely not like is to see adds on loading screens in between matches or stages and I won't be surprised if that start happening. That I just don't want.

  • sieg6529

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 6:58 am PT

    as long as they don't use ads to fill loading time or affect how the games function, then I don't care if it's part of the environment.

  • linkdarkside

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 6:58 am PT

    as long that they dont apear in fantasy seting games it alrigth

  • 1sfn

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 6:55 am PT

    i remember doing this survey, and they have basicly reported the majority of the same answers i gave

  • dmastor

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 6:45 am PT

    love it in sport games

  • danielson2k

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 6:41 am PT

    Doesn't bother me as long as it doesn't affect the gameplay. I recently downloaded the pad by ads version of Rayman Raving Rabbids and Ubisoft got it a bit wrong with that one. They place a video ad during before every load, which would be fine in Farcry or something where loading is fairly infrequent, but in a game like Rayman where the games last from a few seconds to a few minutes, the loading really slows things down. So much so I deleted it. The static ads around the menus were no problem.

    If game companies are going to do this more, they should definitly think about who they let advertise in their games. Ubisoft have placed McDonald's adverts in their free games which can hardly help the growing problem of obesity in children. In game advertising should be subject to the same standards that TV advertising is. Just because the advertising happens to be online doesn't mean there should be no laws governing its use.

  • Ric_SlayeR

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 6:30 am PT

    It can be realistic depending on the tipe of game and time and place. You surely wouldnt like to see advertisings in counter strike would you?

  • sandroDX

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 6:09 am PT

    i dont mind ads in sports games and street racing games at all... but i hope i dont see a Coca-Cola sign in any of my RPGs someday, that would just be silly

  • PelekotansDream

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 5:49 am PT

    It can be realistic. Its nice playing a game and instead of seeing drink machines advertising fake stuff it makes the world seem more realistic if it advertised Coca Cola.

  • zero-G1080

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 5:38 am PT

    i dont mind advertising in like sport games, thats fine and realistic bt when u get master chief on an iPod driving a dodge caliber it just gets silly

  • Generic_Dude

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 5:33 am PT

    It doesn't matter if you're watching television, watching a movie, reading a book, playing a videogame, driving down the highway, or sitting back with a friend enjoying an icy cold Coca-Cola, you just simply cannot escape from the insidious presence of advertisers and their soulless quest to conquer the collective subconcious. It only makes sense that such venues as Liberty City and Vice City should serve as a virtual mirror of the hell that we've allowed these people to create around us. Advertising wouldn't be an issue if so many of us weren't already enslaved to it.

  • kingtrewq

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 5:29 am PT

    since i voted , i think i know that, wasnt that long ago too whys it news

  • Rect_Pola

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 5:27 am PT

    Advertising is a soulless industry that would infect absolutely anything willing to accept their money and viciously fester out of proportion. I highly doubt any amount of ad inserts would actually go to lowering prices. It might take the strain off of development, so it's easier to break even, but it won't affect the prices.

  • Lilac_Benjie

    Posted Sep 4, 2007 4:46 am PT

    I don't buy games with advertisements in them.

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