Publishers prepping us to make in-game ads the norm

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uninspiredcup

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#1  Edited By uninspiredcup
Member since 2013 • 58646 Posts

Yep. Yep. Yep.

2K appears to have added unskippable adverts in NBA 2K19

It appears that in a recent update NBA 2K19 has received another addition that is unwelcome, and that is unskippable adverts before the start of matches. This revelation came to light on a Reddit thread where a number of players have complained about having to sit through adverts before being allowed to start a game. The NBA 2K games have been filled with promotional content for years from a number of advertising partners, with replays having sponsors and branded stores being around so players could purchase that gear. While it was everywhere players could choose to skip the adverts or not buy gear.

The picture above shows that a game has been loaded but cannot be progressed until the advert is done. Unskippable adverts are usually found in the realm of free mobile games, YouTube unless you have Premium and TV. There does seem to be some kind of fix though in that players can turn off the 2KTV setting in the options which should mean you don’t see these adverts. It does seem though that 2K Games are looking to explore every single avenue to get as much income from NBA 2K, which as a business is its function, but each of these feels like it sacrifices player and consumer friendliness to build up that income,

Let’s be honest here it’s not the first time 2K has been called out for its business practices and impact on gameplay when it comes to the NBA 2K series. I’ve called out the VC grind numerous times in the past through reviews, stating how it is almost impossible to make any real progress without investing extra cash or be left behind. 2K has yet to comment on this practice but should they do so we’ll report on what they have said and how the decision was justified.

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PC_Rocks

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#2 PC_Rocks
Member since 2018 • 8461 Posts

Don't worry! You will have MTX to skip them.

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#3  Edited By uninspiredcup
Member since 2013 • 58646 Posts

@pc_rocks said:

Don't worry! You will have MTX to skip them.

That's actually (sort of already happened).

In SFV if a player runs the ads, they get increased grind currency.

This being a £50 game, with £320 of DLC.

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Archangel3371

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#4 Archangel3371
Member since 2004 • 43996 Posts

Saw a video on this earlier and it’s disgusting, absolutely disgusting. I fully see streaming services putting in as many ads as they can.

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uninspiredcup

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#6 uninspiredcup
Member since 2013 • 58646 Posts

@Archangel3371 said:

Saw a video on this earlier and it’s disgusting, absolutely disgusting. I fully see streaming services putting in as many ads as they can.

Exactly what I was thinking. They know it's the future and are trying to prep the consumer to normalize as much scummy shit as they can.

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br0kenrabbit

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#7 br0kenrabbit
Member since 2004 • 17851 Posts

Adblocker +++

sorry consoles :-(

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Archangel3371

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#8 Archangel3371
Member since 2004 • 43996 Posts

@uninspiredcup: A streaming only future must be an absolute wet dream for many publishers.

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dzimm

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#9 dzimm
Member since 2006 • 6615 Posts

@Archangel3371: "I fully see streaming services putting in as many ads as they can."

That will definitely happen. An unskippable ad every time you start a game, and instead of loading screens between levels, you'll get commercials. Won't that be grand.

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deactivated-618bc23e9b1c9

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#10 deactivated-618bc23e9b1c9
Member since 2007 • 7339 Posts

@getyeryayasout said:

I need to find a new hobby.

totes, or just stick with retro

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deactivated-5e90a3763ea91

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#11 deactivated-5e90a3763ea91
Member since 2008 • 9437 Posts

Well since the 2008 elections there have been games released with paid presidential ads in them. And a lot of mobile games with micro-transactions have ads and things anyway.

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#12 lundy86_4
Member since 2003 • 61427 Posts

Yeah, gamers are pretty damn pissed lol. The franchise is shit anyway. It was already Mostly Negative in reviews on Steam, and now newer reviews are commenting on the adverts.

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uninspiredcup

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#13  Edited By uninspiredcup
Member since 2013 • 58646 Posts

@Ovirew said:

Well since the 2008 elections there have been games released with paid presidential ads in them. And a lot of mobile games with micro-transactions have ads and things anyway.

Ads have been in games since before Battlefield 2142. With practically all of them dropping them after public outcry and future games removing them.

Some companies such as Mcdonalds, outright created games (and movies) to act as advertisements in the 1990's.

Actual ads in paid games outside of billboards are almost non-existent unless we are talking about a company advertising it's own products.

Now it's evolved to become a punishing game mechanic and full blown forceable loading screens.

With loot-boxes coming under scrutiny and the inevitable steaming future, very little doubt they will attempt to standardize it in some form. They've been trying for years.

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#14 mrbojangles25  Online
Member since 2005 • 58159 Posts

I don't mind ads in free-to-play, but if I spend money on a game, I expect no ads.

Honestly WTF are these developers doing? If they can't make a decent game on a modest budget and have to resort to ads to make up the cost, they are in the wrong business. Or maybe they're just greedy.

I'll never forget the intro mission of Rainbow Six Vegas 2 and that huuuuuuuuge "Axe bodyspray" ad the helicopter conveniently lingers by for a few seconds. Talk about an immersion killer.

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#15 DocSanchez
Member since 2013 • 5557 Posts

Movies and TV started doing it a lot in the early 2000s and it became particularly egregious. James Bond would flip open a laptop just to focus on a Sony logo for a few seconds, Dr Evils lair was inside a Starbucks, Friends openly boasted about it's association with Boddingtons during the whole crappy British saga. It seems to have lessened somewhat, perhaps someone has more info on this.

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#16 madsnakehhh
Member since 2007 • 18249 Posts

I was baffled at this ... i honestly couldn't believe it was actually running an ad ... i mean, in the long run i don't really mind since with SFV i didn't see that much of an issue with it ... but, i don't know, is just so bizarre.

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#17 Pedro  Online
Member since 2002 • 69087 Posts

I have no issues with ads under the following conditions

  • It matches the game's theme as it looks like it belongs
  • It doesn't affect gameplay in ANYWAY
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deactivated-5d78760d7d740

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#18 deactivated-5d78760d7d740
Member since 2009 • 16386 Posts

To say publishers are prepping us is a stretch imo. NBA 2k has gone to trash a long time ago, the series is an absolute shell of itself. The business practices in these games are far more egregious than what's standardized in the industry since sports fans eat it all up anyway.

I would be shocked if other companies follow suit or if 2k places this in non sports games.

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#19 Raining51
Member since 2016 • 1162 Posts

Well that's something else, no wonder theres a retro gaming scene these days.

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#20 PC_Rocks
Member since 2018 • 8461 Posts

@uninspiredcup:

As long as it's completely offline and on PC. Modders will find a way around that. Thank God, PC exists. It becomes a problem with MP and always online games.

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#21 AJStyles
Member since 2018 • 1430 Posts

There should not be adverts/commercials in $70+ full price games.

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#22 deactivated-60bf765068a74
Member since 2007 • 9558 Posts

just dreadful

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#23 Sushiglutton
Member since 2009 • 9839 Posts

@XVision84 said:

To say publishers are prepping us is a stretch imo. NBA 2k has gone to trash a long time ago, the series is an absolute shell of itself. The business practices in these games are far more egregious than what's standardized in the industry since sports fans eat it all up anyway.

I would be shocked if other companies follow suit or if 2k places this in non sports games.

Agree with this. If GoW or Zelda starts to have ads in them I would be really shocked too. Sports games are rarely discussed on the message boards i frequent and seem targeted at a slightly different demographic.

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#24  Edited By deactivated-63d1ad7651984
Member since 2017 • 10057 Posts

I guess this means modders don't have to mod vending machines anymore.

Also

Loading Video...

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uninspiredcup

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#25  Edited By uninspiredcup
Member since 2013 • 58646 Posts

@Pedro said:

I have no issues with ads under the following conditions

  • It matches the game's theme as it looks like it belongs
  • It doesn't affect gameplay in ANYWAY

Agreed.

It can add immersion if real world items are seen or become intrinsically bound to a series benefiting both to the enjoyment of the consumer as is the case with James Bonds association with luxury cars, or those sweeping shots in Lords Of The Rings basically advertising what a lovely place New Zealand is. Which to a degree, games like Assassins Creed do, or Total War in romanticizing eras and places.

Loading Video...

But Publishers are cock heads, enough is never enough.

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#26 Litchie
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@Pedro said:

I have no issues with ads under the following conditions

  • It matches the game's theme as it looks like it belongs
  • It doesn't affect gameplay in ANYWAY

Yeah same. I don't mind if a car game for example have ads on signs and shit for the developer's other games, or for car manufacturers or something. I don't mind "real" ads in games that try to simulate reality (at least not more than I mind real ads in the real world. I fucking hate them and ignore them as best I can, but I know they must exist).

But if I get paused in a game in order to watch an ad, or if I see a Neutrogena shampoo ad in a Rayman game, I'd be seriously pissed.

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#27 dzimm
Member since 2006 • 6615 Posts
@DocSanchez said:

Movies and TV started doing it a lot in the early 2000s and it became particularly egregious. James Bond would flip open a laptop just to focus on a Sony logo for a few seconds...

It's usually a Mac. Apple pays a lot of money to movie and television studios to ensure that the good guys are almost always seen using a Mac.

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#28 dzimm
Member since 2006 • 6615 Posts

@warmblur said:

I guess this means modders don't have to mod vending machines anymore.

Also

Loading Video...

Honestly, that kind of thing doesn't bother me. When you have a game set in the real world, real-world product placement adds to the verisimilitude. What would bother me is if a game forced me to watch 2-minutes of commercials for every 30-minutes of play time, which is the direction we seem to be heading.

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#29 svaubel
Member since 2005 • 4571 Posts

Gross. As if the rampant DLC, season passes, yearly passes, lootboxes, and etc wasnt enough for these shit companies.

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deactivated-63d1ad7651984

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#30 deactivated-63d1ad7651984
Member since 2017 • 10057 Posts

@dzimm said:
@warmblur said:

I guess this means modders don't have to mod vending machines anymore.

Also

Loading Video...

Honestly, that kind of thing doesn't bother me. When you have a game set in the real world, real-world product placement adds to the verisimilitude. What would bother me is if a game forced me to watch 2-minutes of commercials for every 30-minutes of play time, which is the direction we seem to be heading.

Agree fu%% that.

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#31 Shewgenja
Member since 2009 • 21456 Posts

Jokes on them. I play games to unplug from our saturated commercialized culture. I almost didn't buy ffxv for its marketing content with Coleman. That's as far across that bridge as I am willing to go.

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#32  Edited By DocSanchez
Member since 2013 • 5557 Posts
@dzimm said:
@DocSanchez said:

Movies and TV started doing it a lot in the early 2000s and it became particularly egregious. James Bond would flip open a laptop just to focus on a Sony logo for a few seconds...

It's usually a Mac. Apple pays a lot of money to movie and television studios to ensure that the good guys are almost always seen using a Mac.

I've seen lots of macs in these but in the case of Bond I was recalling a specific case from a recent film. I think either Casino Royale or Quantum of Solace.