Well, for those of you who haven't seen, read for yourself:
Massive Incorporated Home
Yahoo Article on Massive Incorporated (a more informative read)
Did it cripple you as much as it cripples me? Are you peeing blood, after an invisible, McAdvertising fist rammed into your kidneys? Good, I'm glad you share my pain.
To be honest, this scares the hell out of me. Obviously this is looking largely at MMOGs. Not only does the 'Massive' in the title suggest that, the dynamic ability to change ads hints at the necessity of a persistent world, as well as the number of players (2 million anybody?), points in that direction.
Now, if one wanted to really take an optimistic look at it, upon first glance it might not seem that big of a deal. Even a 'good' thing.
After all, more streams of revenue for the companies in charge of the games means cheaper monthly subscriptions, better service, and higher budgets allotted to making such games.
Right?
Right. Except, we all know that it would not equal cheaper subscriptions or better service. And we know the budgets will continue to rise as long as it's a credible investment in a controlled but competitive market.
In other words, all we'd get is ads in our games... and a kick in the teeth.
My concern on this is double though. First of all, I can see this nearly inevitable happening, two is the quote found in the press release that is a lie. And not just a lie. A blatant, prince of flies, Dante's 9th level of hell, hanging me from a tree by my wang sort of lie.
"Massive has built the advertising backbone that delivers precision, measurement, reach, and control that never interferes with game play."
Doesn't interfere with Gameplay, huh?
Oh really.
Why is it, I don't think they asked any gamers to define 'gameplay' for them. MassiveAds definition? "Just because you need to consume Future McNuggets, to regain stamina, isn't interfering with gameplay! After all, that's more 'real' anyways, we all know McDonald's will own our souls in the next 25 years."
Sure. I mean, anybody other than me remember that horrible period of time, when McDonald's took over IGN for like a week? And it ceased to simply be shitty IGN, and became the super, mega, evil McIGN?
Yeah, that didn't interfere with IGN's already mindboggling level of suck... Wait, no, it did. It made it that much suckier. Yet, that's the reality we have to face if things like this carry along. After all, we (our demographic, you know, the modern 'influential' one) is seen as basically money in the bank, and advertisers want to tap into us. But advertisers, being the way they are, never do things half assed.
That's why IGN didn't have a stupid symbol in the corner saying: "McGriddles, Yum." No, they had an entirely new website for a few days. You think any of these companies would be content simply having a bus bench style of add plastered across a virtual brick wall? Or worse, a castle? (Time for a McSiege anyone?). No, they wouldn't be, that's not how these things work.
They'd want a period of time where they KNOW that people are going to be subjected to their advertising. And that means being intrusive, just like commercials are intrusive.
Sure, it may not start there, but that's where it will head.
And what does that mean for us, the players? It means we'll be forced to collect four Big Macs, off of Hamburgler of Skull Keep, to return to Ronald the King, for our Fiery Sword of McSlaying.
Are you annoyed yet? Good. Becuase that's where this idea is headed.
The thing that really bothers me about all of this, is how it seems that someone, somewhere along the way forgot that we, as players, spend an assload of money on this stuff not to be inundated with commercials. We spend more money on one game than an entire month of TV. We subscribe monthly to MMOGs, because we get to do it on our time.
The reality is, our generation is the HBO generation. The reason ratings are going down for things with thick advertisements, are because we don't want to see advertisements.
But what can we do if development companies see this as an extra, and very lucrative, stream of revenue?
Nothing really. We can not buy the products, but then, honestly, (no offense), I don't believe for a second most gamers have the willpower not to buy a game from a franchise they love, just because it forces them to interact with advertising as a part of the game.
So what if you Solid Snake is sucking back on a pack of Marlboro's right? That's not intrusive? So what if you riddle the Big Bad in Grand Theft Auto with patented McBullets.
The problem is, where does it stop? How far will we see this soak into the games we love as escapism? Will we be logging onto World of Warcraft, only to find 'subtle' advertisements from anybody who has the money to blow on it? Will that ruin the immersion. Hell, the 'fun'?
For me, yes. I've always looked at video games, much as I'd look at a novel. Do I turn the page in a novel, and find the main character, trying to sell me, 1950s sitcom style, on Bryl Cream or something? No.
And I don't want to see it in Video Games either. The entire concept disturbs me. That said, is there anything we can do about it? Is this the future, and should we just lube up, bend over, and get comfortable?