Gamertell

Google announced yesterday (July 18, 2007) that it plans to market advertisement space in web based games and later on in PC and console based games. The announcement was part of this week’s Casual Connect game convention in Seattle. Google also put to rest rumors that they would be entering into any other sector of the video game industry. The in-game advertising will be handled by the company recently acquired by Google, Adscape Media.

I won’t beat around the bush here - I think this is a terrible idea. Advertising is what ruined radio and now it looks like they’re eyeing the videogame industry. The market is already full of dime-a-dozen spin-offs and poorly conceptualized games and if the ad execs start drooling over target audiences and potential revenues they’ll only make things worse by pushing substandard games that they can pump full of annoying ads. Imagine playing your favorite game, only now you have to watch a commercial in between every level. Boo.

As some astute online pundits have already realized, you shouldn’t have to watch ads when you’ve already shelled out sixty dollars for the game. I bet the people who work in the advertising industry are great and all that but I think they should be tarred and feathered. The whole lot of ‘em.

And then beaten with socks full of oranges.

TiVo and other ingenious models have now made it possible to tune out the screamers who want you to buy stuff you don’t need and can’t afford, and this has got the higher ups peeing their pants. Good riddance, I say. Keep them out of our games!

Read [Seattlepi] Also Read [Adscapemedia]