Valve & IGA Pens Advertising Deal

[-smash-]

According to GameIndustry.bizhttp://www.gamesindustry.biz/content_page.php?aid=21838, both Valve and IGA, the advertising company that was reportedly plugging in-game ads without Valve's consent nearly a year agohttp://www.halflife2.net/forums/showthread.php?t=99049&highlight=advertising, have actually made a deal that will allow IGA to run an in-game advertising campaign within Counter-Strike soon.

"This exclusive agreement between IGA Worldwide and Valve adds significant value to our network and provides brands with a sure-fire way to reach millions of consumers with high impact advertising, and with highly measurable results," said Justin Townsend, CEO of IGA.

Arrival of when huge billboards advertising Viagra and various cereals is still unknown. Also, expect to see in-game advertising making their way into other Valve multiplayer games in the future.[br]More at GameIndustry.biz.

 

[Polaris]

Also, expect to see in-game advertising making their way into other Valve multiplayer games in the future.

What is your source?
I really don't care about ads in CS 1.6 but I don't want to see adverts in HL2: DM.

 

[-smash-]

What is your source?
I really don't care about ads in CS 1.6 but I don't want to see adverts in HL2: DM.

If it's a successful trial in 1.6, Valve will go abroad. And I used the term "future" loosely.

Also, see here:

http://csnation.net/articles.php/interview_231/

Doug Lombardi: As for why CS 1.6, the main attraction for potential advertisers is the audience size. Counter-Strike is the largest online action game in the world. Putting ads into our games is a new thing for us. Whenever we’re testing something new, we try to be somewhat scientific — isolating the implementation so we can measure its success or failure. That’s why we chose just one title.

 

[63]

I couldn't care less. Bring on the ads.

 

[Beerdude26]

Am I going to see twelve year-olds screaming for the blood of Gabe Newell on TV again?

 

[Asknoone]

Beerdude. lolol.

 

[JohnnyBeverage]

I'm not a CS player, so I wont be seeing them anytime soon. Hopefully they will never make it to dod:source. I fully expect them though in TF2.

 

[Beerdude26]

I'm not a CS player, so I wont be seeing them anytime soon. Hopefully they will never make it to dod:source. I fully expect them though in TF2.

Lol

"Man, this M1 Garand is horrible! I wish I had the M16 A1 available, now available at my local retailer for only 1,100$! And I get three extra mags!"

 

[hungryduck]

poo on this.

 

[Kyorisu]

Dear god it's 2142 all over again. It would be fine if we didn't pay originally for a product without ads, but no.

 

[Puzzlemaker]

whaaaaa.

 

[bigburpco]

Yay whatever.

Who cares about ads as long as they aren't camouflage or bullshit like that?

 

[Gusdor]

i fail to see what gives them the right Ists a complete bastardization of out statuatory rights

 

[$kelet0r]

imo it's a disgrace
1 - CS1.6 does not receive updates anymore so it is a lossless revenue stream for valve
2 - the price of games will stay the same despite the additional revenue
3 - gamers have no choice but to quit the game totally if they don't like the idea
4 - it's an intrusion and unwanted
5 - valve of all companies pioneering this is very disappointing - greed is all it comes down to

 

[Asknoone]

I can't remember anyone caring about the 1.6 community. If I were the developer, I'd have stopped giving it updates a long time ago.

I trust Valve to control something like this, and use the funds towards developing future games. So long as they aren't shoving spyware and cookie tracking shit down my throat, and it's limited to a few ads here and there in the level design then I'm fine with it.

 

[Dalamari]

i fail to see what gives them the right Ists a complete bastardization of out statuatory rights

LOLOLOLOL

First off, it's their game, that's the main reason they have the right to do it, and it's simple, don't play 1.6, the ads fail, and we don't see it happen to other games, but seeing as most 1.6 players seem to enjoy playing games they hate (considering all CS players bitch about how bad the game is yet keep playing it) I don't see any kind of CS boycott happening

 

[BWMathis]

imo it's a disgrace

Well, that's because you don't understand business, or how much money flows through this industry.

1 - CS1.6 does not receive updates anymore so it is a lossless revenue stream for valve

The Half-Life engine just received an update in October, which directly affects 1.6. There have been other smaller updates in the past couple of years. Do remember that 1.6 comprises a larger audience than all their other games, so using it as a test vehicle is the best decision.

2 - the price of games will stay the same despite the additional revenue

And production values will go up without increasing the price, due to an additional stream of revenue.

3 - gamers have no choice but to quit the game totally if they don't like the idea

How is that different than any other change?

4 - it's an intrusion and unwanted

Maybe you should really learn what an intrusion is. Putting an ad that you can avoid looking at in a game is far from intrusive.

5 - valve of all companies pioneering this is very disappointing - greed is all it comes down to

Oh noes, a for-profit corporation is trying to make *GASP* a profit!

Kids...

 

[$kelet0r]

lol - who doesn't love being lectured by idiot
having the right doesn't make it right
I install anti spyware software on my computer for a reason - work out with your 'oh so superior financial reasoing' why that is
what it comes down to is that if it does not benefit me as a consumer it shouldn't happen
and it won't benefit me at all - I don't like advertisements, I don't like software monitoring or updating on my computer without my permission and I especially don't like continuing to pat full price for a game when advertising should reduce costs. But there will always be people like you who let companies use them as doormats to the detriment of everyone

 

[-Psy-]

Is there going to a full-scale riot outside Valve's doors with nerds screaming, "WTFZ0R! WE WANTZ OUT CS 1.6 TO BE LEFT ALONE!"?

 

[Asknoone]

i fail to see what gives them the right Ists a complete bastardization of out statuatory rights

 

[Kyorisu]

Now lets say you do play CS 1.6. When you bought the game sure you expected updates, changed game play but you didn't expect ads. I don't like advertising at all unless it fits in perfectly ala racing simulators and other sport games. Come on how are ads going to look in CS 1.6 they aren't going to fit the map no matter how hard you try.

I won't boycott a game because they seek to make money elsewhere but I'll be against the idea.

 

[Asuka]

Doesnt matter to me. I dont mind good ads.

 

[bigburpco]

Is the ****ing ad going to come out and headshot you?

 

[Rim-Fire]

Is the ****ing ad going to come out and headshot you?

You insensitive bastard! An in-game ad killed my father! He was playing Battlefield 2142 when a viagra ad popped up and gave him a heart-attack.;(

 

[Beerdude26]

Who cares about ads as long as they aren't camouflage or bullshit like that?

"He's hiding behind the Pepsi!" :O

 

[Lazer32]

The idea of ads, yes, is a bit unnerving, especially if it will effect those players that love authenticity and try to become involved in the experience that is gaming. However, ads can indeed get in the way of such immersion if the ads don't fit with the environment. I.E. ads for modern products being put into a world war 2 game such as Day of Defeat. Ads could definatley get in the way of people becoming directly involved in the game, because even though they feel they are within the late 30's and early 40's with the architecture, weapons, and the fact that it is world war 2, ads could get in the way of sealing this experience by constantly reminding the player that after they are done playing, they could go buy some cereal. Also, other could see it just as a nuisance. Perhaps they don't particularly like the kind of message one of the ads is sending, or the placement on the map.

The reasons of how these ads get in the way within the gaming environment are obvious, but even so, when its comes to valve making a decision about this the key factors will be
A) Why not try, it hasn't been done before and it could be a great opportunity overall for our business. (Expanding into different markets, or in this case, creating a new market for advertising are very important things for a company like valve)
B) Have our profits increased since instituting this new type of advertising within our games?
C) Has our audience/user base decreased since instituting such advertising?

Most likely all of these questions will be answered in a positive way for valve, which for some could seem like a major defeat. However, I think, that in the end, people will get used to it and will overall be accepted, just like commercials during our normal television programming. Sure we complain about it, but we still continue watching our favorite shows regardless.

 

[ZoFreX]

I wonder how this will affect broadcasts of CS games - after all I doubt sites will want to give the advertisers that are paying Valve free exposure.

 

[Javert]

Shameful on Valve's part.

 

[Grem]

What will the ads look like, will they be decals on walls? or will they be something you only see in spectate mode on the screen. Because if it was decals on maps i think they would only be able to put them on Offical maps, which mean servers can just host a modified version of the maps with slighty different names- for instance cs_office_noad etc.

 

[ZoFreX]

Actual Coca-Cola vending machines perhaps? I wouldn't mind something subtle like that...

 

[bigburpco]

Shameful on Valve's part.

How, exactly?