Advertising in Lieu of Game Fees in MMORPGs? 46
Mat/.Cloud asks: " Am I the only one that thinks it's incredibly unfair to have to pay $20 a month to play a game that I've already paid $50-$60 for? I realize that companies have to charge this fee or they would loose money from the cost of operating the servers. I guess I'm just so spoiled from having everything else on the net being free that I expect this to be also. Then I realized how everything else on the net is paid for... advertising. Would it be possible for companies to put ads in their mmorpg without drastically detracting from the game play? The only reasonably feasible solution I came up with is to have a banner ad at the top of the screen. Do y'all think it would be worth a small sacrifice in game play to keep the games free? Any other ideas on how to insert ads or ways for the companies to pay for their servers?"
Disrupt the flow of the game? (Score:2, Interesting)
This might disrupt the flow of a game in a fantasy setting... This magic vorpal sword +8 drop has been brought to you by Smashdot.
However something like this might work better in a futuristic setting such as the upcoming Star Wars MMORPG. Also, Blizzard currently does some banner advertising at the top of the battle.net chat rooms.
No (Score:1, Insightful)
I wouldn't mind paying if . . . (Score:1)
Re:I wouldn't mind paying if . . . (Score:1)
in C, I hope you all enjoy it */
#include
#include
int main()
{
double years = 60*60*24*365;
int level;
time_t start_time;
for(level=1; level61 ; level++) = time(NULL);
{
start_time = time(NULL);
while(time(NULL) start_time + level*years)
{
printf("You have died.\n");
}
printf("BING! You have gained a level,");
printf(" you are now level %d.%c\n", level, 7);
}
return 0;
}
Re:I wouldn't mind paying if . . . (Score:1)
~Mythr
20$ a month? (Score:1)
all others are in the 10 bucks range
I suspect... (Score:3, Funny)
Especially given that rates for advertising are falling.
A very rough estimate... (Score:1)
Let's say that 50% pay the $50 for 6 months ($20,276,100/yr), and the other 50% pay $10 a month ($24,331,320/yr). In one year they make: $44,607,420 off of subscriptions. This is a very very very rough estimate. I don't see how you could make that much money, or even half as much from advertising.
This 50/50 is of course probably way off, or perhaps not, only a $4million difference. I would assume more pay the $10 a month, so actually more than $44mil is made.
Re:A very rough estimate... (Score:2)
The math is pretty simple, but I keep seeing EQ/Sony/Verant apologists on the message boards claiming that the company is making almost no money on the game, that the servers cost soooo much to run, that there's soooo much staff, and poor Sony and we should all be happy they don't raise prices.
What are they smoking? $44M off subscriptions. Yeah, poor Verant all right! Sheesh.
Glad I kicked, anyway. More time for... uh... oher games, I guess...
There is a limit.. (Score:2)
Advertising costs the same (Score:3, Interesting)
You're either letting your privacy be violated to get something free (and let's face it, advertisers won't pay nearly enough to cover a $20/person-month subscription without mucho private info), or you're protecting your privacy by giving them just money.
No, subscriptions are the Right Way to Do It. It costs you money, but we're concerned about free-as-in-speech, not free-as-in-beer. Complain about the closed nature of the games first, then we'll talk about the cost (at which point I'll bring up the costs of paying all those developers, admins, and maintaining those servers - and subscriptions will still be the Right Way to Do It).
Less obtrusive method of advertising? (Score:1)
Not sure how well that would fit in to Everquest, but in something like Anarchy Online where a good amount of time is spent in bustling futuristic cities, advertising billboards would probably fit right in.
No (Score:1)
This is a great method in some aspects (when I'm forced to use Windows I use the Full version of Eudora for my mail and I got it free because they put small adds in the bottom left corner). But I would leave any MMORPG that decided to start advertising while I was playing.
welll.... (Score:1)
how about good ol' product placement? (Score:1)
But if the genre has space for it, say anarchy online for instance, why not go ahead and have Pepsi and Coke machines and IBM ads on the sides of public transportation or even as someone else posted, billboards? When I am playing a future war game like fallout, there is always the obligatory Heckler & Koch MP999 or the Smith & Wesson 5000 or whatever... well just take that to the next logical extreme and sell product placement.
Hell you can get pretty blatant with it, always have the protagonist in Ralph Loren clothes or holding a can of Seven-Up. If this made a game free after I bought the box, hell I would welcome the attention to detail. Make it clever.
Though I do not want to see a banner ad hanging over my paladin as he rides the hounds of hell. No. I play games to suspend my disbelief and embrace the fiction created, and that is just a touch too intrusive.
Re:how about good ol' product placement? (Score:2)
There's product placement, AND a fee.
How to advertise on a MMORPG (Score:5, Funny)
In DiabloII, for example, collecting the runes 'C', 'O','K', and 'E' and putting them in an item could make a bad-ass and much desired rune word. Players would scramble about in an attempt to locate these "sponsored" items.
Your Paladin would soon be wearing Nike Mesh Boots, GAP armor, Dillard's rings, etc. Everyone would be walking billboards, just like in real life!
Hrmmm. Maybe this isn't such a good idea.
Raph Koster has an interesting piece on this (Score:1)
Already there (Score:2)
So you were right
Suggestion (Score:1)
The company running the game could produce advertising incoming using:
1. Data Mining.
2. Banner Advertisements.
3. Newsletter Advertisements.
4. Premium Accounts
I'm sure if they have enough basis to charge $20/month, their user-base is fairly large. Therefore, they could probably make a nice bit of coin off of newsletter ads alone.
Since this still wouldn't equate to $20/month per user, they could at least knock it down to $10/month or so.
The logic behind this system is fairly simple: .0025 per ad. .01 per email.
1. Banner Ads rotating every 30 seconds at
2. Newsletter Ads at
3. Data Mining: Selling ads to software/game designers based on highly-targetted output. Yes, this would require users to provide information about their interests.. and I would hardly say that producing a list of your favorite game-styles is an invasion of privacy.
4. Premium Accounts: When a user pays an additional $5/month (or so, based on host preference), all advertisements are removed and they could throw in some other small features to account for the other $2.50.
In conclusion, there are probably several routes that could be taken to decrease the $20/month fee and the interface would not be greatly inflicted using banner advertisements @ 10k or less rotating twice a minute.
One side note: I am greatly inadequate as far as knowledge of gaming systems goes because I don't generally have any time to play. If I've made myself look like a giant ass by posting this message, just let me know. :)
I can see it now. (Score:3, Funny)
You must answer me these questions three, ere the other side ye see!
WHAT...is the worlds most refreshing drink?
WHAT....was the effect Napster had on the sales of compact disks sold by the RIAA, as is generally accepted by journalists, the ignorant, and people afraid of 'that Internet thing?'
Re:I can see it now. (Score:1)
ZORK I: The Great Underground Empire
Copyright (c) 1981, 1982, 1983 Infocom, Inc. All rights reserved.
ZORK is a registered trademark of Infocom, Inc.
West of House
You are standing in an open field west of a white house, with a boarded front door. There is a gigantic neon sign next to a small mailbox. On the sign, the words "25% off all Zork® walkthroughs for new customers at Amazon.com®!" blink above a green arrow pointing at the mailbox.
>go west
Don't you want to see what's in that temptingly-placed mailbox?
>go west
A gnome wearing a Nike® shirt comes jogging up the path from the west. He tries to tell you something, but he is out of breath.
>go east
Just before you can leave, the gnome begins to cough. You turn around to see if he's alright, and notice that he's pulling an icy Gatorade® and the latest Michael Jackson single 'You Rock My World' out of the mailbox.
>kill self
That wouldn't be very polite to the gnome now, would it? Besides, he's just quenched that killer thirst of his with your Gatorade, so you might as well listen to what he has to say.
>run south
"Hey, " shouts the gnome, "you forgot your CD!" At that very moment, a very dirty music thief comes running up from the south and knocks you over. By the time you get up, both the pirate and the hot new Michael Jackson single are gone. "Don't worry about that," says the gnome, "Borders® is giving those away free with the purchase of any Michael Jackson CD and you'll be inflicting some justice on him after you go through the trapdoor in the house. You'll probably want to pick up an Energizer® for that lantern in the attic first, though, so that it doesn't kick out on you like competing brands will when you get to the maze of twisty passages."
SYSADMIN: OT (Score:2)
Please send me a copy of your resume, and if it looks at all like what we're doing here (Unix, esp. Sun stuff) then I'll pass it onto my manager. We're definitely hoping to get two people in Ontario very soon.
Oops! (Score:2)
Sorry, forgot the email address. Send it to:
colin@west.gecems.com
I cannot believe this! (Score:1)
Understand, that in this day and age... Things cost money to run.
Ad-based revenue models are falling apart everywhere. Just look at fuckedcompany.com.
You should have to pay to play on their networks.
If you don't want to pay.. play a game that doesn't need a centralized play server, or write your own.
God. The last thing I want is yet another dumbass add popping up, and when the dumstunts realize that nobody looks at them anyway, will start making interuption-based commericals that stop the play.
10Six, an MMORTS does this. (Score:2)
Never gonna happen. (Score:1)
How about... (Score:1)
Like 900 numbers (Score:2)
Dialog (Score:1)
That will be 1 platnium 2 gold 3 silver 9 copper for the Coca-Cola 20oz Bottle.
You pay Inkeep Jobober 1 platnium 2 gold 3 silver 9 copper for the Coca-Cola 20oz Bottle.
You take a drink from a Coca-Cola 20oz Bottle.
You feel refreshed!
You say, 'Ahh, that hit the spot. Coca-Cola tastes great, try one today! Available at your local beverage outlet.
Welcome to my shop, Gamanen! Have you had your break today?
That will be 4 gold 7 copper for the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese sandwich.
=-=-=-=
Egads! OTOH, in a MODERN setting MMORPG, in context adds would not be out of place. In a fantasy RPG, leave em on the login screens, otherwise there is no decorum.
J.Koebel
Avid EQ Player
MMOPRG ADs (Score:1)
Stupid idea (Score:1)