I've been meaning to do an article/blog-entry about the amazing downloadable content finding its way on to game consoles this Summer. More on that later.

Some of the better pieces of DLC available for the PS3 have been "WipEout HD's" 2.0 update and "Fury" additions. More on those later, too.

The "Fury" update not only brought "WipEout HD" some completely awesome gameplay changes, new tracks and ships, but also some of the worst in-game advertising, ever.

I can handle in-game billboards and product placement; heck, the first few "WipEout" games featured animated Red Bull logos, such as this example:

... but, really irks me is the intrusion of a game-stopping interstitial ad for State Farm Insurance in the new "Fury" download. Here it is:

I immediately checked Twitter and numerous gamers were already complaining about the ad. I also voiced my frustration.

Again, I'm fine with in-game advertising, but there are lines that publishers should not cross.

Here are my problems with this State Farm ad:
1. The ad stops the loading of the games levels. It greatly increases load time. This has been proven HERE.
2. This intrusive ad is in a PAID piece of game content. The "Fury" update is $9.99 on the PlayStation Store. If the content was free, I wouldn't be complaining.
3. The ad appears over and over in the game. I was getting it every other level. Some gamers were saying 3 to 4 times an hour and when they disconnected the PS3 from their internet connection. Once per game would have made sense.
4. The ad doesn't really fit with the theme of the game or seemingly the demographic. It desperately tries too hard to be "hip."

So, who's to blame for this in-your-face advertising technique? A company called Double Fusion. They are touting the ad in THIS press release.

The release offers this:
Taking advantage of WipEout HD's 1080p high definition capabilities, Double Fusion's video ads approach the HD graphics experienced during gameplay. Developed to contextually match the game's sleek futuristic design, video advertisements complement the WipEout HD world seamlessly.

I think we need a little more "seamlessness."

Earlier today, posts from several gaming blogs say that the ads are being removed. Eurogamer.net touts the removal HERE; and Kotaku was linking to a "WipEout" forum also saying the ad is gone (HERE).

So, are these annoying ads gone for good? Don't bet on it. I'm sure this is just the beginning of the future of in-game advertising. I wonder if, in a few years, we'll look back and say, "that was nothing, now look at what we have!"

Stay tuned.

Posted by: bettiwettiwoo | August 4, 2009 7:23 PM