In-game advertising
Under in -game advertising (English in game: ' the game' ) or In -game advertising the display of advertising messages in computer games is to understand. This can be done in different ways:
- By static in-game advertising ( SIGA ) is understood to tight (and even during the games development ) in the game built promotional storylines and visual Marken-/Produktdarstellungen, which corresponds to the basic idea of product placement. In the game integrated products and brands remain for the lifetime part of the game.
- Under dynamic in-game advertising ( DIGA ) is defined as the geo - and time- coded placement of advertisements in TCP / IP konnektierten games ( return channel ) based on a media budget. Advertising messages are switched dynamically into the game and out of the game. The game acts as a transmitter and is temporarily supplied with advertising.
- Under Ad-Games is meant games that are designed for and on behalf of a branded company and their primary goal is to put the brands of the sponsoring organization in the eyes of the players.
In the fast growing in- game advertising industry many other names for the categories just described are used. However, the above classification is now internationally accepted industry vocabulary.
History
Commercial components in computer games already existed since the earliest days of Atari, then usually in the form of advertising banners. Also the brand logos of other companies later mainly in sports games - since this allowed the graphics performance of the computer, the logos of the developer companies and their partners were integrated into computer games.
Meanwhile, the global turnover of the game industry has overtaken those of box office receipts of Hollywood by far. The advertising industry uses occurring fusion of film and video game in order to break new ground in the marketing of the product and brand. In addition, traditional media among young audiences for several years constantly becoming less important (so to reach and ). Advertising integrations any form should therefore remain an important source of income in the future for manufacturers of computer games.
Forms of in-game advertising
Advergames
This form of advertising, also referred to as Ad-Games, Branded Games or advertising games, describes a mark of a leading company designed and the target group game offered, which transports the intended marketing message. The brand or message the advertiser's usually not appear in the game itself, but only in the game ( intro, outro, game name). The expectation is that potential customers fall into a playfulness and thereby increases the perception of the company or a particular product. The games themselves are mostly revised versions of classic amusement games. Sometimes you will also find creative in-house developments such as the Dyson telescope game. Not to be forgotten military simulations that promote political goals and in the case of America's Army and Full Spectrum Warrior were even fully financed by military means. The most famous is probably the advertising game Moorhuhn game.
Static in-game advertising ( SIGA )
In this form of in-game advertising clearly recognizable brands will be integrated into the game's plot. This corresponds to the idea of product placement in movies and TV series. For example, a mobile phone company Sony Ericsson central part of the game Splinter Cell. In the other parts of this video game series of posters from Nokia, Axe, Chrysler and other companies adorn the virtual environment. Furthermore eats Sam Fisher, the protagonist of the series in the third part, several times Airwaves Kaugummies.
One challenge in product placement is to let the product advertising sense incorporated into the game. Ideally, the advertised product interferes with the play, such as Red Bull, which gives the worm in " Worms 3D " forces. Such matching the gaming world product placement (as well as shirt sponsorship football simulations or banner advertising in driving games ) are not bothersome. They seem to make the game fun even: For the football game Pro Evolution Soccer circulating on the Internet, for example, instructions on how to reproduce the in-game editor, the shirt sponsors of the Bundesliga clubs, as these are not included due to licensing issues in the game.
Dynamic in-game advertising ( DIGA )
In the online game Mall Tycoon 2 Deluxe by Take 2 Interactive, the first dynamic in-game advertising was used. In many online games advertising space can always be filled with any variable content today. This is in-game advertising campaign also capable: the advertising message can not be determined with long lead times and throughout the marketing period of a game, but can be flexibly switched for a campaign period of a few weeks. An advertising exposure is defined here by the duration of the display, the relative size of the screen and a minimum viewing angle. This new technology also allows a quantification of the effectiveness of various advertising spaces: it can be measured, at which points a game advertising is the basis of what is best perceived determinants. This can be determined and then sell them at different prices to different values of companies advertising space.
Content focus
In this form of video games are aligned to the content of the message to be conveyed. This form is mainly its application when suggestive certain viewpoints are trying to convey and serve the public opinion. They are designed as usual, to be entertaining, serving video games and tend to your expression mostly role-playing games. Participants take for a limited time playing contemporary fictional thinking and behavior patterns and can act out in the way they co-designed game world, so as to penetrate further into the game. The content of these games can also be political, religious or sociological motivated addition to the commercial orientation. An example of a game with sociological educational function is Luka, which is aimed at children aged 8 to 10 years and they should enable playful to resolve conflicts without the use of language or physical violence.
Commercial breaks
Analogous to commercials in broadcast media or in the movies is also suitable for video games, the possibility to interrupt the play action for a ' commercial break '. However, this is due to lack of consumer acceptance of computer games, at least in the medium used in commercial games is extremely rare.
Mixed forms
It is also mixed forms, on the one hand between the game types mentioned here will appear on the other hand combined with other known advertising media. An example of this is especially true online advertising in which the medium of the Internet as a platform for the game. The players should thus stay longer on the website of the initiator, so as to increase brand awareness. This occurs particularly in mixed form, in combination with the above-described ad -game form. Also novel promotional appearances as the pixel banner advertising on the Internet already occur combined in a game.
Criticism
In games with an advertising content ask yourself - as in product placement in film and TV - frequently asked questions of the separation of editorial advertising commandment (Law against Unfair Competition ). The notion of editorial advertising is originally from the radio and press law. This refers to a cast in the form of an editorial radio or press advertising contribution. Such surreptitious advertising is prohibited. The reason is that the reader some degree of objectivity, neutrality and objectivity expected in an editorial contribution. This is " editorial packaged " Advertising no longer exists in so that the reader is misled. Consequently, applies a strict order of the separation between editorial content and advertising. This is to ensure the neutrality and impartiality of the media. As a common solution to this problem are clearly recognizable advertising space in the virtual worlds in the form of eg Band advertisements or posters integrated and used for dynamic in-game advertising.