Paying Subscriptions for MMOs with In-Game Ads?

CokoBWare asks: "Next Generation is reporting that NC Soft, makers of the beloved City of Heroes, Guild Wars, and other MMOs have announced that they will be incorporating in-game advertising for their MMO Auto Assault, using an ad service from Massive Inc. NC Soft has made no indication that they intend to change their subscription model in light of this new announcement. I wanted to know how other people would feel paying $50US for a game, plus approximately $15/month in subscription fees, and in addition be served with in-game advertising as well? Is this a good trend for subscription-based MMO games of the future? Should gamers pay for the privilege of having to be subjected to in-game advertising on a monthly basis?"

This Depends...

[those.numbers]

This completely depends on the game. In some games, in some context, ads could almost add to the atmosphere. I'm not too familiar with this game in particular, but if they placed the ads on billboards in games so that you would see them as you drive by, I wouldn't mind. Real city streets have them, so why can't the MMO? Now, if they're too obtrusive, the company should tone them down. Especially since people are already paying good money to play.

On the other hand, if I see one advertisment in Guild Wars...

Re:Well Life is Tuff

[Ohreally_factor]

I could even see where in game ads, properly done, would improve the experience. If someone where to make a Bladerunner MMORPG, it would seem utterly naked if there weren't huge electronic billboards.

However, what would be interesting would be top player endorsements. Imagine if you were the "best" (whatever that might mean in the context of the game) in a game, and your play was subsidized by wearing logos or having logos on your vehicle. A Nascar MMORPG?

Better Games?

[carterhawk001]

If the publishers and content produces for MMO's are going to stick advertising in games, then I have no problem continuing to pay my monthly fee so long as the revenue from said advertising is used to improve the game im playing. Less downtime should be a top priority for both sides because downtime = less advert money. More content in general would also be nice. More places for that advertising to go i figure. You have to remember that disneyland is like the real life equivelent for an MMO, and in addition to your entrance fee, many of the E Ticket rides [go.com] have corporate sponsors [energizer.com], which is totaly cool because it means the ride is better than it otherwise would have been. As long as the big wigs at the publishing companies arent just fattening their wallets, im cool with in-game advertising.

Re:It's quite simple:

[tukkayoot]

Some product placement might be acceptable in a game that I'm paying a subscription for, assuming of course the game takes place in a modern or contemporary setting where you might actually expect the products being advertised to exist. It wouldn't necessarily obtrustive be too obtrustive to be playing a GTA-style game and to see billboards on the side of the road as you drive down the city highway. In fact, it might even make the game more believable. It could prove limiting as well, however. If a car game only features GM automobiles as a part of their product placement contract, it might not work out to be as immersive an enviornment as compared to if they populated the game entirely with made-up autos (or those patterned after a variety of different makes of car).

If I'm paying the market price for a MMO subscription (presently, $15/month or so) not a single advertisement had better be integrated as a part of the UI/HUD, unless I can easily and permanently disable it. Integration of ads in the UI might be acceptable as long as you're paying less than what an adless MMO of comparable quality costs, and if you're given the option to pay a bit more to get rid of the ads.

And though I say that might be acceptable, it doesn't mean I want to see it happen. I worry about the old slippery slope. Today you can easily fork over $80/month to your cable company and the majority of stations will still be displaying pure advertising 15% of the time or so. Gaming companies may figure that if people will accept this in television, they will accept it in games. This is obviously not the direction that I'd like to see another medium headed in.

US centric adverts

[forgotten_my_nick]

One thing amazed me about the US when I lived there is how badly you are bombarded with adverts. Not just TV but everywhere. Really its like having a fast computer. You don't realise it until you start to try to use a slow one.

I found amazing, and very annoying. But for everyone else because they grew up with it they more or less blocked it out. Advertising companies know this, which is why adverts are becoming more and more intrusive. Take a look at this site.. http://www.womma.org/wombat/agenda.htm [womma.org]

It will give you an idea of how intrusive they actually get. Whats intresting in that site is that NCSofts Auto-Assault has used these marketing companies for viral/Gurrilla/astro-turfing. So having them put adverts into the game is just an extension of this to be honest.

As for the OP question. I wouldn't play it. I'd quit. If I am paying a subscription why the heck should I be paying to be spammed with adverts. Don't talk to me about it. Think it helps? Guess you have never seen "Deuce Bigalow: European gigalo" pictures in planetside.
http://www.secretlair.com/index.php?/clickablecult ure/entry/massive_ruins_planetside/ [secretlair.com]

which incidently was hacked to stop adverts spawning in game (just basically edited the hosts file).

Matrix Online was doing this a long time ago...

[TheNetAvenger]

Billboards in the Matrix Online had both fake and real ads on them from launch. It actually added to the realism of the game, as it wasn't just fake ads. (Made it feel more real)

I quit Matrix because SOE (Sony Online) bought it, and started adding in everquest abilities to the game model, a lot like when they brought the everquest developers over to Star Wars Galaxies and started destroying because they didn't 'get the difference'.

But until then it was kind of cool to see new movie billboards or alienware ads for a new model, etc.

It can make the world more real, but if it fits in the context. I wouldn't expect to see a Pepsi Machine In WoW or a Billboard for a new movie in WoW, it has to fit the game and not break it. Matrix it worked because it was mimmicking a real city.

And if it adds revenue they use to make the game better and add content and expand the game, I'm for it...

Re:It's all in the execution

[Slithe]

For fantasy settings, (if they can) they will probably try some product integration style thing. I once saw an advertisement about a Sony, Pizza-Hut partnership that allowed an Everquest II player to type '/pizza' into the chat window, and a Pizza-Hut online ordering menu would pop-up. I thought this was the stupidest thing I had ever seen, but Evercrack junkies probably found it uber-convenient.

Re:It's quite simple:

[cp.tar]

Plain and simple: I wouldn't play it at all.

Actually, the only MMORPG I play has no subscription either - Guild Wars.
It is the only kind I can afford and the only kind I'm willing to play.

If you're charging me for the privilege of viewing ads, sod off; I get quite pissed off just when I go to the cinema, pay the ticket and am forced to sit through almost half an hour of commercials. (OK, so maybe it just feels that long.)
Anyway, a game that is serving me ads should damn well be totally free of charge just because of the annoyance factor. I don't respond (positively) to ads anyway.