Football Manager to get in-game ads

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/football-manager-to-get-in-game-ads

I hope they lower the price of the game then, but I don't think so.

What exactly does that mean? Will ads be part of the game or downloaded online? If there is no net connection involved then its ok. I hope they are not planning of turning FM into a spyware.

^

I think its more like we can choose some sponsors for our teams IN GAME, correct me if i m wrong.

More like a feature.

How would the pitchside billboards work?

We wouldn't really be able to see them properly from the angle we see the game at.

I hope these adverts don't slow the game down. And, yeah, it does seem like it should make the game a little cheaper to buy, but I'm sure it won't. I actually kinda hope this isn't true.

if its just rectaangles next to the pitch with company's names on them then im not too bothered.

its well known that sega arent exactly rolling in it so the price is more likely to go up than down

The game engine is realistic as in its birds eye view, so rectangles next to the pitch would ruin the angle. If it was rugby or something than the stupid Lloyds TSB thing could be painted on the pitch, but such markings aren't allowed on football pitches so the advertisements will probably be on a tarpaulin like the ones next to the goals where it always says Coca Cola and stuff.

Great piece of marketing.

So does this mean we will be able to be given real companies as sponsors?

If so then I like it

Originally posted by Archy-91:

So does this mean we will be able to be given real companies as sponsors?

If so then I like it

This would be good. It's things like this that are good in-game advertisements, as opposed to some of the things in, say, Skate, where certain missions are sponsored by companies, and end in a debriefing screen that urges you to go to their online store and buy stuff.

As long as SI doesn't go the way of EA with in-game ads, and keeps it all relevant (as has been said, stuff like in-game sponsorship, or the ability for the chairman to sell the name to your stadium if you need the money), then I'm fine with it.

i would love it if you had a load of sports companies that would be your kit sponser or other companies as your general/stadium sponser. i think that would add a lot to the game. or even if they were to sponser the leagues without licences. eg. pepsi premiership.

I would have absolutely no problem with being told who my sponsors are each season.

Cut-scenes to adverts, though...

This is good for the game, it will help add to the realism side of things

This years big feature; In game ads?

Might have to give Champ Man a go this summer, they have pro zone (something that would be ace in FM).

Originally posted by ShearersTino:

This years big feature; In game ads?

Might have to give Champ Man a go this summer, they have pro zone (something that would be ace in FM).

Champ man is crap. Simple as that.

Originally posted by ShearersTino:

This years big feature; In game ads?

Might have to give Champ Man a go this summer, they have pro zone (something that would be ace in FM).

It's already been said that it's more for FML then FM so I can't see this being the big feature for FM09.

Will the companies be international companies or will we be stuck with advertising from overseas companies that is no relevance to us anyway?

Originally posted by Bongo-Bongo:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by ShearersTino:

This years big feature; In game ads?

Might have to give Champ Man a go this summer, they have pro zone (something that would be ace in FM).

It's already been said that it's more for FML then FM so I can't see this being the big feature for FM09. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

If done right in FML it could be great there is already billboards for adverts around pitch so thats not much of a problem.

If they did sponsored competitions etc I would have no problems with that.

I would just like to say thanks to Miles for a swift response to this

to be honest if this is to be used only in situ like stated then I wouldnt have a problem and yes it would add some realism to the game if you get a news update " Doncaster sign new sponsorship deal with Carlsberg" for example, but, if its a case that they are just going to plaster the names of companies all over the match screen then I could live without it. I dont like to be force fed advertising just to line the pockets of already rich executives.

Originally posted by Cometdude:

I dont like to be force fed advertising just to line the pockets of already rich executives.

Especially when we've already paid for the tiny update each year so SI don't need the revenue.

But I'm not fussed. Any adverts will be graphics and graphics can be changed

If this is any more than a shirt sponsorship feature tie-in then I'd be pretty disappointed.

Originally posted by ShearersTino:

This years big feature; In game ads?

Might have to give Champ Man a go this summer, they have pro zone (something that would be ace in FM).

Hang on a sec there, I think FM08 was pretty poor with the patches etc but how can you write a game off on the basis on one single feature that's been revealed?

It could well be a poor feature. It could equally be superbly implemented into the game somehow making it an excellent new feature.

Let's wait and see details for the rest of the game first before writing it off or hyping it up eh?

Originally posted by Miles Jacobson:

This is more something for FML for FM really.

But, from an FM level, it won't slow the game down, the ads will be able to be dynamic (as in changeable if someone is online) or static (if you aren't online when you play), and will be fully in-situ (as in, would only appear in situations where you would expect them to in real life).

We'll reveal more when we start talking about the new FM, but that won't be til August time.

I came here to ask this very question.

This is absolutely horrible news!!

There are WAY too many ads in all spheres of life as it is. I DO NOT want it in a game I love and have paid money for (don't get me started on the cinema!). If this gets implemented and it's impossible to turn off, I am far from certain I will ever buy another FM game. It's that bad.

Originally posted by Ter:

Is that not a bit of an extreme reaction? It's not like the game is going to be plastered with adverts everywhere. Maybe give it a chance to see how it is going to be implemented before writing it off.

Not at all. Why on earth would any game have advertisements?

If they truly are only going to be where we'd expect, then a small correction from "advertisements" to "accurate sponsorships" would instantly dispel any ill-feeling this is generating, without compromising SIs "not saying anything for three months" stance.

VB

anything that gives developer more money is fine by me, as long as it doesn't hinder gameplay.

Originally posted by Ter:

Quite a lot of games have advertisements in them these days so it's not really a new thing.

Oh dear. Really Ter, the "but everyone else does" defense has never stood up to any scrutiny. Every other game has got shiny 3D graphics yet FM ploughs it's own furrow, quite rightly.

Racing games have advertisements for accuracy of track representations. Which is the second point I made. Thusly, any chance of a comment on my other, more pertinent , point?

VB

It's not even a feature though, is it? It's just SI taking money from other companies, to include advets in their games to increase sales. I'm sure with active adverts, that every time a new film or mag or blah comes out that they feel FM players could be lured into investing in, we will see the adverts in game for the weeks before it's launched.

No one went "Oh my God! Did you see Nokia are sponsoring that new film and the characters will use the new XP9x000 phone in it? What a great feature!"

Advertising is advertising. Everyone does it now and it's pretty crappy. Brand A places adverts within Brand B's product in order to increase sales. C'est la vie. I never saw it happening in FM though. It's quite sad.

I long for the days when you could play computer games without adverts and you could go to a gig without it being 'sponsored' by one highstreet fashion outlet, a haircare product, a chocolat bar and a social networking site.

Why are people acting like its the end of the world? They hvent even said how they will be in the game, or in what capacity, this means we could be given real companys to choose as sponsors as people have been suggesting, and I feel that this would add a little bit more realism to things

As long as the adverts arent added just for the sake of them being there, then whats the problem?

Of course, some people already know how the adverts are going to be in game then dont they..

i've always felt that sports games would benfit enormously from having in game ads.

because you expect to see adds at a sporting event so it wouldn't affect the over all experience.

on the other hand, seeing an advert for mcdonalds while walking down the street in your favourite dungeions and dragon style game would be slightly stupid.

it's the future. embrace it!

Originally posted by Spagbol:

I long for the days when you could play computer games without adverts and you could go to a gig without it being 'sponsored' by one highstreet fashion outlet, a haircare product, a chocolat bar and a social networking site.

you LONG for those days? wow, you must have a lot of time on your hands to think about things like that...

to be honest, who CARES if there's some adverts around the side of the pitch or whatever?

It's not going to detract from the gameplay, and if it puts a bit more money into SI's coffers for improving the game etc, then it doesn't seem like such a bad thing to me.

some MASSIVE over-reactions in here... but then I suppose that's nothing new.

Originally posted by TopToffee:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by Spagbol:

I long for the days when you could play computer games without adverts and you could go to a gig without it being 'sponsored' by one highstreet fashion outlet, a haircare product, a chocolat bar and a social networking site.

you LONG for those days? wow, you must have a lot of time on your hands to think about things like that...

to be honest, who CARES if there's some adverts around the side of the pitch or whatever?

It's not going to detract from the gameplay, and if it puts a bit more money into SI's coffers for improving the game etc, then it doesn't seem like such a bad thing to me.

some MASSIVE over-reactions in here... but then I suppose that's nothing new. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

And the second people disagree with opinions they attack other posters, again nothing new here.

Originally posted by pain-giver:

They hvent even said how they will be in the game, or in what capacity

As long as the adverts arent added just for the sake of them being there, then whats the problem?

Although the bods from SI have been given a couple of three opportunities to back away from the initial post, and vaguely suggest the ways in which they will be implemented, without taking them.

Now if this thread was hopelessly misguided I'm certain Miles et al would be leaping to correct us. Especially as they value the fans input so highly and wouldn't want us to all be upset would they.

But actually the silence is deafening. Now if there is one thing we should have all learnt from life, it's that if someone isn't denying something ....

Flamma fumo est proxima.

Originally posted by Ter:

The way it's planned I actually think it will add a lot to the game but we'll be talking about that sort of stuff more when we reveal more details about the next Football Manager title.

Yeah, much as Daniel Craig in Casino Royale driving a Mondeo really added to the movie. Perhaps actually making the game better and selling more copies would be the preferable route.

Ads on TV -> Sky+/PVR

Ads on internet -> Adblock Plus

Ads on FM -> mod to remove them

Well, the original article and IGA's website both state: "league and tournament sponsorship, and pitch-side billboards."

Miles says the adverts will bedynamic, thus they will change and be current.

The bit that stumping me is that Ter says "It's not like the game is going to be plastered with adverts everywhere" But IGA's website claims in will include: "MPU’s plus a number of premium static integrations." It then states that they can offer advertisers "the ability to offer video and rich media content within the web-based MPU spaces.

So basically, the FML website and client will resemble myspace, with video and flash animations and such.

To be honest, I don't care about the FML website, but if FML or FM09 features dynamic MPUs within the game SI will destroy their sales and lose me as a customer.

Everyone hates those adverts anyway, who wants to play a game if it contains things like this, playing either flash or video.

As long as these forums don't become like that I don't really care. FMLive doesn't appeal to me in the slightest.

Implemented properly, this could be a very good feature - stadium naming rights would be very realistic, and genuine sponsorships in game would just add to the sense of realism. Personally I'd love it if I started with a tiny team in the Blue Square regional, after a couple of years my plain blue kit gets a coca-cola advert across the front, and once I get up to the Championship my new stadium is named "Adidas Park", or the like.

This kind of advertising would actually probably be the most likely to work... if I've spent 30 days in-game time on a save file like I did for San Marino, feeling that an imaginary in game company sponsored part of my success might make me feel a little bit of warmth towards them, like how I look out for clubs and towns I've played as in the news. A 30 second unskippable coca-cola advert of people drinking before I can get to the game is only likely to increase bad feeling towards the game, SI for putting it there, and the company who placed it for hindering my enjoyment.

If playing in "the Nokia stadium" with Lucozade billboards lining the pitch pays for a couple more developers to improve gameplay I can't see too many objections...

I somehow doubt this "feature" will even make it onto the back of the box.

It's really not a big deal, just a logical progression from, for instance, having a news item citing BBC Sport or FourFourTwo, which no one seemed to be bothered about.

i'm waiting for more sutle advertisements like a news article saying rooney's injured himself by dropping a tin of heinz baked beans on his foot.

Originally posted by postal postie:

i'm waiting for more sutle advertisements like a news article saying rooney's injured himself by dropping a tin of heinz baked beans on his foot.

"Only 53p from ASDA, buy now!!!"

Followed by an affiliate link directly to the product.

Seems like a worthy bit of business for the FML user, since it'll be a subscription service and keep the price down.

Hmm, I wonder if SI will go as far as a completely ad-supported game like Battlefield Heroes

Regarding the point that ads won't affect gameplay, it's true, ads won't do that, but they take something away from the experience. For example, you'd be watching your favourite TV show, and an advert comes on. The show is always the same, it's still the brilliantly written drama, but you'd prefer to watch the DVD, the same show minus the eyesores.

Anyways, SI get my vote of confidence that ads will be implemented tastefully, and the thought of shirt sponsors, realistic or not, seems pretty cool.

Originally posted by DarthInsinuate:

Regarding the point that ads won't affect gameplay, it's true, ads won't do that, but they take something away from the experience. For example, you'd be watching your favourite TV show, and an advert comes on. The show is always the same, it's still the brilliantly written drama, but you'd prefer to watch the DVD, the same show minus the eyesores.

Exactly. If SI implement this kind of ad, then I'm sure many of the people above who have been in support of SI over this issue (which we still don't know very much about, and won't for a couple of months until SI tell us more) will be very much against it.

However, we trust that SI will be implementing it in a way that is not only not detrimental to the experience, but could add to the experience.

It's true that often ads just plain do not work in games. EA want us to believe that in the year 2142 people will be interested in Ghost Rider, available on DVD, Bluray and PSP June 12th!, or that people will still be Intel Core 2 Extreme processors. Or that the best trainer a boxer could have is The Burger King.

If SI were to, say, make it so that the best player in the game was Ronald McDonald, or the news screen was surrounded by Google AdWords, with a big "The Sun - we love it!" banner at the top, then that would be silly.

But as has been said, if we can get real companies to sponsor our teams, including having little ads placed on our kits, or having our stadium renamed, e.t.c, then great.

It will be very interesting to see how this is handled, though. If the ads are by British companies (let's say we're talking about pitchside ad boards), will we end up with people managing Corinthians in Brazil having their stadium plastered with ads for News of the World and BBC iPlayer, or will they get adverts that would actually be on display in a Brazilian stadium?

In addition, will the ads be the same for all levels? While it might add to the experience to get extra income managing at Man Utd for having Adidas ads at the side of the pitch, will these ads also be at, say, Barrow F.C, or will they get the more likely and realistic ads of Furness Building Society and the North West Evening Mail?

Again, it will take a lot of care to make sure this is implemented sensitively and without harming the realism of the game (it would look very silly if a team from Yorkshire recently promoted to Blue Square North, for example, had a pitch lined with ads by big multinational corporations and the London Metro), but we should put trust in SI to put a lot of thought into this, hence why I imagine they say it is mostly for FML at first.

Originally posted by Spagbol:

And the second people disagree with opinions they attack other posters, again nothing new here.

don't remember attacking you...

I'd dearly LOVE to have that much time on my hands

Personally I find the whole notion deeply depressing, but then I'm an old f4rt in my 40s and can remember an age when there was more to life than brands names and designer labels.

I'd be interested to see if there is a break-down in age between those in favour of and against any form if in-game advertising for FM. My hunch is that most kids won't have any critical nous since they've never known anything different.

SI imply that it will be unobtrusive, but I already hate the start-up screens with the sponsorship logos; any ingame reference to Nike, Adidas, Burgerking or whatever would really make me consider, for the first time, whether I want to upgrade my one-and-only computer game.