Advertising in Video Games
The Phenomenon that are video games is currently experiencing it's biggest rise in history. Technology has evolved in a way that has allowed video game creators to design games for many devices, interests and audiences. It almost seems like there isn’t a person in this world who couldn’t find a game that would suit their entertainment preferences when it comes to video games. Yes, even if you are a girly girl, there is always The Sims with all the expansions. Or the Nintendo Dogs.
Advertisers have once again seized the opportunity to broadcast their products or services in a place where many people will be able to see it and make them as vibrant as ever in order to catch their attention. It even helps to make the video game more real-life like. In case that’s something anyone would want.
So, today we will go over the principles of In-Game advertising and look though some of the best examples from this specific niche.
Advertisements are being integrated within computer or console games, as well as mobile games. This is generally seen by the use of pop up messages, cut scenes, on screen adverts, billboards within the game and background displays. Virtual spaces are sold for advertising purposes to advertisers, very much the same way space is sold in the real world.
We differentiate two types of in game ads; static ads that have been integrated into the game upon it’s creation and dynamic ads that can be changed as necessary.
Mobile gaming has been the predominant integrator of this tool, with many pop-up ads, video trailers, and cut-away moments to showcase a piece of advertising. Game developers nowadays are integrating reward-based systems, by rewarding users for engaging with ads (such as watching a video trailer and receiving in-game currency).
Even though mobile gaming is one of biggest drivers of the in-game advertising market, it is not the richest. Because of mobile game’s nature, users seem to get fed up with it faster than they do with PC or console games which makes them just as, even more so important for advertisers. For computer games alone, there were over 1.2 billion active PC gamers in 2018.
Some of the most successful video games using in-game advertising include sports games such as FIFA and NBA 2K. These methods are usually more subtle than on mobile games, with less visible obstruction and more subconscious presence. A sense of familiarity and simply that ad belongs to that pitch side or court side digital banner gives it more authority and relevance. One of the key benefits of this method is actually that game interruption from advertisements is minimized which helps because the user is not angry with the ad interrupting their content. Instead, it creates a seamless experience for the players. The advertisement does not feel out of place or disruptive, which can consequently generate high quality impressions for the ad.
This leads us to Pregaming. Producing a brand experience. And a whole new segment to creating video games.
Large global brands and advertisers are now working closer with video game developers to produce what is known as “Advergaming”. As you could guess from the name, advergaming is a blend of advertising and gaming, which is accomplished by advertising products within a game. Even better, what about creating the game in which the company’s product plays the main character. Champion within this niche is LEGO with video game series which LEGO produced in conjunction with Marvel, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, etc. which advertise both LEGO and the film series.
In recent years, many advertisers and video game companies have invested heavily on advergaming campaigns. Rocket League partnered with Hot Wheels a number of times to include some exclusive Hot Wheels cars in the game, with Mattel also producing Rocket League toy cars as part of the collaboration. Fortnite included Marvel super-villain ‘Thanos’ in their video game as a playable character in the Battle Royale mode. In return, Marvel promoted Fortnite in their latest Avengers: End Game film, a film which set worldwide records for the fastest grosses through $2.5 billion. In Mario Kart 8, Nintendo partnered with Mercedes-Benz to include their new GLA SUV as a playable kart… And the list goes on and on!
And since we have mentioned The Sims in the beginning of this article, it would be unjust to leave out some of their brilliant collaborations on this topic.
You must love the “Fashion Stuff” from H&M.
So, the advergames are obviously here to stay. And to grow and find even more innovative ways to charm the audiences. Advertisers find this perfect for using this brand collaboration to tap into target markets with highly relevant profiles. Advergaming works best when there is synergy between what is being advertised and the video game narrative. This will ensure that the advert does not take away from the primary experience. A positive experience can be created when players play the game, which can then be subconsciously associated with the advertised brand.
Only slight downside to this kind of content creation is the fact that it comes at a high cost and requires a heavy investment, generated from developing the game or implementing the advertisement piece in the game. If you look at this from the positive point of view, this means that games can only get more creative and fun.
Who’s excited to see what comes next?
