Google Brings Ads To Games, Game Ads To YouTube

Reuters reports that YouTube will be partnering with Amazon and iTunes to provide the ability to purchase games and songs that are in or related to YouTube's hosted videos. For example, watching footage from Spore will bring up a link to purchase the actual game through Amazon. The sales revenue will be shared. In related news, Google has launched a public beta for their in-game advertising software based on Adsense. "Google is initially targeting the sweet spot for its technology: games based in Adobe's Flash platform and which run in a web browser with no download. ... [Christian Oestlien, senior product manager at Google] said that Google's advertisers can use the software to insert ads into games or videos for YouTube, making the ads more versatile. Developers of games can use Flash software development kits to designate the points in a game that make an 'ad request.'"

games to ads?

[gEvil (beta)]

I was hoping they'd bring games to ads. And then for some reason I felt like punching a monkey.

Re:Don't ruin the immersion

[Anonymous Coward]

As long as the billboards explode like anything else that gets hit with high explosives, I'll be fine with them.

As Seen in World of Warcraft... SPIDER EGGS

[mfh]

EXT. Stonetalon Mountains (North West of Orgrimmar)

ENTER: Mackror the Mighty Orc Huntar

Mackror (yells): "I HAS CAPTURED 9/15 SPIDAR DEEPMOSS EGGS!!! FEW MORE TO GO!!!"

[ENTER: Homing Pigeon]

(makes pigeon crap on Mackror, sputters around... and lands on Macror's shoulder)

Mackror: "ARGH WAT! A NOTE!" (reads note)

"AIG Insurrance of Ogrimmar!!!! HAS GOLD. Invest to protect your new QUEST ITEM: DEEPMOSS SPIDER EGGS from decay and theft. Insure your home with the most ROCK SOLID insurance company in all Kalimdor!! We would never need to be bailed out like other institutions."

Mackror: "ARGH NO!!! LIARS!!!!!" (eats bird)

Re:Don't ruin the immersion

[geobeck]

You can fit a Burger King add into Iron Man and play it off as a quirky character moment, but you can't really shill for, well, anything in something like The Hobbit.

"Bilbo! Don't sit on the verge like a lump; we must make haste!"
"I'm sorry, Gandalf, but my poor feet aren't meant for such a long journey outside the Shire."
"When my feet ache from a long day's journey, I find relief in Gold Bond medicated powder..."

Works for me. :D

Re:Ads in Games

[insllvn]

Isn't Burger King releasing games [slashdot.org] funded entirely by Burger King with Burger King themes in them? (Did I mention Burger King?)

It's a fine establishment! Plus, did you know that you can get a refill on any drink? For free!?!

Re:could be cool

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, by all means let's add the crappy parts of real life to games. Next we'll take out all the sci-fi stuff and Gordon Freeman will get a desk-job.