Video Game Conditioning Spills Over Into Real Life 232
doug141 writes "Lessons learned in video games may transcend computers, PlayStations and Wiis. New research suggests that virtual worlds sway real-life choices. Twenty-two volunteers who played a cycling game learned to associate one team's jersey with a good flavored drink and another team's jersey with a bad flavored drink. Days later, 3/4 of the subjects avoided the same jersey in a real-world test. Marketers and lawyers will take note."
Blindingly obvious? (Score:3, Interesting)
Of course we're affected by all media around us. Be it games, movies, advertising, written, spoken, everything. Our brains are wired to pick up as much information as possible in order to make wiser choices.
But behavioral preference and turning people into something is not the same thing. I personally think violent movies are just as bad/harmless as violent games. But surely the think-of-the-children zealots will keep doing their thing, just like they always have...
Why "Marketers and lawyers will take note" ? (Score:3, Interesting)
And on the other hand... (Score:5, Interesting)
On the other hand, my eye-hand coordination often amazes people. And my locational/directional skills are quite good as well. None of the rest of my family can claim either of those.
In addition, I've learned quite a bit about history, politics, art, language... You name it.
So yeah, experiencing things makes you learn from them. No big surprise there. But don't go forgetting that learning can be both good and bad.
Re:GTA (Score:4, Interesting)
I HAVE learned stuff from games like Gran Turismo. I now find myself finding and driving the perfect line for a corner, even though I am not racing but driving within the speed limit. Of course, unlike in Gran Turismo, if there are lanes on the road, I won't go out of my lane to make the perfect turn. Although in real life, unlike in Gran Turismo, other cars would probably give up their lane if they saw you coming. In Gran Turismo, opponent cars absolutely WILL NOT BUDGE from the perfect line.
Re:Weird Assumptions (Score:3, Interesting)
Yeah, and if they'd sold that ad space instead of making up a fictitious product you might be craving a Red Bull instead. ;)
Re:not surprising (Score:3, Interesting)
I lost control of my car once in wet conditions, and instinctively steered into the skid, safely regaining control before I had an accident. I never learned that behind the wheel, I learned it from countless racing games over the years, none of which I played with a wheel :)
So yes, I pretty much already took this finding as fact. :D
Re:Video Game is just the vehicle (Score:3, Interesting)
Yep... If you *really* want an eye-opening look at the "science of marketing" - check out the PBS Frontline series, "The Persuaders".
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/persuaders/view/ [pbs.org]
Worrying about the potential for some video game to influence a person's preferred choice of drink or team jersey will seem trivial by comparison.
Re:Great, more product placement in future games (Score:3, Interesting)
I don't mind advertising, just as long as it's a natural fit in the game, and not some 10 second cut scene of someone drinking a soft drink.
Of course that won't happen becasue advertiser want to 'grab your eyes' and in order to do that they must stand out. So instead of a racing car with stickers from advertiser you would expect, we will get flashing ads, ads on the car radio, ads when the character watches TV, and so on.
I think racing games are a natural fit for ads. Actually many games could do it. What would you need? Internet connection, storage space, and a variety of ads. As a company pitching to advertisers, you say that you have a such and such formatted texture that appears X number of times in a game, or X number of times on a given track and stats show that players race the track Y number of times. Well, when you start the game, it would check for updates and download the selected ads and where they go.
You don't have to have flash ads or interactive anything. You just give the ad companies a selection of textures that are currently in the game that they'd replace/update with your stuff. Racing games would make the best place to introduce this. The second best place would be sports games in any arenas. You just have a selection of ads on the arena walls.
What the ad company will really want though, is to have their logo on your med pack or part of the game where the player actually has to hunt for the ads. Actually there are several good ways of doing that. Number obvious is hide the item/chest behind the ads. You've got to find the certain ad to find the certain power up. Find a real world drink add, find a drink behind it.
Fun racing games you could have short cuts or power ups behind the sign so you have to find that coke sign and ram through it. I'd try to find a way where one of the ultimate weapon was named after our product. You don't want that Japanese sounding sword; you want the Dr. Pepper sword.
And, yet... when violence is involved... (Score:4, Interesting)
It seems very strange to suppose that intentionally creating an association between visual and taste stimuli would magically not work, just because a video game is involved.
And, yet, when violence is involved everyone on this site strongly presumes that there is absolutely no link between stimuli that rewards violent or aggressive behavior and real life aggression. Not a smidgen, not an amount that almost all sane people can control and thus not an amount that has marginal effect on society. None.
'Cause everybody knows that the issue is all about evil politicians and busybodies wanting to control your life. The subject is always black and white -- never gray.
Re:Uhh... huh. (Score:2, Interesting)
The only time I've seen a name put to it is the comedian Marcus Brigstocke.