Nielsen Partners With Sony For Game Ad Measurement

GameDaily reports that Sony Computer Entertainment of America is partnering with the Nielsen group to assign metrics to in-game advertising. This will allow advertisers to more accurately assess in-game ad campaigns, while Nielsen will be able to gauge consumer interests. "SCEA will provide Nielsen with access to its game network traffic and other data from the PS3 and PlayStation Network, including the upcoming PlayStation Home. Using this information, Nielsen will analyze and benchmark the data to create new measurements for calculating the reach, frequency and effectiveness of game network advertising 'for the benefit of the entire industry.' Nielsen will then combine the SCEA data with its own game usage data, which the company currently collects from more than 12,000 U.S. television households in its National People Meter panel. This is expected to provide a more complete picture of game usage and advertising performance. The SCEA partnership should also help advertisers and agencies to calculate CPMs across PS3s and the PlayStation Network with more detail and accuracy."

Cost of games..

[Brian Gordon]

So why are they pushing $65 per game when they're being so heavily subsidized by advertising?

Re:

[frosty_tsm]

Right now, they don't have much revenue from it. Perhaps if they do, the game prices long-term will not go up as quickly in relation to production costs.

Re:

[CogDissident]

Because thats what people will pay. Simple fact, these are companies, they live to make money, the more money, the better.

Re:

[The Orange Mage]

Because thats what people will pay. Simple fact, these are companies, they live to make money, the more money, the better.

That, and I bet that any ad revenue replaces money spent on development costs and salaries, saving money for the company, while the users see nothing of it other than annoying, obtrusive advertisements that are bright, clean, and indestructible, even if the game is taking place in a warzone or something.

News Flash ad reps

[c0mmanderb0nd]

Measuring your in game ads through Sony's network might be neat but you could easily just poll all 10 people playing the game and ask their opinions directly. This just shows how badly Sony is losing money on the PS3, they have to find cash wherever they can. Essentially they are proving why they can charge more for billboard in a game.

Re:

[Xymor]

Right now they are not subsidized, but hopefully soon when they are, the costs will go down or extra content will be avaliable periodicaly and free or (really hopefully)both.

because you'll continue to pay it

[Erpo]

Do they really need any other reason?

Re:

[solios]

Why does cable cost 65$* a month when it's being so heavily subsidized by advertising?

Simple. People will pay for it. Do you really think that advertising "savings" is going to be passed on to the customer? Of course not. :P

* Just pulling that number out of my ass. I haven't owned a TV since the 90s.

'for the benefit of the entire industry.'

[svendsen]

Ya but too bad it is not for the good of the customer.

Re:

[Brian Gordon]

It'd be like glass in counter-strike.. in cs_office the CTs always shoot out the windows at the beginning of the round. The ads would survive for all of one minute.

Polling data shows:

[pigs,3different1s]

Good news Mr. Sony! The polling data shows:

1. The public likes the advertisements
2. The public wishes the games played like the advertisements
3. The public wishes the game features promised in the advertisements were actually part of the game

Re:

[Hyperhaplo]

Wrong. In 10 years time you will sit down to play your PS6 and have a full screen forced on you while levels load saying "Duke Nukem Forever: Coming soon!" while it uploads your playing and vital statistics to Sony.

Actually, there is nothing stopping them from doing this now..

So with ads in games...

[obeythefist]

That means the games will be distributed for free, right? Just like TV!

Didn't think so.

I presume we will see, yet again, that the pirated versions of these games will probably have the ad mechanisms blocked or stripped out. Yet another instance of the pirate contraband being oh so much sweeter than the product the corporations want us to experience.

I feel sorry for the developers. I make the effort of paying for games I really enjoy. I won't enjoy any game loaded with advert spam.

It reminds me of an earlier article I saw on slashdot about a company wanting to distribute MP3s with ads tacked onto them. When are companies going to realise consumers just want the product? We want the song. We want the game. We want the movie. We don't want DRM, we don't want you replacing our IDE drivers with StarForce, we don't want adverts.