Iron Galaxy Studiosin toimitusjohtaja ei usko pelin sisäisen mainostamisen muuttuvan osaksi valtavirtaa

Tavat kerätä pätäkkää on muuttumassa videopelien alalla. Itse peli maksaa nykyisin usein 79,99 euroa uutena, ja mikromaksut ovat iso juttu. Mutta entä sitten mainoksien laittaminen pelin sisälle?

Design Rushin Ricardo C. Esteves (eli siis Portugalin Gamereactorin entinen päätoimittaja) istahti alas puhumaan Iron Galaxy Studiosin toimitusjohtaja Adam Boyesin kanssa. Hänen mukaansa AAA-pelaamisessa kansa tuskin sietää keskeytyksiä mainoksien muodossa maksettuaan niin kovan hinnan päästäkseen pelin pariin. Edelleen hänen mukaansa pelien sisään laitettava mainonta tuskin tulee valtavirtaistumaan.

Mainontaa käytetään paljon muun muassa mobiilipeleissä, mutta niin sanotuissa AAA-peleissä Boyes ei usko sisäisen mainonnan yleistyvän.

"In many ways, the AAA-gaming space is defined by the precedents that have been set over years of entertaining players. Premium gaming experiences need to be immersive. It's very difficult for gamers to tolerate interruptions to that experience for the sake of marketing or sales.

"Charging a price point for entry gives them the pure escape that they prefer. Gamers are willing to pay for a clean experience, much in the same way that movie fans will buy a Blu-Ray or subscribe to a premium streaming service like Netflix to keep the experience free of advertising breaks."

"Historically speaking, gamers are not at all likely to be marketed to when they are enjoying their experiences. We have seen Fortnite and Roblox serve as platforms where players can interact with brands, but they are the innovators and outliers. The other notable examples, including games that take place in a world where advertising is common.

"Sports games can inhabit locations or arenas where advertising is part of the scenery. Oftentimes, the best opportunity to advertise to gamers happens outside of the game.

"There is a huge market for selling them products that complement their lifestyle, whether it is peripherals for their hobby, furnishings for their game rooms, merchandise to celebrate their passions, or fashions to enable their self-expression as people who love to play games."