[missile]

Recently SCE / STUDIO Liverpool introduced in-game advertisement into WipEout HD.
Despite in-game ads aren't any news, the scale is different this time. Some of
you may ask why and how all this came around. Well, I wanna show here the way
how adverts have made it into WipEout HD and how these ads have degraded the
experience for many of its core gamers.

2007

// October 8, 2007 : Gamasutra
// Sony Creates In-Game Advertising Business Unit
{

Sony Computer Entertainment America has announced the creation of a new in-game advertising business unit. The company also announced that Darlene Kindler has joined the company as director of Network Advertising, effective immediately. In her new role, reporting to senior vice president of Sales and Business Development Phil Rosenberg, Kindler will be responsible for SCEA's in-game advertising strategy across all PlayStation platforms, including PlayStation Network and work with external publishers. It appears likely that, as with Microsoft's Massive division, this new Sony division will be the gatekeeper to third-party publisher's ads appearing on the PlayStation 3. In addition, the division will be intimately involved with the Home online world, which will "...present opportunities for SCEA to deliver dynamic, relevant advertisements in game." Kindler's appointment to the new unit comes on the heels of SCEA's recently-announced partnership in July with Nielsen Media Research, which aims to develop measurement systems for game network advertising. Through the partnership, SCEA will share its game network data from PS3 and PSN, which includes PlayStation Home. Sony says it is continuing to explore ways to incorporate dynamic advertising into other online environments. ...

} [Reference]

2008

// July 10, 2008 : Double Fusion
// SCEA and SCEE Announce Double Fusion as In-Game Advertising Partner
{

Double Fusion to Work with Publishers and Marketers to Deliver In-Game Advertising On PLAYSTATION(R)3 FOSTER CITY, Calif. and LONDON, July 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) and Sony Computer Entertainment Europe (SCEE) today announced a partnership with Double Fusion to deliver dynamic in-game advertising on PLAYSTATION(R)3 (PS3(TM)). Double Fusion will leverage its expertise, technology and sales force, working with publishers and advertisers to create effective marketing programs for brands targeting PS3's coveted gamer demographic. "PS3 is open for the ad business," said Phil Rosenberg, Senior Vice President, SCEA. "We are very excited about hosting contextually relevant and well-crafted creative advertising on PS3. PlayStation is taking a major role in enabling this fast-developing sector that is both positive and inevitable for the games medium." “PS3 provides advertisers with a direct avenue to reach the highly targeted, sought after gaming demographic, and has sold more than 13M units worldwide. DFC Intelligence forecasts that sales for the current generation of game systems including portable devices will pass the 180 million mark by 2011, reiterating the potential for the in-game advertising market. The worldwide in-game advertising industry is expected to grow 1,150 percent to $971.3 million between 2006 and 2011 according to the Yankee Group. "We have already received tremendous support from publishers who want to incorporate ads into their PS3 games, across all of the regions of the world," Jonathan Epstein, president and CEO, Double Fusion, said. "We are very excited to work with SCE on this and PS3 will add a vast number of players to our already robust network. SCE's participation strengthens the in-game advertising ecosystem." ...

} [Reference]

// December 1, 2008 : Double Fusion
// DOUBLE FUSION ADDS TOP-TIER PLAYSTATION®3 GAME PUBLISHERS TO ITS
// GROWING NETWORK OF GAMES FOR EVERYONE
{

Leading In-Game Advertising Company will Offer Premium Ad Opportunities with THQ, SEGA, Eidos and Midway Game Titles SAN FRANCISCO – December 1, 2008 – Leading independent in-game advertising company Double Fusion has strengthened its PLAYSTATION®3 portfolio by securing exclusive advertising opportunities with the world’s top videogame publishers, including THQ, SEGA, Eidos and Midway. The announcement comes during a record breaking sales year for the videogames business, which propelled Double Fusion’s high double-digit revenue growth. The company continues to pave the way for advertisers looking to reach young consumers in an increasingly challenged and fragmented media landscape by offering immersive in-game marketing programs available nowhere else. “One only has to look at the recent videogame sales figures to realize that games are the one form of entertainment consumers don’t want to live without,” states Jonathan Epstein, president and CEO, Double Fusion. “We are pleased to partner with and provide incremental revenue opportunities to game publishers by offering advertisers a variety of hand-selected cross-genre games we know will be a hit with gamers and the marketers looking to reach them.” The partnerships underscore Double Fusion’s commitment to offer advertisers and agency partners the broadest possible range of advertising opportunities across all demographics. Double Fusion’s full-service solution, including sales, marketing, integration consulting, and enabling technology provides game publishers increased opportunities for revenue while strengthening their core business of game titles appealing to 18-34 male consumers. ...

} [Reference]

2009

// August 3, 2009 : Double Fusion
// Double Fusion to Launch Dynamic In-Game Video Advertising in WipEout®HD
// for the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3™) system
{

Advertisers given new opportunity to reach audience with HD-quality video ads in popular PS3 system title SAN FRANCISCO – August 03, 2009 – Double Fusion today announced that it will introduce the first dynamic video advertisements on the PLAYSTATION®3 (PS3) system in the hit downloadable title, zero-gravity racer WipEout® HD, currently available worldwide via the PlayStation®Network. The addition of dynamic ads into WipEout HD connects brands to the game’s growing fan-base across North America and Europe via the highest definition video ads available in-game. Double Fusion , the leading in- and around-game advertising and gaming audience network, will also offer standard definition video ad placements to supplement the HD-quality units. Taking advantage of WipEout HD’s 1080p high definition capabilities, Double Fusion’s video ads approach the HD graphics experienced during gameplay. Developed to contextually match the game’s sleek futuristic design, video advertisements complement the WipEout HD world seamlessly. Ads are shown during the game’s loading screens in a number of different visual alignments. “By introducing high-resolution dynamic video ads into WipEout HD, Double Fusion is responding to advertiser demand and offering an engaging ad format while pushing in-game ad innovation to a new level,” said Jonathan Epstein, CEO of Double Fusion. “The title is one of the most popular and visually stunning available on the PlayStation Network and a perfect vehicle to connect advertisers to a captivated audience. It comes as no surprise that advertisers have already signed up for WipEout HD even before the launch of the new video ad units in the game.” The WipEout HD partnership adds another title to Double Fusion’s growing PS3 system network. The company expects to launch dynamic in-game ads in another handful of titles by the end of the year, giving advertisers a comprehensive audience of gamers to target through the console. Developers and publishers interested in learning more about increasing per-title revenues through integrated and dynamic ad placement opportunities with Double Fusion should contact business@doublefusion.com ...

} [Reference]

// August 4, 2009 : Gamasutra
// In-Game Ads Added To Wipeout HD, Scrutinized
{

In-game ad house Double Fusion has brought dynamic, in-game video advertising to the PlayStation 3 game Wipeout HD across North America and Europe, the company said Monday. Double Fusion said it will inject advertising that will complement the hover-racer's futuristic presentation. The new video ads have yet to launch, but Double Fusion CEO Jonathan Epstein said certain unnamed advertisers have already signed up for placements in Wipeout HD. Ads will be shown during the game's loading screens, Double Fusion said. The company added that the video ads would be "the highest definition" available in-game, and the game will also have supplemental ads that are standard definition. One of the game's advertisers is State Farm -- an insurance firm that doesn't exactly reflect the reckless blow-em-up zero-gravity racing exhibited in Wipeout HD or previous franchise entries. (See this YouTube video, found via games blog Fidgit). Wipeout HD arrived as an ad-free download for PlayStation Network in September 2008. The game is developed by Sony Liverpool, which recently released the expansion, Wipeout HD Fury. Double Fusion said it plans to launch in-game advertising in "another handful" of PS3 games by the end of the year. The San Francisco-based company services more than 30 game publishers via its ad network. Analysts have estimated that in-game ad spending could reach $1 billion by 2014. Currently the market stands at about $600 million, a figure that also includes web games. [UPDATE: According to in-game comparison footage captured by YouTube user Ryaldeco, the in-game Wipeout HD ad is displayed as part the "loading" process, thereby significantly inflating that loading process to more than twice its usual length. The user reports having to sit through the ad more than three times in an hour.] ...

} [Reference]

// October 28, 2009 : Playstation.Blog : Studio Liverpool
// WipEout HD Patch 2.10 Incoming
{

Hello from Studio Liverpool… We wanted to touch base with you all to share some information about the impending release of the 2.10 update for Wipeout HD / Fury that’s coming soon The 2.10 Update makes some small improvements to front-end functionality and addresses some minor issues with the audio. ... Changes have also been made so that any adverts shown during loading screens will not adversely affect the loading times of the title. As many of you know, the functionality to display adverts during loading screens was first introduced in the 2.0 Update and originally didn’t function as intended, leading to extended loading times in some areas of the game. This issue has now been resolved and we understand that a new advertising campaign in Wipeout HD is expected to launch across a number of European territories soon (no word yet on what is happening in North America). In the meantime, a range of PlayStation-specific ads will be making an appearance in the coming days. Wipeout and in-game advertising and sponsorship have gone hand-in-hand since 1996, when a now famous energy drink appeared in the seminal Wipeout 2097 and over the years many brands and products have been associated with the series. It is our hope that by adopting this approach to dynamic advertising, it will be possible to create new associations in a unique way. We have therefore focussed on ensuring that the advertising is embedded as sympathetically to the overall experience as possible.

} [Reference]

Reactions from WipeoutZone (WOZ) members during the week after patch 2.10 was released.

I`d really like to hear a decent justification for making people watch additional adverts in a product they already paid for. There may be one, but I can`t see it in the blog post. Why are we being informed about improved advert functionality? We should care why? As customers the game functionality is what we care about, not Sony profits by additional advertising. ...

You know what I see when I read that statement? An excellent argument AGAINST digital download games. ...

I have nothing against advertising, ..., it must fit the game, and not be disturbing, then I'm all for it, if it helps the studio, which in turn will consolidate a next Wipeout installment.

... @SL: Big fail guys. In fact, WipEout does suffer a decreasing (online) community; starting some months ago. With this great fix *sic* you are certainly speeding things up - to the negative. Go and die from the few extra $$$ made of this ad upgrade. More sooner than later there is nobody left watching this ad-crap as nobody plays the game anymore. Hopefully this is a hit based revenue model. ...

Just had my first advert. It definitely takes longer. It was only a three player game and took longer to load than a normal 8 player game. It was the same players as I was playing with just last night, when the games were loading almost instantly with 4 of us in. Now the load times last just long enough to display the full advert. Funny that. Not happy!

I completely disagree with this feature, and i will right-away add my complaint with those of all other posters here. ... I don't wanna watch TV ads when i play a game. I don't wanna hear about in-coming games with loud, obnoxious sound effects unrelated to WipEout. There's already constant and intense advertising in the XMB and PStore, i don't really see here the relevance of adding MORE ads in-game. Plus, like its already mentioned, there's a lot of work to do to fix WipEout numerous problems. But instead of concentrating ALL the efforts of fixing them in the first place, you people at SL conjugates some ressources to find a way that ads won't affect loading times... WHAT THE **** IS GOING ON HERE?!? ... -The game still suffers from some stuttering and frame-rate drops. -The gameplay still suffers from bad collision effects that compromise the fun factor and racing experience. -The game still suffers from random freezing and crashing - hell, it even happened to me will i was in the GRID SCREEN. -The freaking voice-chat feature is still inoperative after more than 1 year of existence, for God's sake and all that is holy!!! ...

Ohhh, m8's, i'm so p*ssed with these ads !!! The only thing i can assure you SONY / SL: i will refuse to buy a single one of the advertised products. ... can someone check if it's legal to corrupt a good i've bought long time ago ? ...

This is a real shame. When i bought the game+fury there was NONE of This SH1t, and don't want it to be added. ...

The feeling you have bevor a online race with some very good players "I wonder who will win" is gone. ...

There is no justification for adding commercials to a game that has already been payed for in full unless the game was becoming a free for download ad-supported game like the original Command & Conquer. ... And all previous buyers should be given a full refund or credit from the store, as there was no indication that ads were going to be integrated into the game until the 2.00 patch,.... If that's not the case, well, they can count me out of being on the PS boat. The XMB has become an ad infested, revenue raising, farcical attempt at creating an OS, and the fact that they need to negatively affect the actual games that are already being payed for up front, just to scrounge up some petty cash is warrant enough for skipping other Sony products on principle. ...

... i won't buy any future product relating to HD or any future wipeout which has anything as ridiculous as this implimented. And i do not say that lightly, i am a massive wipeout fan. massive. But when, even one of my most respected and enjoyed games pulls something like this, that's it. ...

... Let me ask you four questions. 1. Were any of these in-game advertising campaigns added in after people had already purchased the game? 2. Were any of these campaigns featuring loud, unpleasant sound and annoying videos? 3. Were any of these campaigns clashing with the visual art style the game is so famous for? 4. Were any of these campaigns detrimental to the continual improvement of the game and the franchise in general? Here are my answers: 1. No 2. No 3. No 4. NO You have proven by actually going through with this that you haven't a single care in the world for what the actual quality of the game is. 1. You don't care about pissing off loyal customers and fans by integrating an annoying mechanic that the end user cannot get rid of into the game AFTER it has been purchased by this user. 2. You don't care about this feature being absolutely annoying and playing absolutely horribly loud and disagreeable sounds. 3. You don't care if these ads degrade the look and style of the game. It's been proven with the State Farm ads featuring annoying beatbox/electro music, and not fitting the graphical style of the loading screen it's integrated into. 4. This is probably the worst: you don't care about fixing bugs and improving the game for everyone who bought it, and instead shove advertising into their faces. There are dozens of bugs still unfixed, but instead of working on those and providing quality content to the customer, you go ahead and do what you did. ...

If they're going to do advertisements, they should at least be somewhat applicable... With RedBull back in XL/2097, I never even knew it was a real product until it launched state-side some years later (I flipped the f*ck out when I saw it on a store shelf one day)... I had previously always thought it was just some kind of fake in-game advertising because of how absolutely seamlessly it was put in the game. ...

... Advertizement NEVER EVER worked on me - it always annoyed me. Why? It's horribly loud - on TV, on radio, on phone, on markets - and now in HD also. If it cannot be loud (because it is in a mag or somewhere else) it mostly destroys other things or even erases useful info beneath! It is always cheap crap - it's never something useful. Stuff for the people, which isn't really needed and which breaks early. Or gets out of vogue. There are exception, but those surprisingly also advertize nearly never. I don't ordered it and never said "Yes, give me more". And there is no way to turn it off. Day in day out I pass giant bills blocking me from being able to view the wonderful nature in its beauty. Everything they gain is my increasing wish of totally ruining the whole billboard! They never have useful info. And if they're forced by law to include info, it's written way too small (TV). And there's always a nice or sexy smiling girl which should stimulate my instincts (for making me trust and believe this advertizer, I don't speak of reproduction instincts *g*). Sony, if I consider to buy Ghostbusters or else it might have been in the past - but now I don't want to anymore ... It's a total waste of money AND energy. So much problems on this planet could have been solved already if we wouldn't try to convince someone to buy something he initially never wanted. Why this doesn't work? Because the first person in return gets also advertizements from all the others... And I better not list what amounts of energy spam eats ... Not to speak from all the wood/paper wasted for the daily flood in my letterbox... It's even lying quite often: "The best...", "...for your health...", "...better...". Most bizarre ones occur with politicians on it before elections ...

... The thing that really annoys me about adverts is that you get the same ones over and over and over ad nauseum, and that's pretty much how I feel already after one night of them. ...

The day adverts have spread all over the games industry, I'm done. Time to move on. Ads do nothing for games, never have, never will be. ... Ads have drawn me away from TV long ago, and ads will draw me away from gaming.

Adverts having a negative effect on gameplay in a product we already paid a good price for is absolutely unforgivable. It is just taking the piss. I think that traditionally people will accept online adverts if they are getting an otherwise paid service for free, but they won`t accept adverts being added to a product they already paid for and which they have previously not had adverts in. It just goes so far against what people will accept I cannot understand why anyone at Sony could think it is a good idea. They are out of touch with their audience, I think. They might have got away with a few subtle billboards on the race track. I think it is fair to ask how this relates to our consumer rights and terms of service, as some people have done. ...

Ads have pretty much ruined the game for me, each race takes 2-3 mins to load now. Sometimes it's even longer. ...

I am really pissed off. ... Advertising in a game that I bought over a year ago without any advertising. This really is a nerve. They should have made a declaration to all the choice whether one wants to accept advertising in the game or not. ...

The list can be continued with out end. It shows that the core WipEout
community cares and is on-stage. (The quotes can be found by following
the links at the end of this post.)


Personally, a year ago I bought a game that offered an experience like nothing
else but now got modified to a degree I cannot accept. In principle I'm not
against ads, but I'm against the methods used and how we get treated as
customers. Is this the new standard on Playstation 3? I don't know....


WipEout, quo vadis?


Dear SCE & STUDIO Liverpool,

please give me an option to remove the adverts out of my game. I paid my
money for WipEout HD and I don't wanna have ads. Can you copy me?


/PS





[additional references]
WOZ: WipEout HD Patch 2.10 Incoming
WOZ: How much is a DLC that would remove ads worth?