Product placement: Mostly Harmless

No matter where you are as you read this post, you are probably surrounded by all sorts of logos and labels. A quick glance around my room shows at least a dozen in plain view. If they exist in the real world, there’s no reason that they shouldn't exist in virtual worlds as well. Why should developers stick generic made-up names on everything when they can get paid to stick someone’s label in a place that makes sense?

The game publishers are aware of this seemingly fair deal, certain consumers seem to hate it with a passion and I would like to offer a little speculation on the matter. The people who hate product placement seem to have an issue with examples that detract from the experience of the game itself. Ian Bogost’s “Persuasive Games” mentions The Sims Online and a McD’s kiosk that caused a bit of an uproar. Understandably so for a game of that nature because as far as I could tell, McDonalds-a non player of the game was having an impact on in-game entrepreneurs that had to compete with the fast-food giant that was paying in real cash rather than simoleans.

With this as an example I assert that if an advertisement negatively impacts the experience, it is bad for all groups involved. It is bad for the player because as mentioned before, they are forced to work around an element of the game that shouldn’t be there. It is bad for the game publisher because they can’t sell a game that the players don’t think is fun. It is also bad for the company placing the advertisement because as Bogost points out with the McD’s example, people will find a way to take the advertisement and turn it against them if they find it offending. That and the company has now tied its name to a failed product (and it was their fault which makes it all the worse).

Like I said, most product placements won’t end up as catastrophes; most are quite harmless. Publishers will learn from their mistakes and if they want to survive they will correct them. If a particular product placement is really bad, capitalism will take care of it and there’s not a lot more to say about that. Product placements that flow with the game or storyline naturally shouldn’t bother a consumer/viewer/player any more than walking through a city with signs should. It’s a part of our life and I for one welcome our new corporate overlords.

*Hits Enter on a Logitech G15 keyboard and clicks submit with a Logitech MX1000 mouse* (who do I contact for my payment anyway?)