Posts tagged Advertising at Xbox 360 Fanboy

Posts with tag advertising

A Brief History of Game Ads

Posted Jun 2nd 2008 3:30PM by Xav de Matos
Filed under: Fan stuff

As the technology and approach of gaming evolves one thing has stayed the same, advertisements suck. Sure ads aren't as ... uh ... flashy as they once were, but they still take up the pages our favorite magazines and disturb our search for news on our favorite websites.

Next-Gen.biz has taken a look at the evolution of game ads from the last three decades, including: the simplistic approach of the 80s, the radical colors of the 90s and the boring screenshot montages of the current generation.

While not Xbox specific, the feature teaches us a little about the evolution of marketing for games and how the new generation is breaking the mold wit Alternate Reality Games (ARGs) while still phoning in traditional advertisements. A worthy read for those looking for some gaming business knowledge.

GoW graffiti campaign hits San Fran

Posted Oct 31st 2006 9:00PM by Ken Weeks
Filed under: News, Gears of War

Loyal Xbox360fanboy reader Ali works next door to an advertising agency that handles things for Microsoft. Perhaps that has something to do with the suspicious (not to mention cool) Gears of War graffiti turning up around his block. This advertising is in the vein of the PSP graffiti campaign that got a lot of press a while back, and it makes sense given that locust are supposed to come up out of the ground. The familiar Gears logo is always accompanied by a cuddly phrase like "Humanity had a nice run." Ali snapped these pics (more after the jump) on his lunch time stroll through the streets of San Francisco, where we assume it's legal to spray paint skulls on the sidewalk. Either way, it has to be confusing for non-gamers, who undoubtedly think the stencils are part of some Rovian plot to contaminate the sewers. Have you checked the sidewalks in your town?

Continue reading GoW graffiti campaign hits San Fran

Demon lobbies for lobby ads

Posted Jun 22nd 2006 2:00AM by Ken Weeks
Filed under: Xbox Live

Gamers who consider their purgatorial stay in the lobby prior to a multiplayer match a welcome respite from the steady siren call of Burger King may soon experience a whopper of a disappointment. Networking provider DemonWare is touting a solution for delivering personalized advertisements to any game lobby. It's not clear if the product will be aimed at consoles, PCs or both -- or how it squares with Xbox Live -- but DW's current networking customers include Activision, Codemasters, Eidos, Ubisoft, THQ and Sega. Of course, the revenue will be used only to create better games and improve the online experience, or so the champions of progress would have us believe.

Are lobby ads a form of in-game advertising you can live with, or should we send this demonic idea back to hell before it starts clogging up our consoles?

[Via Xboxic]

MS in-game ad master plan: Less vomit, more BK

Posted Jun 13th 2006 2:30AM by Ken Weeks
Filed under: News

Microsoft in-game ad pimp Kevin Browne gave the keynote address at the GDC "Focus On" series Game Advertising Summit. This article sums up the ad happy proceedings, essential reading for those concerned about the phenomenon. Favorite quote:

"Think about this consumer as somebody not to vomit all over with messages," Browne said, "but rather to engage in a discussion."

Right. A discussion about Burger King.

E3 literally in the bag for Microsoft

Posted May 10th 2006 4:45PM by Ken Weeks
Filed under: Console wars, E3

Unlike Sony and Nintendo, Microsoft doesn't have much signage outside the LA convention center or in the lobby, choosing instead to pour their efforts into several 18-wheelers worth of booth. However, they did sponsor the swag bags pictured above, ensuring everyone will think of the Xbox 360 when they dump their haul at the end of the day. Shrewd. Ignoring the Joystiq poll slanted by raving Nintendo fanboys, is it now safe to say MS has E3 in the bag?

Microsoft meets Madison Ave.

Posted Apr 28th 2006 3:00AM by Ken Weeks
Filed under: News, Xbox Live, Xbox Live Marketplace

Yes, that was Joystiq's own Vladimir Cole on NPR's Marketplace last Wednesday, commenting on Microsoft's munching (subscription to the WSJ required) of video game advertising company Massive Inc. for between $200 and $400 mil. The purchase makes an ad-supported version of Xbox Live look like a sure thing. Whether you consider it a good thing is another matter. Advertising is an oft-debated subject in the video game blogosphereo (Ironic considering how we pay the bills). Personally, I could stare at Taco Bell ads on XBL all day, if it meant saving money. What bothers me are in-game ads. For one, they can be as obnoxious as the most blatant television product placement (See FNR3 and Burger King). Two, companies seem to be throwing this money on the pile instead of using it to lower the retail cost of games. Correct me if I'm wrong but lower cost = more games sold = more ad dollars, does it not?

How comfortable do you feel now that MS is making some major moves in the ad arena? Will you happily fork over your $60-$70 for Halo 3: Toyota Forerunner?

[Via Joystiq]

Interactive TV ad for Xbox 360 available in the UK

Posted Dec 22nd 2005 9:00PM by Jennie Lees
Filed under: News

In case 360 fans in the UK are feeling a little neglected -- after all, we don't get a shiny discount card to flaunt -- here's a new toy to play with. In what's billed as the UK's first interactive TV advert, viewers of Sky Digital will be able to press the red button during an Xbox 360 commercial to play a game. While this won't appeal to the hardcore who are already glued to their 360s, it's an interesting experiment in casual and viral advertising and might catch on with bored viewers.

By cracking the secret keyword in a video (see the picture above for a hint), viewers have three levels to progress through and doing well at the game could get your gamertag on air. The adverts started today and will run for a month, accessible through four different commercials and the Sky A-Z, so get your fingers on your buttons and get ad-spotting!

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GamePro reveals Halo Wars co-op, new units, controls and more Rumor: MS to announce Blu-ray 360 tomorrow Video: Spartan is the Fresh Prince of Zanzibar	Digital Wheel Art caters to the disabled Korea's Wii controllers are a steal A new habit for nuns
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Xbox 360 Fanboy

A Brief History of Game Ads

GoW graffiti campaign hits San Fran

Demon lobbies for lobby ads

MS in-game ad master plan: Less vomit, more BK

E3 literally in the bag for Microsoft

Microsoft meets Madison Ave.

Interactive TV ad for Xbox 360 available in the UK

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