Microsoft Acquires Massive Inc.

Microsoft to Acquire In-Game Advertising Pioneer Massive Inc. announces that Microsoft will soon be providing in-game advertising:
REDMOND, Wash., May 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Today at the seventh annual MSNĀ® Strategic Account Summit, Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT - News) announced it is acquiring Massive Inc., the New York-based creator of a world-leading network for video game advertising, in a move that will help deliver dynamic, relevant ads across Microsoft's online services, starting with Xbox LiveĀ® and MSN Games. Massive's solution depicts brands in various forms within the game -- on soft-drink cans and pizza boxes, on billboards and posters, and in images on TV screens -- where gamers would expect to see them in real life, adding realism to the overall gaming experience. Massive employees will continue to work from their current locations, including their headquarters in New York and offices in London, Los Angeles, Chicago, San Francisco, Paris, Sydney, Cologne and Toronto. Financial details of the acquisition were not disclosed.
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15.
 
Re: No subject
May 7, 2006, 11:17
15.
Re: No subject May 7, 2006, 11:17
May 7, 2006, 11:17
 
Do you actually ever post about anything that doesn't involve boycotting something?
Ah, trying to provoke are we?

Click the name of the poster, then you can read the history. I believe you'll find quite a few posts over my history which aren't about 'boycotting something.' Are you, on the other hand, just willing to bend over and spread for anything?

So now you've moved onto being a troll. Look up the definition of that too, and you'll see that what you just did was pretty much spot on.

Boycott Starforce
http://www.glop.org/starforce/
http://www.boycottstarforce.net
14.
 
Re: No subject
May 5, 2006, 12:37
14.
Re: No subject May 5, 2006, 12:37
May 5, 2006, 12:37
 
Well tell us man!
Probably the most notable game is Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. However, since the game has Starforce in it as well, you are already covered from the boycott standpoint. Ubisoft is one mainstream publisher to watch in this space because last year they signed an agreement with Massive to incorporate its ad system into future titles.


13.
 
Re: No subject
May 5, 2006, 11:18
13.
Re: No subject May 5, 2006, 11:18
May 5, 2006, 11:18
 
Well tell us man! So we can get started raking them across the coals.

Do you actually ever post about anything that doesn't involve boycotting something? I'm asking honestly. I haven't seen you in a thread besides ones where you can talk about boycotting either a copy protection or something else. Are you just a professional activist?

Parallax Abstraction
Ottawa, Canada
GO SENS GO!
GO HABS GO!
Parallax Abstraction
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12.
 
Re: No subject
May 5, 2006, 11:01
12.
Re: No subject May 5, 2006, 11:01
May 5, 2006, 11:01
 
Well tell us man! So we can get started raking them across the coals.

Boycott Starforce
http://www.glop.org/starforce/
http://www.boycottstarforce.net
11.
 
Re: No subject
May 5, 2006, 08:51
11.
Re: No subject May 5, 2006, 08:51
May 5, 2006, 08:51
 
One major negative aspect of this that everyone in this thread is overlooking is that unlike television, advertising in games using Massive's (now Microsoft's) network is a two-way street. This is not just about serving up advertising in the game. It is equally about tracking the customer's usage of the product and viewing of the advertisements. In effect, every customer of one of these games is a Nielsen family even when they don't realize it. It certainly puts a new perspective on playing games like Leisure Suit Larry Magna Cum Laude and Lula 3D when the game publishers are watching doesn't it?

The reason why the free market will not squash this is because it is not advertised upfront. As with copy-protection there will be no notice on the box which informs the customer that the game has such advertising and tracking and what it tracks, etc. So, customers can't make an informed choice because they simply won't know which games use it at least until after purchase when it is too late to return the product.

As proof of this, Massive's advertising and tracking is already present in several popular PC games including games which are not MMO games and for almost all of these games, I have seen absolutely no mention of it on gaming websites. Can anyone name these games?

10.
 
Re: No subject
May 5, 2006, 08:14
10.
Re: No subject May 5, 2006, 08:14
May 5, 2006, 08:14
 
"Don't support what you don't want to become the norm."

Boycott Starforce
http://www.glop.org/starforce/
http://www.boycottstarforce.net
9.
 
Re: No subject
May 5, 2006, 05:46
War
9.
Re: No subject May 5, 2006, 05:46
May 5, 2006, 05:46
War
 
*awaiting War's inevitible "free market, if you don't like it don't buy it" arguemtnt*

I see your understanding of the free market still hasn't improved. Had it, this kind of stuff would probably vanish, because you wouldn't be buying it.
Not holding my breath for such a change... too busy laughing.

As for this, someone suggested that Microsoft will use it to create a third adware Xbox Live! subscription, which will be effectively free except for the ads.

I wonder, should Sony will do the same, will they be courageous heroes that revolutionize the market in the face of the eeevil Micro$uxxx?

Rethorical question. Of course they will.

8.
 
Re: No subject
May 5, 2006, 04:40
8.
Re: No subject May 5, 2006, 04:40
May 5, 2006, 04:40
 
Most of us seem to play games to escape reality, not experience more reality. Guess we can just play more historical WW2 shooters, Fantasy games, etc. to escape modern ads. No pizza boxes or soft-drink cans in Oblivion at least.

7.
 
Re: No subject
May 5, 2006, 03:56
7.
Re: No subject May 5, 2006, 03:56
May 5, 2006, 03:56
 
people should demand that ads are not put into the games they buy, but also, secondly we should demand that reviewers state EXPLICITLY that there are ads in a game when reviewing it.
I certainly will not buy any games with adverts in. Its abd enough having to delete all the "runs best on intel" crapola before I run a game.
6.
 
Re: No subject
May 5, 2006, 02:06
6.
Re: No subject May 5, 2006, 02:06
May 5, 2006, 02:06
 
Awsome, so now that game developers can make thier money from advertising I will get all my games for alot less money ... right?

"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both."
Avatar 21539
5.
 
Re: No subject
May 5, 2006, 01:53
5.
Re: No subject May 5, 2006, 01:53
May 5, 2006, 01:53
 
I don't play games to see the same billboards I see when driving to work every day for products I already don't intend to buy.

Jesus, really. It was to my delight when I was in Tokyo last December, riding the subways and seeing ads for BMW pop up in the windows as you going through tunnels.

4.
 
Re: No subject
May 5, 2006, 01:21
4.
Re: No subject May 5, 2006, 01:21
May 5, 2006, 01:21
 
Yeah, but why make you pay once when they can make more money off ads? Most sheeple likely won't even notice anyway. I love the ways they try to rationalize all this double dipping with arguments like "Well it adds to the realism!" I don't play games to see the same billboards I see when driving to work every day for products I already don't intend to buy.

*awaiting War's inevitible "free market, if you don't like it don't buy it" arguemtnt*

Parallax Abstraction
Ottawa, Canada
GO SENS GO!
GO HABS GO!
Parallax Abstraction
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Avatar 13614
3.
 
No subject
May 5, 2006, 01:17
3.
No subject May 5, 2006, 01:17
May 5, 2006, 01:17
 
I can see why they have Ads on TV... the shows are paid for by the ads...I ALREADY BOUGHT THE FUCKING GAME!

2.
 
Dear Massive / Microsoft
May 5, 2006, 00:38
2.
Dear Massive / Microsoft May 5, 2006, 00:38
May 5, 2006, 00:38
 
Please fuck off and die. Thank you.

1.
 
And arent you all excited
May 5, 2006, 00:16
1.
And arent you all excited May 5, 2006, 00:16
May 5, 2006, 00:16
 
spam in your mailbox, spam in your email and now more crud in your game. Excitement

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