Dear Fireaxis, please don't do this. its cheesy. its not exactly adware, but when I see and add for another game on the CIV startup screen my initial reaction was guys, spend more time coding for THIS game instead, the one I've spent over a hundry on.
CIV game: now advertising Ace Patrol
- Thread starter kpi
- Start date
TheMarshmallowBear
Benelovent Chieftain of the Ursu Kingdom
Dear kpi, they are only advertising their own game...
and it's a little banner on the main menu, not anywhere else.
and it's a little banner on the main menu, not anywhere else.
remember when tv was just tv. then the stations starting putting a little watermark on the screen, then they started with the ticker running across the bottom during programming. then they started advertising other games as units in CIV.
wait what
ToothedBomb
Prince
- Joined
- Jul 7, 2012
- Messages
- 344
As long as it advertises things that are somewhat related to Civ, I don't mind.
Depends on how you look at it. I see it as a reference to another game they made.
Depends on how you look at it. I see it as a reference to another game they made.
There's a fine line between a Cameo and an advert... For me its too big to ignore. For example, look at all the Easter eggs to other games in GTA V, there's a huge list, but none of them affect the game play, they are just a nod of respect to those games. But having an entire unit (which the AI will use even if you don't) makes it very hard to ignore... Even if it is right at the end of the tech tree which most people don't bother playing to.
TheMarshmallowBear
Benelovent Chieftain of the Ursu Kingdom
I have yet to actually see the XCOM unit in game. I was VERY opposed to it but honestly, jsut go with the flow.
Shimmler
Warlord
I think that there's new kind of phobia out there. I lauight at those who can't handle X-COm squads and minor ads in main menu 
householder
Lord of the Fleas
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2008
- Messages
- 320
Wasn't the spaceship/science victory in the much beloved Civ II also an indirect ad for the much beloved Alpha Centauri (SMAC) game? This sort of thing doesn't seem to be new.I think that there's new kind of phobia out there. I lauight at those who can't handle X-COm squads and minor ads in main menu
Dralix
Killer of threads
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2001
- Messages
- 2,407
The privateer unit is an ad for Sid Meier's Pirates.
Spies are ads for Sid Meier's Covert Action.
TheLohoped
Known today as TLPD-AVW
Railroads are advertisements for Sid Meier's Railroads.
Well.. you could see it this way too:
They need to advertise their new game to all the Fireaxis game owners and well, it's a Meier game too. It's only common sense. Once it would have been a flyer in the expansions' packaging (except they sell less and less physical copies). etc. They can now do it this way for a very cheap (minimal, even) cost for them (and it's only a call-to-action button that brings you to the actual ad, hardly invasive!) - all current Civs players reached, check!
Or if you prefer they could spend more money to reach you in other ways. The more they have to spend on this stuff, the more it inflates their global marketing/ad budget and the more it's reflected on their games' retail price. Very targeted marketing like this save the companies a lot of money and is far less wasteful than the higher cost wider campaigns of a decade ago. And all this helps keep the cost of the games from rising.
They need to advertise their new game to all the Fireaxis game owners and well, it's a Meier game too. It's only common sense. Once it would have been a flyer in the expansions' packaging (except they sell less and less physical copies). etc. They can now do it this way for a very cheap (minimal, even) cost for them (and it's only a call-to-action button that brings you to the actual ad, hardly invasive!) - all current Civs players reached, check!
Or if you prefer they could spend more money to reach you in other ways. The more they have to spend on this stuff, the more it inflates their global marketing/ad budget and the more it's reflected on their games' retail price. Very targeted marketing like this save the companies a lot of money and is far less wasteful than the higher cost wider campaigns of a decade ago. And all this helps keep the cost of the games from rising.
householder
Lord of the Fleas
- Joined
- Mar 24, 2008
- Messages
- 320
I think this is an excellent framing of the matter. While the implementation of the ad may be novel, this sort of advertising is actually old hat.
glider1
Deity
The problem with this is that before, we saw the ad on the packet, got the message and threw the packet out.....
But now the message is in our face every time we load the game. Do we have any control over how long the ad will stay on the game's main page?
It used to be there for a month or so. Then they increase it two months, then three then the add is there permanently and we are conditioned to it.
Are you happy about that?
On TV you can change channels when the ads come on. In CIV5 you cannot remove the ad! There should be an option to turn the ad off once you have read it. That would be the DECENT thing to do.
But now the message is in our face every time we load the game. Do we have any control over how long the ad will stay on the game's main page?
It used to be there for a month or so. Then they increase it two months, then three then the add is there permanently and we are conditioned to it.
Are you happy about that?
On TV you can change channels when the ads come on. In CIV5 you cannot remove the ad! There should be an option to turn the ad off once you have read it. That would be the DECENT thing to do.
Polisurgist
King
- Joined
- Dec 13, 2011
- Messages
- 630
Cities are an ad for SimCity. They're not even limiting this stuff to their own games.
HOW MUCH DID EA PAY YOU!!!!!!!!?!????!?!?
Dralix
Killer of threads
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2001
- Messages
- 2,407
With a little editing, you have complete control:
http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=12881427&postcount=3
Talcove
Slayer of Spies
In our face? It's a tiny rectangle at the bottom of the main menu.
I didn't even notice it until I read about it on these forums and went to check it out.
game before last, a military CS gifted me one about 10 turns before EOG. i really wanted to take it to war and see what it could do too. i recall the description is REALLY cheesy, something at the end is like "Let's Roll!" or something completely immersion breaking.
