commercials in online loading screens?

[billychanxtr33m]

anyone remember those fury ads that played during the loads of online races after the 2.0 patch? well today i saw a fair share of state farm ads in the same place. is it just me, or has anyone else seen them? if so, whats the deal? plus... why is state farm advertising on wipeout hd of all places??? what, because we play wipeout we're supposed to be bad drivers :?

[RidgeTop]

I saw this also and was like "WTF!!!!" seriously... If SL is going to do in game advertising save it for energy drinks. Its pretty stupid that they would throw State Farm Insurance ads on there.

[billychanxtr33m]

if SL was responsible for the ads it would be cool if they stayed in theme. now i may be wrong, but the games are all user hosted through PSN so i dont think SL has anything to do with the online functionality. so are these ads really coming from PSN or what i guess is the first question to be asked

[okam]

I've never seen any ads like that in the game... ever... is this a US thing maybe?

[Rubix42]

I haven't seen it myself, but you know what ads mean right? More money for the devs (hopefully) so larger budget to make more Wipeout goodness!

[DividedXZero]

So are we going to have ads like PS Home now? :blarg

Then in game billboards? (I hope not unless they are relevant to WO)

[razor_sharp84]

Is this just showing up for people who haven't downloaded 'Fury' yet? I have Fury installed, and haven't seen any ads--Fury or otherwise--since prior to its installation. Perhaps it's a ploy to get more people to download the DLC...

[Farside]

I have Fury installed and saw the State Farm one today for the first time.

I'm ok with it if it means we get more content sooner rather than later.

As for the ad being WO related... they're going to take money from whoever gives them more of it. :nod

[DividedXZero]

The MS philosophy? *sigh*
(We see how that turns out reguarding "exclusives")

[IH8YOU]

This is a sad day, then.

I would rather pay for PSN than deal with in-game ads.

Logging in now - if the ads are there - these may very well be my last two races.

:(

[DividedXZero]

@IH8YOU
-Just close your eyes while the race loads..no ads, no foul...
They are not within the game YET....

[PoliPino]

I've seen the Fury Ads a couple times. Haven't seen the State Farm ones yet though.

I'm OK with ads during loading screens. They're pretty unobtrusive and its not like I'd be doing anything at that moment anyway. Sony gives us the PSN for free (Xboxers pay for Live, right?) so I'd rather see this than an access fee to the PSN.

[Rubix42]

Correct, you pay for multiplayer on Live, and you have to see advertisements all the time to.

This is nothing. Burnout Paradise has in game billboards, inFamous has in game advertising, it's helping defray dev. costs for the game, not a big deal. But like, if my Mirage all of a sudden had a big ole Nascar style hood ornament, well, that would be super annoying.

[PoliPino]

In game ads in a game like Wipeout could get pretty sticky, I think. All the Future-tech of the game world with a 'Buy a Kia' billboard in it would be pretty off-putting.

But Red Bull was able to incorporate their ads into the XL universe pretty effectively, so it could be done.

[PLazarou]

Hmmm. I saw a Fury ad in HD after the 2.00 update and just before I downloaded Fury. I've not seen a different ad in Fury.. yet. This is bad news. I thought the Fury ad in HD was fair enough, but I thought that would be it after you bought the damn thing.

This video capability during loading could be put to good use though - showing a highlights reel of the previous race or something. Or info about the track, like at the start or Pulse races.

[Syntek]

who gives a crap, it's not like it's affecting game play or loading times now is it?

[sw1tch]

Looks like an US only thing since i have no ads and i'm from europe, I understand ads when the game is free but in a full release game, not so much ;x.

[Aeroracer]

list of potential adverts they could put into wipeout loading screen

A govenment advert about safe driving and "KILL YOUR SPEED before you kill someone" :|

Loreal.lip plumping balm:hyper

party political broadcast from the labour party:turd

Sugar puff avert with honey monster:hyper

Felix gormet pouches for cats:hyper

ASDA rolling back the prices:turd

Xbox 360 advert on a ps3 game ..LOL

:dizzy:dizzy:dizzy:dizzy

Colgate toothpaste:turd

[PLazarou]

who gives a crap, it's not like it's affecting game play or loading times now is it?
No, but it's affecting my mental well-being. And my opinions of SL/Sony.

[Mateo]

I don't understand why people are complaining. As long as ads stay out of the gameplay + they don't change anything in the game + they don't affect playing or selecting things they are generally a good thing imho. More money for SL is more Wipeout for us.
But if SL doesn't get anything of the money and it just goes directly to Sony I would be really pissed too.

[Darkdrium777]

The responses are hilarious :lol
So because of ads you're going to stop playing Wipeout?
I take it you don't watch TV, don't read the newspaper, don't ride the bus/public transports, don't go to sports games (baseball, hockey), etc.?
You shouldn't even be posting in this forum, there are ads on the wipeoutzone black bar at the top!

Bye, I guess?
xD

Really, get over it. :| If you're like me you're probably still chatting in the WOZone chatbox during the loadings so you don't even see the ads :lol


Personally, I don't care if there's streaming ads... Might explain why HD and Fury are so cheap.

[tileon]

I saw this also and was like "WTF!!!!" seriously... If SL is going to do in game advertising save it for energy drinks. Its pretty stupid that they would throw State Farm Insurance ads on there.

I sense that pony uprade not far ahead

[Feisar31]

I don't like the new ad at all. It came up like 5 times in one hour for me. I understand some people don't have a problem with it--fine. Personally I find it pretty offensive, especially since it has sound.

:-

[Aeroracer]

If advertising helps SL or sony make more good games like wipeout i dont give a hoot about advertising.:p:p

[Farside]

I don't like the new ad at all. It came up like 5 times in one hour for me. I understand some people don't have a problem with it--fine. Personally I find it pretty offensive, especially since it has sound.

:-sound? really? hrmff... I wonder why I didn't hear anything.



If advertising helps SL or sony make more good games like wipeout i dont give a hoot about advertising.:p:pX2

[djKyoto]

Havn't seen it yet.

Long as it's not in-game or in a menu, I wouldn't care.

[newtype]

The responses are hilarious :lol
So because of ads you're going to stop playing Wipeout?
I take it you don't watch TV, don't read the newspaper, don't ride the bus/public transports, don't go to sports games (baseball, hockey), etc.?
You shouldn't even be posting in this forum, there are ads on the wipeoutzone black bar at the top!

Bye, I guess?
xD

Really, get over it. :| If you're like me you're probably still chatting in the WOZone chatbox during the loadings so you don't even see the ads :lol


Personally, I don't care if there's streaming ads... Might explain why HD and Fury are so cheap.

Lighten up. Just because people don't agree with you doesn't mean they need to get over anything. You obviously worship this game, so good for you if you want to look at ads where they used to be none. Some people don't want to. Relax. Have a :donut

I love WOHD to death, but I honestly can't stand it when companies get greedy and do things like this. If the cost they are charging is not enough to cover the cost of development, they should have charged more. I didn't pay for this game (which is a polished version of Pure and Pulse, which I also bought) so I can look at State Farm ads. I will most certainly NEVER buy another SL, download only WO game again.

I no none of you care, but you it makes me not want to play this game online anymore. This whole thing just leaves a bad taste in my mouth-


sound? really? hrmff... I wonder why I didn't hear anything.


X2

I wonder why you didn't either, because there is most certainly sound.

[yeldar2097]

wtf is state farm?
and why aren't i getting this advert! i want it i want it i want it!
:P

[newtype]

An insurance company -_-

[Farside]

I wonder why you didn't either, because there is most certainly sound.well then... I'd probably be a bit more irritated too.

If it helps get us more dlc any sooner, though, I gotta go with it being worth it. :nod

[Motorsagmannen]

no ads in norway so far, i only got one about fury before i bought it. this seems more and more to affect U.S players only.

damn, i really want WO-HD Ponies lol xD

[newtype]

well then... I'd probably be a bit more irritated too.

If it helps get us more dlc any sooner, though, I gotta go with it being worth it. :nod

Well, since there is no guarantee that that is the case (or if there is even more DLC slated!) I guess we'll have to agree to disagree :beer

I just fired up the Fury Campaign...there are ads in the loading screens there as well.

So. Disgusting.

[Darkdrium777]

You obviously worship this gameI obviously worship WipEout HD?
Let me tell you something: I could get so critical toward WipEout HD that it could get me banned from this place :lol
There's plenty of things I find wrong with WipEout HD, both from the gameplay aspect and from an overall "quality" aspect. Yes, the game looks great, plays great, and it's a technical achievement for hardware that is basically five years old, but it's far from perfect. Very far. And in fact, update 2.00 dumbed it down a little (Sure, they added Eliminator and Zone Battle, so the game had to run it properly, but they did some tweaks to the engine that most of you are probably oblivious to.)
So if SL wants more money to fix their game, more power to them. I won't stop them, in fact I will encourage them. I love WipEout HD nonetheless, and if they can fix some broken stuff that's been around for waaay too long, good.

And yes, I believe I can say "get over it" when the concern here is an ad, probably less than 15 seconds long, that plays once in a while, and when you say "OH MAN **** SL IM NEVER PLAYING WIPEOUT HD AGAIN." It's a ****ing ad. Get over it... See what I mean? You probably watch TV and read some form of newspaper, there's ads in it too, and often times way more obtrusive... If you love WipEout HD like you say you do, you wouldn't stop playing it because of a loading screen (See that remote next to you? There's a button called "Mute" if it ever gets too irritating.)

[newtype]

Alright, so it probably wasn't cool of me to say you worship the game...my fault. However, I don't understand why you can't just get over the fact that someone may feel differently about such things than you do.

I never said I wasn't playing WOHD again - - I said I didn't want to play online as it left a bad taste in my mouth. Now that it's in the campaign as well, it's just extremely annoying and frustrating that they aren't content with the $30 USD that we already paid for the game; they want to further support their efforts by ads.

Your TV/Newspaper argument doesn't hold water as one walks into that "agreement" with knowledge that that is how that particular industry works. When we bought WOHD, there were no ads. They put them in because they knew people, such as yourself, would play the game anyway and wouldn't care. For me *personally*, it's the principle of the matter.

It's like you buy a CD only to find out that there are advertisements in between tracks...

...you can not sit there and tell me you wouldn't care if artists suddenly started doing this.

[IH8YOU]

For the record - I don't watch TV, nor listen to commercial radio, and at least for me (and reasons unknown) there have never been ads on Wipeoutzone on my PC.

It's not the ads that bother me so much as knowing what's coming next. The floodgates have opened. I would have rather paid 60 hell even 100 dollars for this game - and even pay for PSN - to not be barraged with ads in my escape-reality-to-unwind-sanctuary.

Also - I JUST found out - showing even less taste (in my opinion) - these ads also show when you're offline.

I didn't pay for a PS3 and Wipeout to watch advertisements - I paid to play games and enjoy myself and others.

If I wanted to watch advertisements - I'd turn on the TV, or listen to commercial radio.

We have different opinions - and this one I feel strongly about - you're welcome to disagree - but you're in no place to wag the finger at me for feeling otherwise.

[Darkdrium777]

Logging in now - if the ads are there - these may very well be my last two races.

I will most certainly NEVER buy another SL, download only WO game again.

[...]it makes me not want to play this game online anymore.
Hey, sorry for understanding what's actually written.
Because of in-game advertising, most likely to support the cost of the DLC (How come it's so cheap right?) and maintaining the server, so that you, the fan, the player, can keep playing WipEout, you won't be playing it anymore. Well okay, fine.

How I see it, this is more money to make more WipEout. Twas fine back in the day with the loading only reading "Red Bull", what's different now... The sound? The sponsor? It's still a loading screen... You're gonna play WipEout HD after...

As far as "The video-game industry doesn't put ads in game"... Trackmania? Quake Live? Grand Theft Auto? Burnout? etc.

[Frances_Penfold]

I saw the advertisements for the first time tonight-- lots of them, for State Farm Insurance.

Personally, I find them pretty annoying and tacky, but I hate commercials pretty much across the board (TV, magazines, movie theatres), so I'm probably more sensitive than other WOZers. In any case, it's nothing that will keep me from playing WOHD.

I wouldn't blame Studio Liverpool. Realistically-- we are in the midst of a world-wide economic recessions and videogame companies are taking a substantial financial hit... PS3 is running third place in hardware sales and has a limited installed base... and WOHD is $20 USD, $30 with Fury, a bargain game running with a free online system... and WipEout in general is a niche product that doesn't pull revenue or push hardware like many other games. We are damn lucky that the franchise is being supported at all IMHO. For its part, Nintendo hasn't supported F-zero is YEARS.

Personally, I blame the folks that didn't buy Wipeout Pulse and/or complained endlessly about the cost of the DLC ;)


it's not like it's affecting game play or loading times now is it?

I think the loading time *may* be somewhat longer with the commercial but I would have to check with a stopwatch to be certain. It doesn't profoundly change anything about the in-game experience.




Edit...

I would have rather paid 60 hell even 100 dollars for this game - and even pay for PSN - to not be barraged with ads in my escape-reality-to-unwind-sanctuary... I didn't pay for a PS3 and Wipeout to watch advertisements - I paid to play games and enjoy myself and others.

I agree 100% with your sentiments-- the problem is that vast majority of gamers (even hardcore gamers) do not :(

[Mu5]

I would rather pay a monthly subscription like I do with Xbox Live than get Ads in my (favourite) game. I hope this is not the start of Ads appearing everywhere on PSN titles, the service is bad enough as it is.

[stinkleroy]

Errr I haven't seen any ads so I'm assuming this is North America only, but so what? The history of WipEout has always been synonymous with in game advertising.... Red Bull anyone?

Don't understand why people are upset, if you don't like it just don't look at it.

[Darkdrium777]

There is no ads here, it's USA only. I tried with my US account but didn't see them, so it must be IP based too.

[sny]

I raised an eyebrow back in the days of WO 2097 when I saw the Red Bull loading screens, but it didn't make me feel less immersed in the game. I'd probably react the same way if they enabled ads on loading screens: I wouldn't be pleased to see them, but in a certain, twisted way they actually add a sense of realism, seeing how horribly over-commercialized current racing events like Formula 1 are.

Also, like many, I'd give SL the benefit of the doubt that they are using the ad revenue for upcoming DLC, they've been doing a superb job so far IMO at a bargain price (heck, you can get like 4-5 LittleBigPlanet costumes at the price of Fury, and those take two days tops to make), so we really have no reason to question the means, so long as the end result is bigger, better and gets to us faster. :)

[krioto]

I'm in europe, so no ads, but if it makes more wipeout as cheap as this, then go for it SL.

I would prefer energy drink ads, and futuristic stuff though

[rushin]

i understand that $$$ talks, and as soon as advertisers decide its worthwhile we will see many more ads in games. not a happy day, but i understand it.

however having sound, especially for a game like this where music is a big part, and people are generally playing it loud with custom playlists is not even a little bit ok.

I wouldnt be able to play if some shitty ad with sound was blaring out every time a race loaded :(

[Spece2goin]

I raised an eyebrow back in the days of WO 2097 when I saw the Red Bull loading screens, but it didn't make me feel less immersed in the game.

There were lots of Kappa logos in Fusion too, but they fit good in the game.

But State Farm, Omfg!
it's not even the right audience!

[mdhay]

Why in God's name must some ****er capitalize on a game? Is State Farm part of Microsoft for their sales technique? Can't we have our game back the way it was? i.e. A Game?>:(

[okam]

You brits got it too?

[mdhay]

Not yet, but just hearing about other people having it has pissed me right off.

[NightArh]

No one wants to pay for ads...

[PjotrStroganov]

No one wants to pay for ads...

How much did you pay for them?

[NightArh]

HD + Fury Expansion price. It is not free. Do you see you buy a game with one purpose - to play it! But not for watchin advertisements. IMHO

[PjotrStroganov]

The price of HD and Fury is far below of what was to be expected. Compare them with similarly priced games and you know what bargains HD and Fury are. Pricing is what made many people buy the game.

Who knows, maybe the game is being sold at such a sharp price, that SL has to use adds to make a decent amount of money. Maybe the money generated from the adds is being used to get future content to you for free.

[NightArh]

Maybe. Who knows... I am not sure SL made this. ;)

I become aggressive when see ads everywhere. I hate this crap. It poisons minds. It become so annoying. Am I normal? :dizzy

[guillaume]

Don't know if you are normal but I feel just the same!

[crawdad62]

I noticed it last night. Sort of freaked out when I saw dollar bills floating around. Couldn't figure it out. Ended up seeing it was an ad. Does it affect my game play? No. Am I going to take a stand? No.... too lazy.

About the only thing that puzzles me is why they don't target the ad a bit better. State Farm? I'm sure there's a huge population of Wipeout players just hoping to be goaded into buying insurance. :clap

I could see some bloodshot eyed Wiper sitting there for the umpteenth hour being persuaded to buy a Red Bull or something but insurance?

[Farside]

Maybe. Who knows... I am not sure SL made this. I would have to assume that it had to be SL that placed the ad there. I'm not sure but I don't think Sony could just place ads in games at will, otherwise PSN games would be riddled with them.



About the only thing that puzzles me is why they don't target the ad a bit better. State Farm? I'm sure there's a huge population of Wipeout players just hoping to be goaded into buying insurance. :clapState Farm probably paid more than anyone else was willing to pay.

Wanna talk about ads that are out of place?
NHL09 does this ad placement thing except they place the ads on the boards.
During the election they had an Obama ad...
Recently I've seen ads for The Fast and the Furious DVD
You might not think ads on a hockey rink could be out of place, but wow... they most certainly are :turd

[crawdad62]

True, State Farm probably did pay big. And of course that's their problem. If I was buying ad space for State Farm about the last place I'd be looking is a futuristic racing video game. But maybe it works for them. I just think that if whomever is responsible for actually imbedding these ads would sell to the target audience a bit better they might be received a bit better too.

Again it really doesn't bother me but it's sad. You just can't escape it.

[Mu5]

Maybe the money generated from the adds is being used to get future content to you for free.

Hardly, Sony are in severe financial trouble.

Heres just one article (http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2009/07/31/sony-sales-slide/) on how their sales are sliding....and they are losing money... big time.

[LOUDandPROUD]

Yah, I saw the ads for the first time last night too...multiple times. I don't recall hearing any sound though...I'll double-check that tonight. Honestly, it doesn't bother me a whole lot. I mean, would I rather there NOT be ads? Definitely. Is it going to drive me crazy though? Nah. As long as it's not intrusive to the actual gameplay, it's not a big deal to me. In other words, as long as the ads are limited to loading screens, which I have to stare at (or not) anyway, I'm ok with it. I don't mind ads on billboards in-game either. Heck, I wonder how anyone would see them while racing anyway...speaking for myself, I never stop midrace to admire the scenery lol. I suppose you could see adds while the camera is panning around the track before a race...or directly in front of you while sitting at the start line waiting for 3, 2, 1, GO. That wouldn't bug me a whole lot either though. Now, if they started stopping gameplay to show a video ad whilst I'm trying to get a missle lock on someone on my around the Chengou hairpin, THAT I'd have a problem with. :p Like some have said, if the extra revenue generated by the ads helps SL to generate more DLC, more often, then awesome. :)

[zerojay]

In Burnout, the ads made sense and helped make the world feel more real. It didn't break the player's immersion in the game. This is a whole other story.

By the way, the ads aren't just in the US. I'm in Canada and I'm getting them too even though State Farm doesn't exist here.

The State Farm ads break all hype and immersion for me to the point where I just want to put the controller down. Obviously, the fictional world of Wipeout has always been covered in fake ads and that's fine... I just wish they went THAT route for the ads. Not place them all over the tracks, but taking the company logo and the ad style and giving them the Wipeout style, look and futuristic feel. Hell, even make it slightly funny by having State Farm advertise insurance in case an antigrav ship goes off track and lands on your mother-in-law. That would be fine and it wouldn't bother me at all.

Or, if they want ad revenue, why not release a version of the game for free that is ad-supported and then keep the paid version clean?

But then there's the other major issue these ads are causing... at least for me. I can't play the game when the ad comes up. My entire PS3 *crashes* each and every time I try to play the game, because it keeps trying to play the State Farm ad and BOOM.

So... I've paid $30 total for a game I've loved up until this point... and I can't play it due to the crashing because of this ad.

Awesome.

[stinkleroy]

Hardly, Sony are in severe financial trouble.

Heres just one article (http://www.thesixthaxis.com/2009/07/31/sony-sales-slide/) on how their sales are sliding....and they are losing money... big time.

Hehe Mu5! It's hardly surprising that Sony's sales have taken a battering, considering we are in the middle of an econimic and financial meltdown, and their hardware is expensive. If ad's help to generate cash then so be it. It's not like it's anything new to Wipeout anyway...

[newtype]

Hey, sorry for understanding what's actually written.
Because of in-game advertising, most likely to support the cost of the DLC (How come it's so cheap right?) and maintaining the server, so that you, the fan, the player, can keep playing WipEout, you won't be playing it anymore. Well okay, fine.

How I see it, this is more money to make more WipEout. Twas fine back in the day with the loading only reading "Red Bull", what's different now... The sound? The sponsor? It's still a loading screen... You're gonna play WipEout HD after...

As far as "The video-game industry doesn't put ads in game"... Trackmania? Quake Live? Grand Theft Auto? Burnout? etc.

Hmm, me saying I won't be buying anymore DLC from them is NOT the same thing as saying I will never play WO again. Me saying the ads "make me not want to play" is NOT me saying I will never play again. Perhaps you should try reading what I write instead of trying to prove an opinionated point. Nice try, but no dice.

And all of those games you mentioned, I don't play those...I specifically don't play GTA because of the ads. I would NOT have purchased WOHD if they would have told us there would be ads.

That is all.

Edit:

I don't understand why people are ignoring the ad issue because the game is so cheap right off the bat...75% of the game is a REMAKE of tracks/courses that were already available. They didn't make the game from scratch, hence the lower price IMHO. I personally don't approach the game as if it is a "new" WO, hence the price seemed about right to me.

Oh, and I would have gladly paid more (or at least been given the option to pay more) if I could have the game with NO ads.

[Mu5]

@Stinkleroy : I was just answering PjotrStroganov's post on the possiblity of the advertising revenue funding free DLC. I am well aware of the current financial meltdown ;)

I see the Red bull advertising in 2097 to be very different from downloadable ads that are going to pop up each time a track loads up. The last thing I want to see is different adverts for crap I dont want/need every time I want to play my favourite game. TV is bad enough, without it spilling onto video games.

I think these kind of adverts shatter the illusion of the futuristic world that Wipeout delivers so well. The 2097 Red bull adverts at the time didnt really affect the game, or the futuristic feeling that much. If we get bombarded with different adverts for Swinton Insurance for example, it will just kill the game for me, and im sure a lot of other people.

Its a shame really :)

[newtype]

+1

I feel exactly the same way. I wish there was some way we could have known about this before hand; quite frankly, they would not have my $30.

[Darkdrium777]

I still don't see those ads. Something special you have to do?
Because if this add shows only once every fifteen minutes, than excuse me but you people are clearly over-reacting.
If it's to the point that it replaces every single loading screen, then yes that can be very annoying. But if not, I don't understand the "I'm not buying a Wipeout game" and "I don't really want to play it anymore" bits. If you love Wipeout like you said you do, you'd play it even with the Coca Cola logo plastered all over (WipEout PurE PAL FYI, probably has worse advertising than this stuff. Yet the Euro friends kept playing it because it's a really really good game that they enjoyed.)

[zerojay]

I would love to do that but the stupid ad is crashing my game and I can't play it at all now.

[stinkleroy]

Hmm my point was that it's really not going to make any difference to me either way, I'm usually in chat when the loading screen is on...plus as I do watch television from time to time, I'm easily capable of blocking advertisements from entering my consciousness ;) It's not like I ever played wipeout 2097 for a few hours then thought hmmm I must buy some Red Bull...never happened :lol

Although I do understand this element of reality creeping into our fantasies is unsettling, it's just inevitable really :nod

[newtype]

I still don't see those ads. Something special you have to do?
Because if this add shows only once every fifteen minutes, than excuse me but you people are clearly over-reacting.
If it's to the point that it replaces every single loading screen, then yes that can be very annoying. But if not, I don't understand the "I'm not buying a Wipeout game" and "I don't really want to play it anymore" bits. If you love Wipeout like you said you do, you'd play it even with the Coca Cola logo plastered all over (WipEout PurE PAL FYI, probably has worse advertising than this stuff. Yet the Euro friends kept playing it because it's a really really good game that they enjoyed.)

I see the same State Farm ad that starts with dollar bill pictures (with the most annoying song) almost every other race, so about half the time.

I understand what you mean about the Coke ads, but it's different to me if intrusive and in-your-face vs I'm going so fast I can hardly even see the scenery. Further, the same ad pops up no matter which game-mode/race/course/etc you play. There is no way around it.

If I didn't see the ads, then I can see how many of you guys may not feel it's a big deal...but for those who live in the States, it's plastered right in front of your face every other race.


I would love to do that but the stupid ad is crashing my game and I can't play it at all now.
That hasn't happened to me yet, but I would be pissed if it did.

[Darkdrium777]

zerojay says he sees them, he's also in Canada. I don't get it :s
Are you using a Canadian PSN account zerojay?

[Feisar31]

I have a few questions for Paul or anyone else at Studio Liverpool. (I hope they're reading this thread. ;))

1) Why are there now advertisements in the loading screens for players in the U.S. (or North America)?
2) Will ads be shown in other territories as well? If so, when?
3) How often are the ads shown? (e.g. every x minutes, every x races, etc.)
4) I presume there will be ads from other companies besides State Farm. Which companies might those be?
5) Is there any way to avoid or disable the ads?

And perhaps others could answer this one:
6) Did anyone from Sony or Studio Liverpool mention this new "feature" before it was implemented? I don't recall reading anything about it.

[billychanxtr33m]

And perhaps others could answer this one:
6) Did anyone from Sony or Studio Liverpool mention this new "feature" before it was implemented? I don't recall reading anything about it.

i never saw anything about added ads and leading up to fury i was reading any news i could find about added features, release date, ect...

[khnemu23]

The only reason I mind the ad is because of the sound. I could ignore the ad much better if I did not have to hear the music that plays during it.

I'm all for SL making money, but having an ad that makes noise is very distracting. I also do not like that no real announcement was made about it (unless I missed it). It seems like the ad was just sneaked in the game.

Anyway, I hope they remove the sound and perhaps release either some free DLC in the future (maybe a new ship or track) or put this money towards making more feature-heavy paid DLC.

[okam]

Seems many people are under the impression that much of the Fury content is simple copypasta from pure/pulse, which I very much doubt it is. It took a large amount of people months and months to put together for a reason. (Correct me if I'm wrong but I believe someone from SL even stated that is was indeed a lot of work involved to convert tracks from older games.)

Not seen any ads myself so it's hard to judge how intrusive they are, but as long as there aren't movies or things similar to those annoying blinking flash webage banners playing in-game it's ok with me. Loading screens are spent doing other things usually anyway, so put whatever you want there (ads would be annoying yes, but I could live with that).

Still wondering if anyone with a non-US account has seen the ads.

[migratorycoconut]

@Stinkleroy :
I see the Red bull advertising in 2097 to be very different from downloadable ads that are going to pop up each time a track loads up. The last thing I want to see is different adverts for crap I dont want/need every time I want to play my favourite game. TV is bad enough, without it spilling onto video games.

I think these kind of adverts shatter the illusion of the futuristic world that Wipeout delivers so well. The 2097 Red bull adverts at the time didnt really affect the game, or the futuristic feeling that much.

Plus, Red Bull didn't really even exist in the US when their logo first appeared in Wipeout. It wasn't until I was in Europe a while later and saw the logo on a can that I realized I had seen an advertisement.

Even with that fact aside, these ads are way different. They ruin the experience, making it feel like you're playing some crappy flash game, or watching Hulu. Instead of being able to be immersed in the game, I'm jolted out of it, and Wipeout has always been about immersion.

I don't know if it'll do any good, but since Sony was the production house, it might be worth sending them a quick note: http://us.playstation.com/Corporate/ConsumerServices If you feel like it, great. If not, then don't worry about it. No harm in trying!

(I also would gladly have paid normal game prices ($60) than have ads)

[zerojay]

zerojay says he sees them, he's also in Canada. I don't get it :s
Are you using a Canadian PSN account zerojay?

Yes, I sure am.

[nyamigo]

The one thing that bothers me the most is that the ads were added after I purchased the game. It feels a bit like a bait and switch almost. The ad is not that intrusive but I would certainly be concerned if another update put them on the HUD or something similar. Given that there is no recourse once its paid for its a bit disconcerning. I always assumed I would be able to assess this type of advertising through a game review before spending the money. That aside I do think WipeOut HD and Fury are excellent games. Was there anything in the EULA that hinted to allowing for this?

[PoliPino]

Edit: @migratorycoconut's post

^^
Yeah I thought Red Bull was made up when I first got XL

But I wouldn't have gotten HD at regular PS3 price, so I'll gladly trade some load screen ads for a cheaper price. Is it disappointing, sure. But it's far from a game breaker.

[Avenger2197]

I wouldn't find the ads all that distracting, except for that piece of crap hip-hop beat playing behind it. And the fact it shows up almost every other race loading screen. It's really disappointing that Wipeout has succumbed to American television syndrome it would seem. Like others said, if it were wipeout themed I may not mind so much. i use this game to escape from reality, not to have it forced down my throat due to a bottom line somewhere.

In the end, is it game-breaking? No. Would I want it gone because it just doesn't really belong there in my eyes? Yes.

I hope you Euro people never see anything as far as an ad in wipeout.

[Farside]

I wouldn't find the ads all that distracting, except for that piece of crap hip-hop beat playing behind it.

Gotta say, without the audio the ads don't bother me, but.... that would drive me nuts.

Without the audio it's not much different than it was before the ads were added... for me anyway. I'm not usually paying attention to the loading screen. How many times can you read how to do a BR or how to sideshift?
But I'd definitely find audio overly intrusive... especially hip-hop :brickwall
I'm extremely curious why I can't hear the ads. Happy... but still curious.

[billychanxtr33m]

for those of you that dont see the ad and are curious, here you go http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LLTkF1IFuo
the quality is pretty bad but you get the idea

[IH8YOU]

I don't care what anyone else thinks of me - I just got done with a session online - and I'm topped off. I saw more than enough ads for my taste - anywhere - let alone on Wipeout.

Whether it be Sony or Studio Liverpool, you've bitten one of the hands that feed.

It was fun while it lasted.

:frown:

[Mu5]

Yeah I agree - I will be sending an email to that customer service address telling them that I will not be buying anything else from PSN, in protest of the 'sly' way they have slipped adverts into the game. This is underhanded to say the least.

As for the EULA, as somebody mentioned on another forum ....'You know what Sonys lawyers are like' ;) They have almost certainly changed it.

[djKyoto]

for those of you that dont see the ad and are curious, here you go http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4LLTkF1IFuo
the quality is pretty bad but you get the idea

Is that it?

God, overreaction much. It's not like you can do anything during the loading screen so you can just ignore it, I'm usually looking at my PC during the loading screen.

Tho I must admit it's a bit weird for a ad like that. It's not going to appeal to many WPHD players...

[Aeroracer]

like who cares..

adverts are part of life ..do u complain to bus driver cos he has advert on side of the bus:p

[zerojay]

No, because there's the expectation that the ad will be there on the side of the bus. We've paid $20 a pop to play a game that had no ads, and then suddenly ads are an unannounced feature of the Fury update that we paid another $10 for. After all this time of playing it, we're getting ads. How much further is it going to go? What's going to stop them from making us watch longer ads? Or seeing the ads more often?

And then there's also my case where I can't play Wipeout HD at all because the State Farm ads crash my PS3 each and every single time. And because it didn't finish playing when the crash happens, the ad plays the next time I try to start a game... and it crashes. The game is completely unusable to me now and no longer works.

So yeah, I think I've got a right to complain here.

[Mu5]

If I jumped on the bus, paid my money, then sat down and he then said 'To travel on this bus, you must view this A4 page of adverts' ....then yes, I would :D

[Aeroracer]

No, because there's the expectation that the ad will be there on the side of the bus. We've paid $20 a pop to play a game that had no ads, and then suddenly ads are an unannounced feature of the Fury update that we paid another $10 for. After all this time of playing it, we're getting ads. How much further is it going to go? What's going to stop them from making us watch longer ads? Or seeing the ads more often?

And then there's also my case where I can't play Wipeout HD at all because the State Farm ads crash my PS3 each and every single time. And because it didn't finish playing when the crash happens, the ad plays the next time I try to start a game... and it crashes. The game is completely unusable to me now and no longer works.

So yeah, I think I've got a right to complain here.


:turd:turd:turd:turdno you havnt...you have no rights...hahahaha..:guitar:guitar:guitar






only joking.if it crashes your game then their is a real issue and SL need to fix this b4 fans are lost forever.hope you get it resolved:)

[Vartazian]

Puma And Coca-Cola Ships anyone?

[Aeroracer]

no no no no

Loreal ship and louis vitton ships:nod:nod:nod

[Mu5]

no thanks! :) :) :+

[zerojay]

You gotta love the timing of these ads showing up... pretty much exactly AFTER all the major gaming sites have already reviewed the add-on, so they never saw it and people won't know about it until it's already been bought.

[Aeroracer]

can someone put a link of this really cheesy crap sounding issurance ad up for so non americans can laugh at how unfunny it must be for you people to be subjected to it.:donut

[Vartazian]

Maybe State farm is covering all the people I killed when I flew My AG SYSTEMS into the Stands at Modesto

[LOUDandPROUD]

I'm extremely curious why I can't hear the ads. Happy... but still curious.

When I got home today I fired up Fury and confirmed that I have no sound with the ad either, as I thought. Strange. Even more strange is that I'm one of the few folks that have had in-game sound problems since Fury, where some of the effects become extremely loud for no reason, making the game pretty much unplayable when it occurs. You can read about it in detail within the bug report thread. Anyway, now I'm wondering if that sound issue and the lack of sound in the ads is related in any way.

Farside, have you had any in-game sound issues like I have?

[billychanxtr33m]

can someone put a link of this really cheesy crap sounding issurance ad up for so non americans can laugh at how unfunny it must be for you people to be subjected to it.:donut
teh link is on page 8 of this thread :beer

[GraveX]

I am also seeing the State Farm ads, and while they do bother me a bit, there is something else that I noticed that really irks me.

It looks to me like the loading progress bar slows down to wait for the ad to finish playing. I spent plenty of time with Fury before the ads showed up and Zone levels would load super fast because of the lack of textures. Now, with the ads, the loading bar zips across the screen but then slows down just in time to allow the ad to finish.

If I am right about this, it would mean that the ads are artificially increasing the load times on certain levels (Zone especially). While it's a small amount, it is certainly a disturbing trend.

Pay close attention to the loading progress bar next time the ad pops up.

[Farside]

Farside, have you had any in-game sound issues like I have?Nothing like what is in your post in that thread.
Only sound 'problem' I get is what others have mentioned about sometimes it sounds like I'm in a tunnel even though I'm not... although now that I mention it, I'm not sure if I even get that anymore (unless I simply got used to it)

[LOUDandPROUD]

Well, that tunnel sound thing you mentioned is part of the sound problem I'm having too. Hmmm...

[Aeroracer]

:guitarha hah...just watched the advert..it's really :turdcrap:turd..:guitar

[Feisar31]

I don't care what anyone else thinks of me - I just got done with a session online - and I'm topped off.

Well I just finished a session OFFLINE, and I'm done too. The ads were still there, even after I disabled the network connection and unplugged the cable. In other words, they're not streaming, they're part of the game.

I would still like to hear the answers to my questions (http://www.wipeoutzone.com/forum/showpost.php?p=141615&postcount=69), but until the ads are gone or removable, I don't think I'll be playing any more. I feel like there is a total lack of respect for the players from whoever is responsible for this: for not letting us know beforehand, for allowing audio in the ad, and for showing the ad at such a ridiculous frequency.

(What's the point of showing the same ad to people every 10-15 minutes in the first place? On the 5th (or 50th) time, I'm not going to suddenly go, "Wait! Stop the race! I need to get State Farm Insurance!!" It's like it was designed to piss people off.)


It was fun while it lasted.

:frown:

My thoughts exactly.

[Vartazian]

No Adds in Canada!




Yet.....

[Zach Keene]

If I am right about this, it would mean that the ads are artificially increasing the load times on certain levels (Zone especially). While it's a small amount, it is certainly a disturbing trend.

I haven't broken out the stopwatch to be 100% certain, but I'm noticing the same thing.

[mdhay]

Hypothetically, since adverts were added from the 2.0 patch, so you should be able to delete HD, download it again, but not download the patch and you won't have them. You'll sacrifice playing online, though.:(

[PjotrStroganov]

It depends whether the game has or hasn't been patched in the store already.

[IH8YOU]

In the US - if you delete the game - you get 1.26 from the store - and it has not been patched.

You will not get Fury - and you will not have the ability to play online.

2.01 on HD streams ads, too.

I went to 1.26 (this was yesterday, btw) - and got peer pressured by a couple of friends to rejoin the online community. Updated to 2.01 so I could do so (but did not reinstall Fury) - anyhow ads were back, and in full force.

I'd guess the days are numbered for 1.26 in the store - but let me tell you - it's an epic suck tradeoff. Perfectly good working HD game - and you get to play it all by yourself.
:?

[Cerium]

It's been touched on before, and after finishing an entirely offline session today, I've been spammed by the ads every 2-3 races. Adverts generally don't bug me when they're not effecting the game (See: Wipeout XL's Red Bull Ads. Those were kind of amusing), but these are.

Most of you already noticed, but the progress bar got bigger... kind of. There's actually two of em there mashed together.
The first is the standard "loading" progress bar; it's just as big as it was before and seems to do the exact same job. The new bit, where the mode icon used to be, is a timer for the ad. No matter how quickly the track loads, the bar will stop and tick along the timer portion until the ad plays out (as evident with the zone tracks from pure). Wonderful.

I get the whole money thing and... you know what? Screw it. I'm too tired to rant coherently anyway. All I can think of at this point is this:

State Farm? Really?

[Aeroracer]

:guitarha hah...just watched the advert..it's really :turdcrap:turd..:guitar

I rest my case

[Zach Keene]

Hypothetically, since adverts were added from the 2.0 patch, so you should be able to delete HD, download it again, but not download the patch and you won't have them. You'll sacrifice playing online, though.:(

Someone upthread mentioned still getting the ads even signed out of PSN and with the cable unplugged. I wonder if setting the system date back before last Thursday would disable them...

Edit: Nope, it didn't.

[gettinmoney662]

Hahaha, I read the first four pages of this thread and the replies are hilarious. I find it so funny that people are so vehemently against advertisements and I know the real reason why: they think advertisements brainwash you into buying things and they don't have the will power to resist.

Who cares if there is an advertisement in the loading screen? Who even cares if there's an advertisement in an in-game billboard? How does that affect the gameplay at all? Is your ADHD so bad that you can't ignore them and crash into the walls?

The only time I would complain about advertisements in a game would be if the advertisement played in the middle of the screen during a race. Any other option is fine with me because I will do what any normal person does who is not interested in buying the product being advertised: ignore it.

Furthermore, if this is all it takes to get you to stop playing Wipeout and supporting Studio Liverpool, then you weren't much of a fan to begin with.

[mdhay]

You really want bad rep, don't you?

[Frances_Penfold]

I don't think the commercials are THAT bad, but I can't help but respond to this :nod



Who cares if there is an advertisement in the loading screen? Who even cares if there's an advertisement in an in-game billboard? How does that affect the gameplay at all?


Your username is PERFECT :)



... do what any normal person does who is not interested in buying the product being advertised: ignore it.


This can't possibly be "normal," why would companies invest in advertising to begin with?

[gettinmoney662]

This can't possibly be "normal," why would companies invest in advertising to begin with?

To announce new products, to market products to their target markets, etc.

If I ignore a Hannah Montana commercial because I'm not interested in Hannah Montana, does that mean companies shouldn't be investing in advertising?

Do you pay strict attention to every single advertisement you see?

What confuses me isn't that SL thought State Farm would be a good company to partner with but why State Farm thought Wipeout would be a good place to advertise their products. It seems to me like a waste of their advertising budget.

[newtype]

Hahaha, I read the first four pages of this thread and the replies are hilarious. I find it so funny that people are so vehemently against advertisements and I know the real reason why: they think advertisements brainwash you into buying things and they don't have the will power to resist.

Who cares if there is an advertisement in the loading screen? Who even cares if there's an advertisement in an in-game billboard? How does that affect the gameplay at all? Is your ADHD so bad that you can't ignore them and crash into the walls?

The only time I would complain about advertisements in a game would be if the advertisement played in the middle of the screen during a race. Any other option is fine with me because I will do what any normal person does who is not interested in buying the product being advertised: ignore it.

Furthermore, if this is all it takes to get you to stop playing Wipeout and supporting Studio Liverpool, then you weren't much of a fan to begin with.

You are making so many assumptions about why people don't like what SL /Sony is doing with the loading screen ads...if you honestly believe we don't like them because we are worried about getting "brainwashed," then you have absolutely no clue what you're talking about.

Being a fan doesn't mean you blindly swallow whatever a company throws at you.

[Frances_Penfold]

I just think that advertising functions not only to INFORM consumers but also to PERSUADE potential customers, often relying on detailed analysis of human behavior and psychology to manipulate an audience.

Personally, I don't think that my purchases are much impacted by advertising. I still find it distasteful and icky to have advertising blatantly inserted into a video game product, especially when the advertising is clearly out-of-place with the game franchise.

As I mentioned earlier in this thread, I'm really not *offended* by the advertising because the PS3 platform is in trouble and I think we are lucky that Sony is supporting the franchise to the extent that it is. But I'd still prefer that the advertising wasn't there. I would similarly guess that most of the members of Studio Liverpool-- folks that have spent so much time and effort to make the game an artistic and technical masterpiece-- would rather not have such stuff inserted into the loading screens, too.

[gettinmoney662]

You are making so many assumptions about why people don't like what SL /Sony is doing with the loading screen ads...if you honestly believe we don't like them because we are worried about getting "brainwashed," then you have absolutely no clue what you're talking about.

Being a fan doesn't mean you blindly swallow whatever a company throws at you.

Then tell me how an ad during a loading screen affects your gameplay in any way, shape, or form?

What don't you like about the ads? Do you not like how they're unintrusive and are separated from when you play the actual game? Do you not like how they mean extra revenue for SL and is probably why we got such a beefy expansion for a low price? Do you not like how it might support SL in making future expansion packs and bringing more of your favorite tracks into HD?

No one cares what you guys would prefer. I would prefer if there were no ads as well. I would also prefer Fury to have been free. I would also prefer if Sony were to give us $20 every month to make PSN purchases with.

When given a choice, I don't think anyone would choose ads over no ads so of course you would prefer no ads, but if 30 second ads lead you to stop playing Wipeout forever, there's something more behind this than just a preference against ads.

[IH8YOU]

Gettin - my guess is either you're either a Troll, work for Sony, Studio Liverpool or the AD agency. At least - that's what your responses seem to indicate.

I stopped playing Wipeout because of the ads - they break your immersion into the game - and the same ads over, and over - ruin the experience. So because I'm bothered by these ads to a great extent - that makes me not a fan of Wipeout? That's -- not even worth responding to. (it's that dumb) :rolleyes:

[Syntek]

Okay, now it's starting to bother me. Tracks don't load completely until the Ad is finished... every single time.

The Loading Bar can be half-way through and when the Ad finishes, It magically loads instantly. And if the loading bar is at the very end and the ad isn't, the loading bar takes it's sweet time to finish loading until the Ad is done.

:clap

Amazing.

[SabinSlash]

The MS philosophy? *sigh*
(We see how that turns out reguarding "exclusives")

MS? Morgan Stanley?

hehe i used to work there as an ETL developer...

The ads are hard to ignore and take me out of the Wipeout mind set! So i say stop putting Ads in games. Especially if i already paid for a game with NO ads in it.

BTW i got 5th place in Tech De reverse SL. :rock

[gettinmoney662]

Gettin - my guess is either you're either a Troll, work for Sony, Studio Liverpool or the AD agency. At least - that's what your responses seem to indicate.

Is it because my responses are logical and aren't full of whiny hyperbole?



I stopped playing Wipeout because of the ads - they break your immersion into the game - and the same ads over, and over - ruin the experience. So because I'm bothered by these ads to a great extent - that makes me not a fan of Wipeout? That's -- not even worth responding to. (it's that dumb) :rolleyes:

Really? The loading screens affect your immersion into the game so significantly that a different loading screen automatically makes you disassociate yourself with the game? I guess the game's graphics, speed, controls, and sound can't be compared to a good loading screen. I guess the loading screen is a bigger part of the experience than the race itself, huh?

And I'm the troll?

[Vartazian]

as Much as I dont usually listen to a New Users posts, His Arguements hold a substantial more amount of water then IH8YOU's Points.

IMO IH8YOU you are just being a tad immature. its like saying, Im not going to watch my favorite TV show because theres a commercial I dont like, its just silly. If It gives SL more money im all for it, Bring the ads to canada.

Going so far overboard as too delete one of your favorite games (From what ive gathered, I apologize if im incorrect) over a few add's seems like something a child would do.

However you spent the 30 dollars, if you feel like deleting it over something as trivial as this its your choice!

Just my 2 Cents

[mdhay]

MS? Morgan Stanley?

He means Microsoft.

[Mu5]

the only time i would complain about advertisements in a game would be if the advertisement played in the middle of the screen during a race.

** rofl ** :) :) :)

[jimsin]

I haven't seen these adverts myself yet, but I thought I'd chip in with my opinion anyway.

I can't stand adverts.

I can handle them on something like Spotify, where you are getting a free service, which is paid for by the adverts, and you have the option to pay a subscription fee to have it without the adverts. But with something like Wipeout HD you've already paid for it, so it should be advert free.

Another example would be watching a film on TV ... you can deal with the adverts, but if you really love the film, you can buy it on DVD ... once you've made that purchase you don't want the DVD interrupt the film with an advert break!!

One of the reasons I enjoy Wipeout is to escape from all the rubbish that gets thrown at you from the outside world. It's a self contained environment, where the only things that matter are skill, speed, concentration, reflexes etc. If I start getting adverts rammed down my throat, then it would definitely have a negative impact on the game for me. If SL need more of a budget, then they should provide the option of an advert-free patch for another £2 or something like that. Or should have just charged £9.99 for Fury in the first place, because it was worth it.

And I don't hate adverts because I'm weak willed and think that I'll be sucked into buying Hannah Montana CDS or anything. I hate them because I find it objectionable to have my personal space intruded upon by something that 99.99999999% of the time I'll have absolutely no interest in whatsoever.

[Rapier Racer]

Oh boy.

Firstly, I think all you people pointing the finger at SL need to take a step back and do some research.

A while back SCEE said on Playstation.com that they were going have 'content partners' who will come along and fill our games with shite, or as they put it "Enhance the user experience". I'd highly doubt SL has ANY say someone in the know correct me if I'm wrong.

The fact the SCEA implemented this first should be no shock to anyone considering the US is commercial central, just try watching the live broadcast of Monday Night Raw, the number of ad breaks is unbearable.

Its only a matter of time before EU players get a dose of the same treatment.

I won't stop playing or buying Wipeout games or content in the future.

[Aeroracer]

Hahaha, I read the first four pages of this thread and the replies are hilarious. I find it so funny that people are so vehemently against advertisements and I know the real reason why: they think advertisements brainwash you into buying things and they don't have the will power to resist.

Who cares if there is an advertisement in the loading screen? Who even cares if there's an advertisement in an in-game billboard? How does that affect the gameplay at all? Is your ADHD so bad that you can't ignore them and crash into the walls?

The only time I would complain about advertisements in a game would be if the advertisement played in the middle of the screen during a race. Any other option is fine with me because I will do what any normal person does who is not interested in buying the product being advertised: ignore it.

Furthermore, if this is all it takes to get you to stop playing Wipeout and supporting Studio Liverpool, then you weren't much of a fan to begin with.

Hahaha. A perfect exampe of someone who can read but unable to absorb key data...:donut


You forgot to address the key issues with your dumb post, these are mentioned throughout the thread....

Advert slows loading times according to the users who complained
Advert is causing game crashes
Advert is crap
Dont think anyone really said they were scared of the advert and might run off down the raod to buy insurance.

I myself havn't got the add so i dont care but there are members this has affected.

[crawdad62]

I stopped playing Wipeout because of the ads - they break your immersion into the game

I think they broke the game immersion to some extent when the added "Ahh now that's better" or whatever it was to one of the load screens explaining absorbing pickups or such (sorry don't remember offhand exactly what it was). I remember the first time I fired up Fury and saw that it kind of bummed me out. Everything seemed fitting except that. Seemed like it was a little too nonchalant or informal for such a high tech environment.

[jimsin]

Good point about SL's involvement in these adds.

Like I say, I'm from the UK and haven't seen them myself, so I'm just going from what I've read on the forum - but yes, I doubt that SL have anything to do with it. Still absolutely hate the idea though.

Also wanted to add that seeing such intrusive adverts has a negative effect on me - I tend to actively avoid the company responsible, and choose one of it's competitors instead.

Hmmm ... I didn't like the 'ah, that's better' either - but that was one of the only things I didn't like about Fury.

[XBARNSTERX]

I could list so many things about wipeout that annoy me, this would not be one of them. At the end of the day its only a loading screen. As long as the game doesnt crash, my records update(which they havent) and the framerate drop keeps to a minimum well i'm happy

[billychanxtr33m]

Hmmm ... I didn't like the 'ah, that's better' either - but that was one of the only things I didn't like about Fury.
it was a tad too duke nukem

[Rapier Racer]

I found it slightly amusing, ahh thats better :)

[crawdad62]

I found it slightly amusing, ahh thats better :)

Yeah it's not a deal breaker and sort of human. It just didn't seem to fit the futuristic theme though.

[gettinmoney662]

You forgot to address the key issues with your dumb post, these are mentioned throughout the thread....

Advert slows loading times according to the users who complained
Advert is causing game crashes
Advert is crap
Dont think anyone really said they were scared of the advert and might run off down the raod to buy insurance.

I myself havn't got the add so i dont care but there are members this has affected.

1. People have admitted to not actually timing the loading differences between the two and even if it does, what's the difference? 2-3 seconds? To quote Matt Hazard, "if you had anything important to do, you wouldn't be playing a game."
2. That's the only valid issue I've heard of so far but it's only affecting a miniority of users.
3. Yeah, that's a very important issue. I can't believe I didn't spend a paragraph or two talking about it. I feel bad that I didn't discuss such a major key issue to this argument.

Maybe the reason I don't care about the ads is because I play Wipeout to have fun and not to pretend I'm a hovercraft racer from the future.

[Vartazian]

Evin if you were a Hovercraft racer from the future guess what your car would be plastered with... AD's And guess who would be calling you every day asking for sponsorship? the people who MAKE the ads.

I agree with Gettin Money here

[Aeroracer]

:donut:donut
1. People have admitted to not actually timing the loading differences between the two and even if it does, what's the difference? 2-3 seconds? To quote Matt Hazard, "if you had anything important to do, you wouldn't be playing a game."
2. That's the only valid issue I've heard of so far but it's only affecting a miniority of users.
3. Yeah, that's a very important issue. I can't believe I didn't spend a paragraph or two talking about it. I feel bad that I didn't discuss such a major key issue to this argument.

Maybe the reason I don't care about the ads is because I play Wipeout to have fun and not to pretend I'm a hovercraft racer from the future.

Refering to your last sentence...Asumption is the basis of all ****ups

:-:donut:turd:donut:-

[gettinmoney662]

:donut:donut

Refering to your last sentence...Asumption is the basis of all ****ups

:-:donut:turd:donut:-

What are you talking about?

[newtype]

Then tell me how an ad during a loading screen affects your gameplay in any way, shape, or form?

What don't you like about the ads? Do you not like how they're unintrusive and are separated from when you play the actual game? Do you not like how they mean extra revenue for SL and is probably why we got such a beefy expansion for a low price? Do you not like how it might support SL in making future expansion packs and bringing more of your favorite tracks into HD?

No one cares what you guys would prefer. I would prefer if there were no ads as well. I would also prefer Fury to have been free. I would also prefer if Sony were to give us $20 every month to make PSN purchases with.

When given a choice, I don't think anyone would choose ads over no ads so of course you would prefer no ads, but if 30 second ads lead you to stop playing Wipeout forever, there's something more behind this than just a preference against ads.

No, actually, there is nothing more behind it. They are putting ads in a game for which I paid them money.

...and I thought you said you were not the one using "whiney hyperbole"?

[crawdad62]

They are putting ads in a game for which I paid them money.

Now I don't want to get into it but if that's your criteria I'm sure you could find tons of stuff you do that you've paid money for and there's advertising involved. Heck you can't hardly buy clothes that don't have logos on them. That is effectively advertising. Even movies that I've paid money for and either had luck by-passing the trailers, ads, marketing of the intro I have to endure a avalanche of product placement or downright shilling of goods and services.

I guess that's my problem with it though. There's so much of it everywhere that I was hoping my video game would be the last bastion of ad free entertainment. Of course that's not the case. In fact I was shilled to buy Wipeout HD long ago in High Velocity Bowling (even though that makes more sense than trying to get a twitchy video gamer to buy life/home/auto insurance.

[gettinmoney662]

No, actually, there is nothing more behind it. They are putting ads in a game for which I paid them money.

...and I thought you said you were not the one using "whiney hyperbole"?

You pay for cable TV, newspapers, magazines, Internet service, clothing, movie tickets, tickets to sporting events, etc.

I'm sorry, what was your point again?

Furthermore, this isn't the first game to feature in-game advertising. At least, with Wipeout, the ads are only in the loading screens instead of on billboards inside the game.

[newtype]

Now I don't want to get into it but if that's your criteria I'm sure you could find tons of stuff you do that you've paid money for and there's advertising involved. Heck you can't hardly buy clothes that don't have logos on them. That is effectively advertising. Even movies that I've paid money for and either had luck by-passing the trailers, ads, marketing of the intro I have to endure a avalanche of product placement or downright shilling of goods and services.

I guess that's my problem with it though. There's so much of it everywhere that I was hoping my video game would be the last bastion of ad free entertainment. Of course that's not the case. In fact I was shilled to buy Wipeout HD long ago in High Velocity Bowling (even though that makes more sense than trying to get a twitchy video gamer to buy life/home/auto insurance.

I totally understand what you're saying, but here is why I think it's different:

-when you are listening to an album/cd, people would be pissed if they put ads in between tracks

-if you are reading a novel, there is an ad after every chapter

-you are watching a movie, and in between scenes, an ad briefly flashes on screen

I just think people would be more pissed off if it was happening in these forms of media...I believe the same degree of anger should be leveled at this game.

[gettinmoney662]

I totally understand what you're saying, but here is why I think it's different:

-when you are listening to an album/cd, people would be pissed if they put ads in between tracks

-if you are reading a novel, there is an ad after every chapter

-you are watching a movie, and in between scenes, an ad briefly flashes on screen

I just think people would be more pissed off if it was happening in these forms of media...I believe the same degree of anger should be leveled at this game.

The difference between Wipeout and those things are that there are no breaks in between chapters or songs or scenes whereas in Wipeout, there are breaks between every race.

Newspapers and magazines, there are ads between each article. In TV shows, there are constant breaks.

[LOUDandPROUD]

I must admit, the ads are annoying me more than they did initially...seems like I see it an average of every 3 races or so. I was playing through the 8-race tourney in the final campaign grid today and the ad popped up between 3 races in a row at one point. So, the frequency combined with the fact that it's the same damn ad over and over and over and also combined with the resultant longer loading times is making me a little crazy. Like I said before though, despite the fact that I'm not happy about it now, it won't stop me from playing. I also share the sentiments of whoever said that they'd purposefully go out of their way to avoid the company being advertised and go so far as to purchase from their competitor...I'm the exact same way.

Oh, and I can't stand the "Ahh, that's better!" line at the end of the absorb tutorial either...it makes me cringe every time...so cheesy IMO.

[Mu5]

Whats more worrying is this is Sony just testing the water. If we dont complain about this unsolicited ad, it may open the floodgates for loads more advertising. Soon the 'free' PSN will be cluttered with adverts - not good, and unacceptable in my opinion.

[Darkdrium777]

At least it would be on par with Xbox Live on one more point :lol

[Mu5]

eh? Whats this got to do with Xbox live troll-boy? :D

[Darkdrium777]

Ads everywhere with Xbox Live, no?

Or I'm probably mistaken again because I don't have a Heatbox 360°C :p

(All in good fun, don't take my "trolling" seriously)

[newtype]

The difference between Wipeout and those things are that there are no breaks in between chapters or songs or scenes whereas in Wipeout, there are breaks between every race.

Newspapers and magazines, there are ads between each article. In TV shows, there are constant breaks.

Oh, there are definitely "breaks" in all of those things I mentioned...they may be short, but they are most certainly there. The point is, if you purchased a spy novel, got home, started reading it, and there was a print ad between the pages, you would be like "uh, what is this..."

NPs and Mags are riddled with ads because this has always been the case in this form of media (or at least it has for a long period of time). Further, you may have some wiggle room with your point if the game had ads from the day it was released, but it did not; they were sneaked in there under our noses.

[newtype]

At least it would be on par with Xbox Live on one more point :lol

Nice try, but at least the games themselves don't have ads while you are playing them. Don't you think that is totally different than MS putting ads in the main sections of the NXE?


Ads everywhere with Xbox Live, no?

Or I'm probably mistaken again because I don't have a Heatbox 360°C :p

(All in good fun, don't take my "trolling" seriously)

I've had mine since Halo 3 was released, and no problems yet (fingers crossed)...5 or 6 of my friends have had to send their in for warranty repair though-

[gettinmoney662]

Oh, there are definitely "breaks" in all of those things I mentioned...they may be short, but they are most certainly there. The point is, if you purchased a spy novel, got home, started reading it, and there was a print ad between the pages, you would be like "uh, what is this..."

NPs and Mags are riddled with ads because this has always been the case in this form of media (or at least it has for a long period of time). Further, you may have some wiggle room with your point if the game had ads from the day it was released, but it did not; they were sneaked in there under our noses.

There's a break between a scene and a chapter where you are forced to stop watching or reading for a period of time?

In-game advertising is not a new phenomenon.

How about comic books? Ads every few pages in those.

[Darkdrium777]

(All in good fun, don't take my "trolling" seriously)

:|

I hid my five characters here: .....

[Vartazian]

Seems like Newtype is the troll eh DD777?

[gettinmoney662]

I thought he was joking about calling him a troll. This has got to be the most overused nerd word on the Internet. Anytime someone disagrees with someone, they're called a troll.

[djKyoto]

I love this forum. :donut

[Rapier Racer]

No point in thinking that if you complain enough Sony will stop it. don't be naive.


Sony Computer Entertainment America and Europe have announced another partnership in the PlayStation's growing advertising platform.
In October, Sony Computer Entertainment America announced it had formed a division (http://www.betanews.com/article//) strictly for developing in-game advertisements for all of the PlayStation platforms, including the PlayStation Network.


Yes, they then go on to spout the following crap. :turd


Sony looks to provide more "contextually relevant and well-crafted" advertising in its gamesOoh what? Well crafted you say?

http://www.betanews.com/article/Sony-gets-more-ingame-advertising-support/1215796102

Also


Analysts at Screen Digest estimate (http://www.brandrepublic.com/News/908125/Screen-Digest-forecasts-1bn-boom-in-game-advertising/) we'll be seeing a lot more virtual billboards as companies throw greater sums of money at in-game advertising. A lot more. The UK-based firm suggests that spending on in-game ads will push beyond a $1 billion by 2014, accounting for about one and a half percent of total global advertising dollars spent.

This is despite what the firm refers to as "short term softness" of in-game ad spending so far in 2009. In fact, the company believes in its gilded heart that virtual billboards are here to stay, as they help reach groups of people who are "increasingly hard to reach via other media." So, listen rookie, those bullets the enemy are using are very real, so keep your head down behind that fallen Pepsi billboard over there and bring me a soda.http://xbox.joystiq.com/tag/in-game-advertising/

See that? The future of gaming is bright! And lets not kid ourselves with all this "If advertising helps fund further game development..." because I'd go out on a limb and say all it helps to fund is the gold lining of some Sony execs pocket.

[Mu5]

Spouting crap indeed...

Where is this gonna end?

Can you imagine the gameplay stopping every 10 minutes for a 3 minute commercial break? What a nightmare!

[Darkdrium777]

It won't come to that or if it ever does they'll be closing down the "Gaming Division" in a matter of minutes. ;) You can trust the gamers on that.

[newtype]

Seems like Newtype is the troll eh DD777?

Ha, and how am I being a troll exactly?

I just don't like ads in my games. Simple.



...Oh how I long for the day when I have over 300 posts so I can be taken seriously :rolleyes:


It won't come to that or if it ever does they'll be closing down the "Gaming Division" in a matter of minutes. ;) You can trust the gamers on that.

Yeah, I agree...while I'm not happy with the ads, I doubt it will ever get that bad.

[PoliPino]

Does anyone else find it ironic that Wipeout - whose game universe is so hyper-commercialized - is now being crucified for being too commercialized?

Too bad State Farm (and whichever companies down the road) didn't make an ad more relevant to the game universe. Probably the same people complaining the loudest would be cheering State Farm for their creativity. But I can't imagine creating custom ads for each game would be cost-effective for anyone.

[graeble]

saw the state farm ad couple nights ago. i actually like the idea, i just wish they had more ads than just that one.

...anybody else think that rapper sounds like he's having nightmares?

[PoliPino]

^^
Rapper? There's no one speaking in the ad, as far as I've ever heard.

[graeble]

guess i should have said beatboxer.

[Frances_Penfold]

More info about the ads, and their creators, from video game news site gamustra....

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24677

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.


And lets not kid ourselves with all this "If advertising helps fund further game development..." because I'd go out on a limb and say all it helps to fund is the gold lining of some Sony execs pocket.

I agree with your sentiments but it is also true that gaming on the Xbox and PS3 platforms has so far been a huge money-loosing enterprise. It's not surprising to see the Microsoft and Sony trying to recoup their costs any way that they can. If Nintendo started advertising, now THAT would just be greedy :p

[newtype]

More info about the ads, and their creators, from video game news site gamustra....

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=24677

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.



I agree with your sentiments but it is also true that gaming on the Xbox and PS3 platforms has so far been a huge money-loosing enterprise. It's not surprising to see the Microsoft and Sony trying to recoup their costs any way that they can. If Nintendo started advertising, now THAT would just be greedy :p

I just hope we can find out if games have ads before we buy...

[crawdad62]

Dude Lance is going to smack your hand.

[Rubix42]

Realistically, what we have so far is the tip of the iceberg. Loading screen ads is not nearly as bad as what will be coming. Someone mentioned commercials interupting gameplay, and I definitely see that happening at some point.

Burnout has billboards with ads, it has vans driving around that feature Gilette fusion. None of these ads have made an effect on gameplay yet, but I don't doubt that someday they will.

[Hacker X]

The State Farm ad SUCKS! I actually came here to see if anyone else noticed it this weekend and glad I found this thread. I usually do not care about in-game ads, their tacky, but no big issue.

HOWEVER....

Wipeout is a game I have been very passionate about since 1996. It, along with Street Fighter Capcom series are my favorite game genres of all times, but even Wipeout is over SF. The whole theme of Wipeout art style has always been "FUTURISTIC". The State Farm advert at the load screen TOTALLY takes the gamer out of the theme for that few seconds. Yes it matters and yes its is TACKY.

SL please fight the power and take the ads out OR at least make them artistically styled in a futuristic way to fit Wipeout. I'd be cool with that. But for now, the ad is terrible.

Yes I'm bitching. Wipeout has always been badass. The Red Bull Wipeout XL advert was badass cause it FIT THE GAME. SL continue the theme of WO. Don't let commercializaiton kill it.

[DawnFireDragoon]

hmmmm, i've been out of the loop for some time...came back online today and found this news is on quite a few gaming news sites...and inevitebly here too. (none, suggesting this is remotely a good move i might add...besides the odd person on here, who doesn't seem to mind too much...which is fair enough)

What a really odd idea to do this with Wipeout and a real shame.

[DividedXZero]

So many posts....so much to comment

* Red Bull ad in XL: i thought was a made up drink for wipeout since it wasnt available in US at that time (at least i've never seen it). It fit with the game, stylized to WOXL, it's motto was relevant to the game. (Something regarding improving your reaction time)

* State Farm ad is annoying with its frequency, and it does change the atmosphere of the game. I agree with those that play a game to get away from things...Save the ads for PS Home! When i watched the loading screen before i was anxiously waiting for the race to start...a competitive mind set, thrown off by this ad. It doesnt change the game or its gameplay, but it does change the feel and mood with continuously interruptions.

* Yes you get ads at the movies with your previews..but only at the beginning of the movie. Same concept of as that made about an ad between music tracks on a cd. If you must do an ad, show it when i boot up my game at the beginning...not in the middle of my gaming sessions..MULTIPLE TIMES!

*Ads on bus or billboards on the side off the road are different. I'm walking or driving forward....that's where my attention is, if i want to see an ad i look to the side or scroll down a web page (which often give you the option to close or minimize an ad). When i play a game i look at the tv screen and they go and plant an irrelevant ad right infront of me...it's frustrating.

* We are the consumer, we pay YOU for the products and services. Work with us, compromise with us. But dont treat us in such a low and disrespectful manner.

*If it's a matter of $ for Sony (doubtful SL is a part of this), they why only US?

[Rubix42]

For those who are dead set against this, I challenge you to answer this question honestly.

Pretend you own a corner store. Sell beer/wine/snacks/etc in this store. A salesperson comes into the store one day and asks you if they can hang an advertisement on the wall and they will pay you for the space.

How would you possibly say no to that? Can someone seriously tell me that they would look at an offer for free money that doesn't do anything to their customers and say no?

[Rapier Racer]

No, but I think the main issue is people think they should have been told in some form or another.

I'm not particularly outraged yet as such, that's probably going to happen when they do this in Europe and I have to watch an advert for a double McCheese Burger with large fries for only 2 quid every 3rd race.

[DawnFireDragoon]

@Rubix.

surely that comparison would make sense if you were talking about the PSN. but with a product already bought, then been infringed on is a different matter. no?

[Rubix42]

Don't get me wrong, I don't like that this is happening to Wipeout, or any other game, I just don't think fighting about it will do any good.

And in response to the last question, when you click "agree" to the online agreement, it makes complete provisions within that agreement that they reserve the right to alter the product at a later date. Factually speaking, you don't really "own" your copy of Wipeout HD. You "own" the right to play it on your PS3.

But really, it's all economics. More money means more wipeout. Personally I find it distasteful, but nothing can change the fact that it's going to continue to get worse. Until people stop playing games because of it, it will get worse.

[DividedXZero]

More money means more wipeout

Jumping to conclusions are we?
This doesnt guarantee more wipeout, unless SL takes revenue from it and they choose to use it for wipeout. But i'm pretty sure this is Sony's doing and nothing's been stated that such profits for ads will be put back into the company or into game development..it could easily just line a CEO's pocket.

[Sven]

Doesn't anyone remember? Ads have been in Wipeout from the very beginning. Even before Red Bull in XL/2097, there were ads in Wipeout (the original) for the Krazy Ivan video game. There may have been others, but it's been a while (you can check yourself if you want). Not to mention the whole game being a marketing platform for Cold Storage.

However, any ad that negatively affects the performance of paid-for merchandise (by, say, extending load times) is an egregious sin against consumers. I'd much rather see trackside ads, I might even welcome them. I've never seen motor racing sans advertising, I don't know why it wouldn't be any different 150 years from now (unless everyone's communist?). And what's to say modern companies like Coke, DuPont, even State Farm wouldn't exist or be relevant or advertise 150 years from now? Why does/would such advertising bring you out of the immersion?

Now that I think about it, I think it would be pretty cool to have ships powered by Rolls Royce fusion turbines, pilots protected by DuPont ballistic canopies, etc. I think it would really flesh out the technologies behind the ships.

[Mu5]

@DividedXZero : More likely to lessen the damage of the huge loss they made last financial year ;)

[Darkmiss]

Notice the lack of any reply or comment from the SL devs in this post.

[gettinmoney662]

Notice the lack of any reply or comment from the SL devs in this post.

What do you expect them to say?

[DawnFireDragoon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX4f9zts6JM

here's why.

:( this sucks.

when the product is directly effected by something like this, people have the right to complain.

[Darkdrium777]

I am with Sven, if you are going to do in-game advertising, do it right.
Use the billboards in the game and give the ads a futuristic touch. Here's a small concept. Don't shoot the messenger, it's their slogan that I simply shortened.

http://h.imagehost.org/t/0253/StateFarmWOAd.jpg (http://h.imagehost.org/view/0253/StateFarmWOAd)

[Mu5]

They just wouldnt work in-game I dont think. For certain games yes, but not for Wipeout.

[Aeroracer]

Its seems to be two type of people in this thread.

person type one.......They complain about averts for one reason or another

person type two......They say person type one are over reacting and its ok


Thing is if person type one says adverts suck, then they suck for them, telling them its ok wont make them happy or make the advert vanish.

person type three...respects the complainers of adverts and those who see nothing wrong with it.

There is no right or wrong answer its simply down to personal taste..(oh and living in europe helps too:p)

[okam]

Burnout has billboards with ads, it has vans driving around that feature Gilette fusion. None of these ads have made an effect on gameplay yet, but I don't doubt that someday they will.

That's not quite the same as a full-screen movie showing on your screen, preventing you from accessing the game until it has played until the end - basically forcing you to watch (unless you hurry out of the rooom, or mute your TV and cover your eyes while it lasts), now is it.

[Darkdrium777]

They just wouldnt work in-game I dont think. For certain games yes, but not for Wipeout.Trust me, if they do it any way like the Coca Cola or Puma WipEout PurE packs, people will see the ads. They will be everywhere, on every billboard or almost all of them.
I remember Trackmania uses a streaming system for billboards. It worked really well.

[Mu5]

Yeah - and I can remember how bad that was ;)

[Beakman]

I normally don't mind ads but if it makes the loading times artificially longer so I can see the ad, then I would be pissed (I'm using a US account but I'm in Mexico, haven't seen the ads yet)

And we're talking about wipeout here. I can't think of another recent game series which so much care taken on its visual appeal and style. Not from a western developer, that's for sure. Everything visual in wipeout fits just right. It's kind of an insult to the visual artists that gave wipeout its look have it screwed because some poorly placed adverts.

And as someone else said in this thread, it's ironic that this game has real adverts in it when it's kind of sarcastic about commercialization on its statements.

[mdhay]

Ahh, State Farm, Oh, how we hate you for not succumbing to the recession...:rolleyes:

[Darkdrium777]

Joystiq's got it going now (http://www.joystiq.com/2009/08/03/double-fusion-slows-down-wipeout-hd-with-ads/)
Double Fusion press release (http://www.doublefusion.com/press/html/WipEout_03_08_09.html)

[Rubix42]

Ok, I just found out this is making loading times longer.

F-that. I was fine with it when it was just something else instead of the absorb tip or another random message tip I'd seen a million times before.

But making the loading times longer is just plain stupid. Period. Going from an average of 8 seconds to an average of 19 is just plain painful. Especially because the races are only about 2 minutes on average. So the commercial now makes us spend 10% of the time we'd spend racing (or a great lap on some courses) watching an ad.

That's crap. Just reduce the ads down to 8 seconds.

[Darkdrium777]

Yes, that Zone loading video shows how crap it is. It would be fine if it were showing just during the loading, but now it's extending it.
I don't have the ads myself, but still consider me on the list of those not buying anymore until this is cleared up in some way.

[mdhay]

How about reducing it to zero Rubix?

[Xavier]

I'm thinking of petitioning the mods to let me drop that Van-Über avatar I'm using in favor of an insurance company logo.

That wouldn't break the ambience of the site, would it? No aesthetic harm done, right? The insurance company is going to subsidize my internet bill. I mean, more money in my hands means more quality posts!

Maybe we can even arrange for the ad to be clicked on in order to read the post!

[mdhay]

Hey Darkdrium, are you gonna post that Do not want macro? I think we need it now.:D

[djKyoto]

I've seen Paul reading/viewing this thread so I'd love his input on this.
I didn't realise it was actually making the game take longer to load.

[blackwiggle]

What next? Fat Princess having ad's for Sara Lee :)

[Darkdrium777]

I'm just wondering now. Has anyone with the ads tried to set the PS3's time and date setting back for like a year and checked if ads were still showing?
These ads started just a few days ago, and to our knowledge were integrated in 2.00, only "activated" later.
If you set the system's date back, do the ads show again?

Also:
http://a.imagehost.org/0580/DoNotWantMacro.jpg

[IH8YOU]

Nope - no joy. Tried that as one of the first things. They're piped in via teh interwebz - and they get comfy on the hdd.

1.26 on the other hand.... is a lonely place to be. Even if it is ad free. :?

[Darkdrium777]

Not cool.

And for sure SL did this knowingly, they had to integrate the technology, but just under who's authority? SCEA? Or theirs... In which case they just shot themselves in the foot.

[Mu5]

No, this is Sonys fault. Its not SL specifically doing this, if you read the Double Fusion webby...

"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."

All the big titles - and I will bet GT5 is on the cards as well for this sort of advertising :( I cant beleive I have waited so long for it, and now I dont want it.

MEGA FAIL from Sony :-

[Darkdrium777]

Link (http://www.doublefusion.com/developers/html/index.html)

More specifically:

Technology

Double Fusion has two client solutions: fusion.sdk™ and fusion.runtime™.

fusion.sdk™ is a traditional, developer implemented, dynamic in-game advertising solution, whereas fusion.runtime™ is an advanced technology that makes advertising placements possible without the need for source-code integration.If it's the first option, it had to be integrated by SL. And we've seen that same screen with the Fury ad before it was the State Farm one, which leads me to believe they integrated fusion.sdk In which case they shot themselves in the foot double time: 1. ruin the look of the game, 2. disgust potential buyers.
However, if it's the second one, it could have been done without SL's consent at all.

[Motorsagmannen]

mega fail for state farm to, they end up beeing the most hated company in the history of wipeout. mabye not the pr they wanted lol. serves them right though let em burn :beer

[Hacker X]

Hopefully SL recognizes this backlash. This is just not cool for the Wipeout genre. Or what would be cool is to have them get good ol' "Designers Republic" back to make the ads for whatever company that wants to put their stinking product placement into the game. That way DR can implement that corporations name in a Wipeout Style Futuristic look, which will FIT THE GAME. Then I will not complain.

Remember Red Bull in XL Studio Republic? That ad worked. That was a cool ass ad in XL.

[RedScar]

Well at first I was ok with the idea of ads, but if they increase the load time of my game then **** that. The shame is that this is probably sony trying to make up money due to the bad economy and the fact that PSN is free.

Also, anyone else see the irony of statefarm advertising in a game about racing at high speeds, bumping, and using weapons. Just throwing it out there.

[Sven]

Or what would be cool is to have them get good ol' "Designers Republic" back to make the ads for whatever company that wants to put their stinking product placement into the game.
That would be great, but....I thought DR was kaput?

[gettinmoney662]

I'm thinking of petitioning the mods to let me drop that Van-Über avatar I'm using in favor of an insurance company logo.

That wouldn't break the ambience of the site, would it? No aesthetic harm done, right? The insurance company is going to subsidize my internet bill. I mean, more money in my hands means more quality posts!

Maybe we can even arrange for the ad to be clicked on in order to read the post!

I know this was meant to be a shining example of sarcasm but if you really did use a State Farm avatar because they paid you so, I couldn't care less. It would not make my visits to this forum unpleasant at all.

[Darkdrium777]

Any publicity is good publicity, right?
With this news, WipEout HD gets talked of more than ever.

But it still disappoints me that Sony/SL doesn't think better of their game, and accept to place intrusive ads in it.

[djKyoto]

Actually, are people getting annoyed at these ads because...

a) It's from State Farm (ie. don't care).
b) It's making the loading screen longer.
c) No one told us / We already paid for the game.

[IH8YOU]

Don't forget options D and E.

D - it's the same ad over, and over, and over, and over....

E - All of the above..

[RedScar]

I'll take E) All of the above

[blackwiggle]

Is this ad perpetual?

I mean could it be possible that this ad might delete itself after a certain length of time,maybe only to be replaced by another?

[newtype]

B.

C.

I'm most pissed about C-


Is this ad perpetual?

I mean could it be possible that this ad might delete itself after a certain length of time,maybe only to be replaced by another?

I'm sure they'll replace it with something else over time, but that wouldn't make the situation any less intrusive-

[yawnstretch]

When Splintercell had advertisements for Nivea I thought it was done superbly. Companies need to protect their IP when it comes to advertising. Videogames are not movies or tv shows. Product placement can be managed in tv and film but in games it all too quickly becomes overkill ruining the experience completely.

I was dubious about paying for non physical media that I can't resell (wipeout is an exception as I wouldn't sell it on anyway) but there is a tipping point. The point where people turn off a game and the IP is no longer attractive.

PROTECT YOUR IP. You won't realise its value until it's gone forever.

[Sideshow]

b & c - it doesn't matter what an ad is for, but pretending the game is still loading to give the ad more time is a crock (a dishonest crock). Wipeout is a franchise in which in-game advertising could easily be done right without it being jarring - it already has billboards around the track. BF2142 had billboards, and the companies that advertised on them had to make the ads look like they fit into that near-futuristic setting. Similarly, Burnout Paradise has in-game billboards which don't detract from the gameplay at all. But this - this is bullshit.

[mdhay]

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.

Bollocks.


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.

Understatement, much?



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.

Sure, make a bad name for yourselves, Double Fusion.


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.

Hmmm, lets think about this. There is a recession on. Spending money on shitty adverts that will have up to zero effect on the gaming population because most people who play games are most likely to be children, and children will not be intrested in insurance, some sort of energy drink or alcohol, or some other convoluted patronizing bull is not a good idea.:rolleyes:

[yawnstretch]

Not sure if this was already posted (will check later) but if this is true it's unacceptable:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX4f9zts6JM

I'll be keeping my ps3 offline for the moment until I learn more.

[zerojay]

I don't remember who it was here who said it, but one of you said "complaining won't help and never has before".

Prepare to eat your words.

Post on Kotaku (which I can only see through the RSS feed reader for some reason), says the following:

"Sony scrap Wipeout HD Loading Ad"

"The people have spoken. Spoken angrily. And Sony have listened, removing the worst of the in-game advertising from WIpeout HD only 24 hours after it was first officially announced.

'The ad has been removed from Wipeout HD,' a Sony rep told Eurogamer. 'and we are investigating the situation to ensure that any in-game advertising does not affect gameplay.'

Note that this doesn't mean all advertising in the game has been removed, only the ad that was causing the annoying increased load times."

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/sony-removes-naughty-wipeout-advert

[ACE-FLO]

If this carries on, I'm gonna NOT buy a PS3.

Instead I'll get the cheaper Xbox 360...

In-game adverts, adverts whilst game loads... that's just selling out.

Game developers never had to do this before so why start now?

[zerojay]

Go get a 360. You've gotta pay for Xbox Live *AND* deal with ads in the main interface. lol

[mdhay]

Do you know which game will never have adverts? LittleBigPlanet.:lol

[ACE-FLO]

Oh bollox... PS3 it is then...

What beats me is that Sony didn't do this before - so why start now? They don't need the money that's for certain!

[DawnFireDragoon]

wow, i didn't think sony would act on fan backlash. consider me impressed :)

and to douse the fanboy war, the ads on xbox's main dash are fully optional, you have to go to them then slide onto them to view them...not intrussive at all. the way it should be.

ad's can be done without ruining people's gaming experience...i think this wipeout one was a tad too much for some, but hopefully the gaming world has watched this massive cock up and learnt a lesson.

[akirapill]

God is in his heaven all is right with the world again.

[blackwiggle]

I don't think that press release helps our friends in the USA that have already suffered this "Infection"

All it states is that they are "reviewing the implantation" of STEALTH advertising in EUROPE "IF" it decreases gamer satisfaction - RE loading times.

We will ALL suffer it.

Eventually :turd

[yawnstretch]

Wow - that was fast - I hadn't even had a chance to experience this yet and it's fixed.

Way to go Sony!!!!

:)

[Fascia]

Another case of 'fusion' ruining WipEout.

But seriously, this is such an insignificant deal, you should read the uproar in comments of the Joystiq article 'I was going to buy but now I wont because 10 seconds an hour completely ruins an otherwise excellent gaming experience'. Give me a break.

[Rubix42]

Ok, played for about 3/4 hours last night, not 1 single ad. I'm in the US, so it looks like they did pull it for real.

Majorly impressive, I'm glad you guys aren't as complacent as myself about this stuff.

[newtype]

wow, i didn't think sony would act on fan backlash. consider me impressed :)

and to douse the fanboy war, the ads on xbox's main dash are fully optional, you have to go to them then slide onto them to view them...not intrussive at all. the way it should be.

ad's can be done without ruining people's gaming experience...i think this wipeout one was a tad too much for some, but hopefully the gaming world has watched this massive cock up and learnt a lesson.

Well said regarding the 360 interface...there are definitely ads within the main interface, but they are not in the games themselves! Further, they are actually trailers for upcoming movies and they instantly load (or go away) once you move away from them.

In any case, I haven't tested it yet myself as this is the first I've heard of them pulling the ads, but if true, I'm a happy customer.

[jimsin]

I was just about to ask if there's a facility on the website to set up a poll, asking whether people are a) more likely, b) less likely or c) indifferent to the notion of purchasing from State Farm as a result of their adverts.

If they see Wipeout players as their target audience, then it would be a nice piece of free market research for them if they happened to pass by. And if they didn't pass by, then it would be easy to send them a link to the results.

The defenders of the adverts seem to think that they are a necessary evil because of commercial pressures - but even from a commercial viewpoint, I think that State Farm are wasting their money.

Keep imagining buying a DVD of Bladerunner and finding that the adverts on that blimp thing at the start have been replaced by life insurance! Not a huge jump from what they are doing.

But yes .... if the adverts really have been pulled (and I really do hope they have) - then I guess this idea is already redundant.

[Sausehuhn]

Now if they're planning to make in-game advertising instead, they should really not go the way they went with WipEout Pure and the Delta Packs. They were plastered with hige ads all over the place. Even the ships.

Discreet advertising is the way to go, if you ask me. If you can find ads just one a single time per track (and not on every track!) it's like "oh look, there was an insertNameHere-ad!" At least that's the way it was in 2097 and Fusion. It had a "That's cool"-effect rather than being in-your-face.

[Hacker X]

I actually agree with that. That wouldn't be so bad, and actually would ad a sense of "realism" to the Wipeout HD world. Discreet advertising, like in Wipeout 1 with PSX game ads, and Red Bull in WOXL would be cool.

[Farside]

BF2142 had billboards, and the companies that advertised on them had to make the ads look like they fit into that near-futuristic setting.meh
http://img4.imageshack.us/img4/9615/1248654586medium.th.jpg (http://img4.imageshack.us/i/1248654586medium.jpg/)


I'm glad the ads are gone. They didn't bother me anywhere near as much as some of the people in the thread though.
Especially those who swore off playing the game.
Honestly, if ads in a game is the worst thing you have to put up with today, then you're having a great day.

If they do bring ads back , they need to drop the idea of video and especially sound.
I couldn't hear the commercial so I think that's why it didn't bother me too much.
Just a picture with a logo and I don't think there would be such an issue.

And as to why State Farm would want to advertise in a game like this... I think it's pretty obvious... they do auto insurance and I'd bet big that the percentage of gamers approaching driving age is rather large.

[gettinmoney662]

I actually agree with that. That wouldn't be so bad, and actually would ad a sense of "realism" to the Wipeout HD world. Discreet advertising, like in Wipeout 1 with PSX game ads, and Red Bull in WOXL would be cool.

If you wanted Wipeout to be "realistic," there would be ads all over the place. Look at Nascar.

Anyways, I heard the ads were pulled. I'm surprised Sony responded to all the backlash, especially so quickly. I can't complain about that.

[LOUDandPROUD]

The ads were still there for me as of 7:30pm last night...I'll be checking again when I get home today. If Sony has indeed pulled them, I will be thrilled.

[Rubix42]

As of 9:00 pm EST when I logged on, I never saw a single ad. Played for about 4 hours between online and offline.

[Rapier Racer]

Wow eat my words I shall lol!!

I think they could do this right with more relevant and subtle in game ads if they totally insist. Some static billboards as has been suggested but also maybe those animated screens that flash team logos like the AG-S ones that seem to be plastered all over the place. I wonder what sort of budget that team has for track side ads all I ever see is AG-S logos flying around.




Hmmm, lets think about this. There is a recession on. Spending money on shitty adverts that will have up to zero effect on the gaming population because most people who play games are most likely to be children, and children will not be intrested in insurance, some sort of energy drink

Is that a reference to the 2097 Red Bull Ads? If so not correct those adverts made me want go and find Red Bull because the entire thing was done in such a damn cool fashion. Further back then Wipeouts core audience was made up of more than children, they had booths with Wipeout 1 on them in clubs and so fourth you gotta believe those people bought 2097 too.

[mdhay]

It isn't a reference to Red Bull, it's just that most of the kids I've seen are obsessed with energy drinks, and with what shoddy adverts I've seen with related stuff (Coke Zero, anyone?), It'd be nowhere like the Red Bull ads from 2097.

[migratorycoconut]

As of 9:00 pm EST when I logged on, I never saw a single ad. Played for about 4 hours between online and offline.

I just played for a while and also haven't seen any. Thanks everyone!

[Frances_Penfold]

Surprising development-- glad to see the ads gone though I hope it doesn't hurt the economic sustainability of the Wipeout franchise.


another case of 'fusion' ruining WipEout.


Badda-badda buushhh :p

[RedScar]

Only took a 24 page thread for Sony to remove the ad for now at least.

[mdhay]

Badda-badda buushhh :p

:p:p:p (http://www.instantrimshot.com/)

[Darkdrium777]

http://www.instantrimshot.com/

[DividedXZero]

Well i'd love to think the ad being pulled would be a permanent solution, but i doubt it...

I hate the thougt of my gaming sessions being continuously interrupted with an ad.


i didnt even touch Fury last night, i played games with no ads in them ;)
Anyway, i'm extremely suprised sony responded to this, next time i hope they think things through better and at least communicate with their customers prior to doing something like this. Perhaps better market research...

[reploidx]

I didn't play this before they removed the ads, so I missed my chance to complain. One of the videos posted here linked to this one as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX4f9zts6JM

It should not make you wait while the ad finishes playing. I'm surprised at how many people were ok with this crap.

If they think they aren't charging enough for the game to cover costs, charge more for the game. TV is not a good comparison (you aren't paying for anything specific), but movie theaters are. There should be no commercials before a movie.

They could be honest about it and offer ad-supported versions, and a more expensive version with no ads if it's truly such an issue.

With XL/2027, Red Bull must have funded development in some way, and as others have said the ads fit in with the design of the game. Racing has sponsors, so it's not like it doesn't make any sense for there to be some kind of ads, but they need to be designed appropriately - not as an apparent afterthought to be added to a loading screen that forces you to watch a whole commercial.

Does State Farm really want to insure people who play racing games like WipEout?

[LOUDandPROUD]

Got home today and played WO for about an hour and a half...it's true, the ads are gone. :nod Color me impressed (for now lol)... :+

[PjotrStroganov]

I didn't play this before they removed the ads, so I missed my chance to complain. One of the videos posted here linked to this one as well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kX4f9zts6JM

It should not make you wait while the ad finishes playing. I'm surprised at how many people were ok with this crap.

1. If they think they aren't charging enough for the game to cover costs, charge more for the game. TV is not a good comparison (you aren't paying for anything specific), but movie theaters are. There should be no commercials before a movie.

They could be honest about it and offer ad-supported versions, and a more expensive version with no ads if it's truly such an issue.

With XL/2027, Red Bull must have funded development in some way, and as others have said the ads fit in with the design of the game. Racing has sponsors, so it's not like it doesn't make any sense for there to be some kind of ads, but they need to be designed appropriately - not as an apparent afterthought to be added to a loading screen that forces you to watch a whole commercial.

2. Does State Farm really want to insure people who play racing games like WipEout?

1. I can only speculate but chances are that the low price of WOHD (and the beautiful screenshots) has introduced a lot of people to the series that otherwise would not have bought the game.

2. Your name is not Jack Thompson right? Although I agree that the add has nothing in common the theme of wipeout, there is no reason why gamers who play wipeout or any other game should be any different than non-gamers. Games do not make healthy people do weird things. Notwithstanding cosplayers.;)


1. I can only speculate but chances are that the low price of WOHD (and the beautiful screenshots) has introduced a lot of people to the series that otherwise would not have bought the game.

2. Your name is not Jack Thompson right? Although I agree that the add has nothing in common the theme of wipeout, there is no reason why gamers who play wipeout or any other game should be any different than non-gamers. Games do not make healthy people do weird things. Notwithstanding cosplayers.;)


I don't know what 1. has to do with not charging enough. If they thought they were losing money, then Fury should have cost more, or the original game should have. That doesn't have anything to do with new players. The prices of downloadable games have been going up, and eventually, may just be $60 like disc-based games.


I was kidding about State Farm. I have State Farm for my insurance. Maybe I can call them and say, "You know, I play WipEout." and then see if they raise my rates.

Actually, they could probably design some futuristic car insurance ads if they tried, and if they were integrated into the game originally (not as a patch) in a sensible way, maybe there wouldn't have been this big uproar about it.

------

Did the ads also appear in regular HD, or only in Fury? Adding ads after you buy a game is not how to welcome new players.

[lunar]

I`m not so surprised about the ads in loading screens - it`s the fact that apparently they would slow down the loading; that in effect you would not be allowed to race until you had watched the advert. Is this so? Incredible yet utterly predictable, I suppose.

Having sound and video does affect game immersion and is very different from a few still images which would probably be accepted to some extent.

What about people with slower internet? Could you be waiting on the start grid for other people whose ads had not loaded? The whole thing is gobsmacking yet utterly predictable from corporations who do not know how far is acceptable when promoting themselves and how far is taking the piss. If they had just tried some low bandwidth images they might`ve gotten away with it, but these people who commission and create this stuff really seem to have no grasp of reality. There is no clear line between what is acceptable and what is not, it`s a sliding scale and a grey area, but a little common sense should show anyone what quite clearly will not be accepted. :dizzy

Anyway I hope the idea really is dead and they stop experimenting with Wipeout again. If they didn`t charge enough for the game, well, that`s not our fault. But I doubt this is the reason, just the outcome of some wacky marketing meetings that have little to do with the real world I would guess.

[lovedr]

i've not followed this thread / topic at all (as previously not aware of the issue) but did read this yesterday from the mcv mailer:

http://www.mcvuk.com/news/35261/Sony-pulls-WipEout-ad

apologies if it's already been linked.

[SonicChaos]

I noticed that today there was no State Farm ads. Good thing too because Loading times did get quite a bit longer.

[Sideshow]

Another case of 'fusion' ruining WipEout.

But seriously, this is such an insignificant deal, you should read the uproar in comments of the Joystiq article 'I was going to buy but now I wont because 10 seconds an hour completely ruins an otherwise excellent gaming experience'. Give me a break.

Does anyone know if the ads were synch'd up with each other in an online race? If they weren't then it would be more like 10 seconds every load screen, since even if you didn't get the ad, you'd be stuck sitting on the grid 'waiting for XXX', who did get it.

[PoliPino]

^^

Did people outside the US get the ads at all? I thought I read that they didn't (maybe they only got the Fury Ad, not the State Farm one?). If so then they would have to wait for us to load up. But in my experience at least, I've always had to wait a couple seconds for most people to join an online race, even before the ads popped up.

[TheDukeZip]

Something I had noticed in the comparison video... my Wipeout NEVER EVER loads as fast as the screen showing a 'normal' load. Now all the PS3s are supposed to have the same hardware... Have the people with the really fast loads times replaced their hard drive with a faster seek time / data throughput rate? If that's the reason those people's game loads so fast a new hard drive needs to top my wish list, mine ALWAYS loads as slow whether or not I had an ad, I noticed no difference whatsoever.

If hard drives were causing faster load times, perhaps that's how this slipped through the cracks. Maybe all testing was done on stock PS3s not thinking that some people's PS3s would be faster?

[djKyoto]

^ I was going to mention that. It only usually loads that fast when you're restarting something I think.

[Darwock]

The example used for the comparison vid was a Zone event, and they do load that quickly. It was pretty much the worst case scenario for showing the bad load times but nevertheless it proved the point and got the job done.