Discussion: NCsoft NorCal Executives on IGN.com
By
Altoholic_Monkey,
Posted on: 2008-04-03 15:48 in News, Events and Announcement Discussion
Please don't take away al the fun adds, like the Crey and Vanguard posters.. I understand selling advertizeing space is important but let's keep alot of the boards as they are
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Please don't take away al the fun adds, like the Crey and Vanguard posters.. I understand selling advertizeing space is important but let's keep alot of the boards as they are
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Ahem...
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fans worried about the intrusion of real world marketing into their fantasy life can simply opt out of the new ad program and retain the existing fictional ads.
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The bottom line is if they opt out that's better for players and advertisers.
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I think there's a "not" missing in the sentence... either that or I'm really lost on what is good for advertisers...
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Please don't take away al the fun adds, like the Crey and Vanguard posters.. I understand selling advertizeing space is important but let's keep alot of the boards as they are
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If you opt out, or if there is not an optional ad displaying over it, the original ads are visible as the default. As I've had it explained to me, users should still be occasionally seeing the current in-game art in the post optional in-game ad future.
Lighthouse
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This interview is a must-read for anyone who still has doubts about the in-game advertising. I seriously doubt it'll sway the opinions of the Tin Foil Hat Club, but it'll hopefully ease some of the concerns that the sane, rational players might have.
I'm 5-starring this thread; I hope that I don't later regret that decision once more people read the interview (y'know, if they even bother before coming in here to run about, their arms flailing in the air).
Edit: First between two redname posts 
Positron: "There are no bugs [in City of Heroes], just varying degrees of features."
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The bottom line is if they opt out that's better for players and advertisers.
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I think there's a "not" missing in the sentence... either that or I'm really lost on what is good for advertisers...
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Yeah, there are a couple of typo's were still trying to get IGN to clear up, unfortunately 
Lighthouse
Community Relations Manager
If you have a specific in game, account, tech or billing problem please contact our Customer Support team via The Knowledge Base "Ask A Question" page.
Would it be possible to have some free community/player event ads also? I dunno how much customization NCNC people will have, but if they can add ads on the fly, esp. server specific ones, I would love to see server events advertised ingame. Something special to keep people with their ads option on also...
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@sermon
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I don't Know I am all about getting more money for the game and will opt-in on that alone, but that said i don't think it will make the game more alive if anything it will make the game less complete. i mean many games have fictitious ads. would fallouts nuke-cola really make the game better if it was coke-cola?
Great article. Seeing that NC wanted to make sure optional was part of the deal makes me pretty confident this will be handled smoothly. Unless they're planning on going nuts with the advertising.
Having said that, I'd like to see at least some of the current billboards remain in place (since I'll be opting in unless it becomes obnoxious). Some of them are just funny. And please don't get rid of things like the Dirty Duck! I love our restuarants!
Well, I'm not bothered either way really, I'll pay as much interest in the adverts in game as I do to the ones on TV, and as I record and watch most of the programmes I watch after they're broadcast, especially those not on the BBC (The one without adverts ruining the programmes by appearing in the middle of a show here in the UK), I fast forward through them.
If it makes more money to plough into future developments go for it 
I just read the article and I think it's brilliant...
NCSoft makes some extra money to shovel back into the game,
which in turn helps them have the resources to add new features
to the game and it doesn't change the game mechanics at all...
If anything it gives the game a more real feel...
I'm not suggesting you add a McD's, B-King or T-Bell on
every other corner but what harm is there in the existing
billboards having REAL advertizements...
Besides... as you are driving down the highway IRL how much attention
do you pay to billboards?
How much attention to do pay to the fake billboards now?
This is mostly cross-posted. I wasn't sure which thread would be more appropriate.
I actually realy like this idea, though I cringed when I saw the announcement (I've been on the internet long enough to see how people react to in-game ads).
Still, the whiners aren't gonna get me down. There's two reasons I like this:
1) Immersion--You can't even turn around in real life without having product placement crammed up your... well, you know. It actually irritates me when I'm playing a game in a modern setting and brand logos aren't plastered all over the place. It makes everything seem so dead.
2) "Teh monies"--NCNC is a company. They literally don't exist unless they're making enough money to matter. The more money they make, the more viable Co* is. Yes, they can still do stupid things to ruin it (lol SWG NGE), but being poor wouldn't stop them from doing that. In general, more money--> better game.
Needless to say, I'll be leaving this turned on. It's not like it hurts me any to do so, and I want to encourage them to keep it up; I figure they'll probably use datamining of the number who opt-in to attract more advertisement.
The article goes a long way towards explaining the rationale and thought processes that have gone into this feature. It seems that it has been a long road for NCSoft to find a partner willing to let the players opt out if they want. I would much rather have that feature, even if it delays the process, than to have ads forced upon us by an incalcitrant ad partner.
Also, we've heard a lot about Double Fusion, and anyone who wants more info about who they are can visit their web site here.
WIN/WIN
Players bothered by the ads can opt out and all revenue goes into developing new content.
I'm really appreciative of the fact that NC was very aware of a lot of the player base not wanting the ads and made opting out one of the major criteria for going forward with RL ads. I'm opting in. 
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An interesting thing about opting in and opting out is that, is that we want the players to play the game they want to. The players who opt out can play the game the way they always have. But from the advertisers' side, it's only good for them if the players are not resistant to seeing these ads in the game. The last thing we want to try to do is coerce or force players to opt-in for the advertising. So we hope a lot of people don't opt out and we hope that people actually enjoy the fresh experience there. The bottom line is if they opt out that's better for players and advertisers.
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This is a really good point that needs to be highlighted. They can't make the in-game advertising obnoxious, because not only will everyone opt out of it, but really annoying ads have the opposite effect on consumers, which of course is bad for the advertisers.
Case in point, show of hands of people who have actually bought talking, animated smileys or thought about consolidating your mortgage loans through a certain company? Now a show of hands of people using browser plugins that BLOCK all those ads?
I'm not worried. Money is involved, and they won't make any if they're stupid about this.
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I appreciate that NCsoft has been so thoughtful and is proceeding here with a players-first attitude. Based on recent developments with the game I am comfortable with the direction they are taking it.
That being said, I will be opting out of the feature and am grateful for the ability to do so.
Some of us have a healthy skepticism about ads and the over-commercialization of everyday life. I place a high value on access to my mind and those of my family members. With ever encroaching advertisements there are few places where people can be free of being marketed to. For me, CoH is one of those places. I play to get away from real life.
I respect that others feel differently and will opt-in.
My one real concern is the community content that will be displayable with this system. It sounds cool and could be a real asset to players. If I opt-out of the ads, will I be unable to access this community content? That would be a shame. Hopefully there will be two different opt-in options: ads/community content and just community content.
Regardless, thanks for the update and for being player-first with this new feature.
Neutron-Star
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Sigh, I was already *fine* with having the ads on, this interview makes me *WANT* to have them on XD
<3 NCNC People
Good stuff overall.
Hmmm, so the idea behind the opt-in is that players who opt-out would be annoyed by the advertisements and so would actually be less likely to buy because of them, thus it's better for the business to not stick that advert in his/her face in the first place. Seems reasonable to me. Human psychology often isn't all the reasonable but it's a good starting point.
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It's going to make the world feel more alive and more real because there's real advertising.
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Uhhh, that would be the PROBlEM Brian! This is the land of Crey Cola, not Coke. It fits better here than in World of Warcraft or even Eve but it's still odd to see. (Suddenly I'm getting visions of that old "I'd like to give the world a Coke, and keep it company" song/advertisement getting half way through when suddenly half a dozen Paragon Protectors barge in and blast everyone.)
But hey, I can opt out. Good stuff. I just hope you don't do bad things to the cool stuff I've got in my Data directory already. Or my demos. Gonna have to wait and see how you impliment this before we know how those turn out, I suppose.
AS long as they don't use the same marketing company that Smallville used, I'm fine Last thing I want is City of Endless Toyota and Verizon Commercials with More Commercials during the Commercial Breaks
I'll just save my time and cut and past my reply to our private, SOLUS Foundation, board thread...
"I'll actually probably hit the CoH boards about this one because I've seen some preliminary threads discussing this, and I think the Devs will need some positive reaction to offset the more loud-of-mouth posters against it.
Personally, as long is it sticks to the current billboards, I'm fine with it. I've always combined my personal reality with my game reality in order to make the experience more... well... real. Three quarters of my characters take breaks at Starbucks for example, and the real New England Patriots were beaten by the ficticious Paragon City team (Instead of Green Bay) in the Super Bowl - at least as far as my characters (and their money) were concerned.
If they are really planning on sinking all the revenue back into the game, more power to 'em. Heck, I probably won't even opt out."
The SOLUS Foundation - a Liberty and Pinnacle SG
"The Consequences of War" - Arcs # 227331 and 241496
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Uhhh, that would be the PROBlEM Brian! This is the land of Crey Cola, not Coke. It fits better here than in World of Warcraft or even Eve but it's still odd to see.
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This.
I already see enough advertising in my day to day life...radio, tv, basically every internet website, magazines, newspapers. Everywhere we go we are bombarded with consumerism and "Buy our stuffz!!". It gets tiresome hearing everybody and their dog hawking something.
Co* was that one refuge that was blissfully RL ad free (beyond those miniscule video card/sound card things).
I'm going to be one of those that turns it off.
Also, I'm a bit concerned about the fact that the billboards are only a "start". It would be nice to know what they plan on to expand the advertising if this is "successful".
I don't see the problem at all with this. If people object they can opt out, it generates more money for more features.
If this scheme pays for one more devloper then I am 100% behind it.
If the ads are over the top, I will turn them off and a lot of players will. Keep them subtle and part of the setting and few people will care, and they can always "Opt Out".
Stil... I was hoping for more issue 12 updates today, not business model updates.
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I will support this in hopes that later on when the game achieves the amount of revenue it needs to thrive on the players alone that it will be took away.
I say it is a smart idea if done correct but that is proven by most games to be failed attempts.
I hope coh/cov staff achieve the goals they need and want so we the players may benefit from it.
Like I said I am for this but if we gain enof from this and more players were the game will be well paid by players alone then I hope they would no longer need it.
I have no comment on the article really, but what did I see when I opened the article?
An add for a WoW trial.
Unfortunate!
Edit. WoW trial adds on both pages!
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Please use this thread to discuss the below announcement.
IGN.com sits down with City of Heroes executive producer and general manager Brian Clayton and director of business and marketing for the Mountain View studio, Ross Borden.
Click here to read the full article.
Lighthouse
Community Relations Manager
If you have a specific in game, account, tech or billing problem please contact our Customer Support team via The Knowledge Base "Ask A Question" page.