I wouldn't mind billboard ads so much. But if I have to sit through a few adverts every time the map changes I won't be happy.
Its not just billboards, if you read through the interview, you'll find that its also on the scoreboard and in spectator mode.
Ofcourse, i could choose not to give a hoot, as i dont play CS, but that would be very shortsighted of me.
Afterburner said:
Unless the ads look out of place why does it matter?
First of all, its the principle of the thing.
You know why they are doing this? its because research shows that we have become so used to TV and billboard adds that they nolonger work, we are too critical of their message when seeing or reading them, and we dont belive a word they say.
So they are scrambling to find a new market, a more effective one.
And this is it, when emerged in a game, we loose our ability to be critical of an add, we are too buissy playing, but we see them.. its in our subconcious.
Second of all, what makes you think the adds wont look out of place? think about the future here! right now they are testing it (and us), and no doubt they will be smart enough to stay low on our radar for now.
But it wont stay that way, i dont belive that for a second, if they can pull it off, and make us as used to seeing adds in games as we are with the telly, then the floodgates are busted wide open for more and more aggressive and annoying adds in future games.
What would stop them? if people get used to the idea that when they buy a game, there will be adds in it, then its just a slow process of piling more and more on there, you start with a few billboards, then its on the scoreboards, then its while you load a map, next it'll be company logo's that pop up in your HUD every now and then, then it'll be posters all over the maps, animated adds, streaming text adds scrolling across your screen, popups, popups you have to click away, comercial breaks!
It'll happen slowly, but mark my words, if we dont put our foot down, it will happen! and games will be as ruined as telly.