In-game advertising

[innovine]

What if, when playing Career mode, the player gets an offer of corporate sponsorship, and in return for in-game Kerbal money, would place a corporate logo on the side of your spaceship? You don't get forced to do it, but it might be attractive money...

In the meantime, the KSP game developers could perhaps generate a little extra real income by selling in-game advertising..

[Zeroignite]

nope nope nope nope nope nope nope nope.

EDIT for more content: I already payed Squad for the game. Them taking advantage of my playtime for extra revenue would just be ****ty.

[Beeman]

I don't think they necessarily meant real-world corporations >_>

But rather like kerba-kola or something like that, right? I'd be okay with that, but it would seem a bit superfluous.

I mean, we don't even know how missions and public relations are going to work just yet. We don't even know how mining or recovery is going to work just yet(though we have a pretty good idea on the recovery >_> ). So there could already be lots of ways to make money...money might even be an afterthought

[shand]

In the meantime, the KSP game developers could perhaps generate a little extra real income by selling in-game advertising..

Fundamentally: yes thats a good idea. you get kerbucks and a bit of realism, at the same time the devs get either a lump sum for including it in the game (reverse licencing i suppose) or perhaps a per "click" ad, though the latter would be a bit tricky to implement without some feedback system people would moan about.

My main concern would be that it would be a dangerous slippery slope which could potentially interfere with gameplay.

@zeroignite: Thats very narrow minded of you. you aren't paying anyone (any more then you have), and you can chose to use the ads for your benefit. And why shouldn't they take advantage of your playtime for extra revenue? its not even as if it would be pop up ads, you personally would be going "yes i think i'll put a cola sign on the side of this rocket to offset the extra SRB".

Its an interesting idea, very unlikely to be implemented with real companies for squads benefit, but it wouldn't surprise me if a kerbal based solution similar to this was available.

[boomerdog2000]

Besides what would be the point? The craft is in space. Not like your average consumer is going to be looking through a telescope, see your craft, then think to themselves, "I could really use a kerba-kola right now." I understand on planes and things because people see those. I'm the only one who would be seeing my ship, and I don't really want a massive logo to how in debt I was that I had to go to kerba-kola for funding.

[shand]

hehe in a way bommerdog. but the launch vehicle on the pad is an impressive billboard. Why do you think SpaceX has its name on all its stuff? in case someone nicks it?

[leax256]

I about had a heart attack at reading the title. I thought you were suggesting that real world ads get displayed in game.

now I like the idea of this, could be helpful for those who are bad or slow at learning the game as a sort of crutch to help get a little bit etxra cash. so long as it becomes less effective later on.

[BostLabs]

Not Real World Advertizing for sponsors to earn credit in the game in career mode: OK, that would be cute, I guess. I'd be ok with that.

Real World Advertizing while in game: No. I'm not OK with that. In fact I would learn Unity and write my first mod to hide/remove that.

[innovine]

I about had a heart attack at reading the title. I thought you were suggesting that real world ads get displayed in game..

That's exactly what I am suggesting, on the side of your giant rockomax tank.

Why not?

Of course, you could do it with a fun in-game only mechanic, like being offered enough to buy some boosters, if you have a disgustingly Pink kerbal-kola logo all over them, but then it struck me, it'd be quite possible to allow real adverts there too, perhaps lowering the price of the game. It's a suggestion, alright? No need to panic I've not seen anything yet that indicates that the Kerbal Space Programs are government funded, or bowing to commercial pressures.. Of course, no one LIKES advertisements, but the simple fact is that as long as we are in a society driven by capitalism it's a large economic factor. In reality, the only thing to motivate KSP-size budgets, besides corporate interest, is an international cold war between superpowers. There is a lot of discussion regarding the balance of realism in the game, and one issue which strikes me as incredibly unrealistic so far is the economic support for a space program of these sizes. We're not afraid of including hardcore, real-world orbital mechanics and physics models, so lets at least look to see what sort of challenges exist within the economic model.

Edited August 27, 2013 by innovine

[Nachtwind]

No... Just... No...

In Game/Application advertising is about the worst idea ever. Arent we bombarded by enough ads already?

[Beeman]

Real-world in-game ads can be good for some games...just KSP isn't one of them. I'd be okay with silly kerbal-themed ads, though. Not necessarily decals on my parts but maybe...I don't know, like sponsors or something. Might be a little needlessly complicated, though.

[innovine]

No... Just... No...Arent we bombarded by enough ads already?

Exactly! I hate this idea too. After building a lovely spaceship the last thing I want are corporate ads all over it. But if that's what it takes to make it fly, have I got it in me to compromise? It is challenging and deeply affecting, and that often makes for interesting game mechanics. just my 2c.

[innovine]

Not necessarily decals on my parts ..

A big, badass logo on your parachutes

[shand]

Whats really interesting here is that the problem only comes about when it changes from kerb cola - which earns squad no money - to Coca Cola, which would (assuming the premise of the OP is correct, which would be a case for laywers and salesmen).

Arent we bombarded by enough ads already?

Yes, Because ads pay for the internet. as a whole.

OP i would suggest for now focusing on the gameplay element instead of the buisness end. a suggestion to impliment kerbin based ads on bits of your rocket would gain support.

My thought would be to see if you could get RL companies to sponsor their kerbin equivelent - KerbaCola for example.

But i feel the pure buisness end would be highly unfeasible - most games pay companies to allow them to use their product in the game (or are allowed to use them in exchange for the free advertising).

THE GAMEPLAY ELEMENT is a great idea for career mode. especially if placement was important - $1000 for visible on launch. $500 for visible on mission complete. $100 for visible at any other time. maybe.... although maybe that would over complicate it. would stop spamming of logos for free rockets.

[innovine]

maybe using real advertisements is a bit ambitious, but I'm willing to bet there's miles of gameplay to be squeezed out of this. I mean, you could do science and sell the results, or you could land on the Mun and unroll a giant flag with some sponsor on it and take a screenshot for cash...

[Tw1]

I about had a heart attack at reading the title. I thought you were suggesting that real world ads get displayed in game.

Same here. But, I would not be in favour of this idea. No visual pollution my rockets, thank you very much.

Custom adding decals of your own, yes. But advertising? Yuck. That'd just annoy all the kerbals watching.

This might sound a bit harsh, so OP, I've nothing against you at all. Just don't like ads.

[innovine]

This might sound a bit harsh, so OP, I've nothing against you at all. Just don't like ads.

Understood perfectly. But are you saying you wouldn't accept 5 Mun launches, paid for with a big VIAGRA logo on the side of the main tank?

[Nachtwind]

Understood perfectly. But are you saying you wouldn't accept 5 Mun launches, paid for with a big VIAGRA logo on the side of the main tank?

Well, you may fork Mission Controller and add that kind of bull*****... but honestly? That would be a death sentence to KSP.. or any other game that would implement such idiocy..

[SpaceHole]

NO, No and no.

Also i would feel cheated if people get a free bonus for neither caring about their privacy nor about their performance nor about their inversion of the game.

- privacy issues -> advertisement relies on getting data aswell so you can be assured data would be sent to those companies and you had to connect to servers at some point not knowing what will be sent.

- performance issues -> since everything is loaded into your memory you would have pointless data in it ...

- inversion -> BRB playing KSP while beeing spammed with probably animated adds for dishwashers ...

This might be an option for F2P games but it is beyond offending in games one pays for. There are some games where i donct care about them - like real adds in soccer games etc. where they actually make sense and are "normal".

As others said i hate advertisments and if i pay for something i demand not to be bothered with them. I bought TF2 when it wasnt F2P and forced advertisment videos with sound when connecting to a server that cant be skipped make me actually pretty angry. (BRB listening to musc getting almost deaf by ads ...)

[boomerdog2000]

I would not be against said big Kerbin corporations offering me money to put their satellite into orbit to "conduct research that definitely isn't beaming thoughts into people's heads:D" Because that's in the spirit of the game. Slapping sponsors on my rockets like they're in nascar is not.

[Coffeesaxophone]

I think it would be fun in the already existing companies ingame (Jeb's Junkjard e.t.c) got some sort of logo that could be displayed on their parts or on the someday included fairings"

[shand]

- inversion -> BRB playing KSP while beeing spammed with probably animated adds for dishwashers ...

The privacy issues i raised myself. and the performance issues are irrelevant given the following:

You have misunderstood the OP's point - deliberately or not i dont care.

He is not saying you pause the game midflight with a pop up for a dishwasher tablet. he is not saying you have to watch a video while it loads. he is not saying you get an ingame benefit from watching a video or paying real money (all of which i detest i should add) he is suggesting that you can, note CAN not MUST, gain ingame money by placing a decal (very small memory impact as its just a texture overlay, and wont be massive) on your rocket. He also suggests that squad may be able to profit from this by having the decals genuinely sponsored.

btw: inversion = immersion? thats what i've assumed.

So, how do you feel about having decals that when placed gain you ingame money (career mode, obviously), perhaps a nice comic "kerbal Life insurance - For when THIS happens".

And how would you feel if Squad benefited from you having the OPTION to instead put a real life symbol on the side of your rocket. (i'd suggest a one off payment to squad or per game, rather then active monitoring to avoid peoples privacy concerns.)

@Boomerdog: thats more the level of contribution this discussion needs

Maybe if it was an option unlocked only when you were short on cash?

[jwenting]

hehe in a way bommerdog. but the launch vehicle on the pad is an impressive billboard. Why do you think SpaceX has its name on all its stuff? in case someone nicks it?

what other reason? They're not going to sell it to your average television audience. Do you have $50 million+ in your savings account?

[SpaceHole]

The privacy issues i raised myself. and the performance issues are irrelevant given the following:

You have misunderstood the OP's point - deliberately or not i dont care.

He is not saying you pause the game midflight with a pop up for a dishwasher tablet. he is not saying you have to watch a video while it loads. he is not saying you get an ingame benefit from watching a video or paying real money (all of which i detest i should add) he is suggesting that you can, note CAN not MUST, gain ingame money by placing a decal (very small memory impact as its just a texture overlay, and wont be massive) on your rocket. He also suggests that squad may be able to profit from this by having the decals genuinely sponsored.

btw: inversion = immersion? thats what i've assumed.

So, how do you feel about having decals that when placed gain you ingame money (career mode, obviously), perhaps a nice comic "kerbal Life insurance - For when THIS happens".

And how would you feel if Squad benefited from you having the OPTION to instead put a real life symbol on the side of your rocket. (i'd suggest a one off payment to squad or per game, rather then active monitoring to avoid peoples privacy concerns.)

I know that - i didnt missunderstand the OP it is possible to insert animated pictures with sound into games. And it obviously has benefits for Ad-Companies since it makes the Ad way more visible.

Also i just posted about some of my expirience with ads.

I also thought about the carreer mode thing but to be honest - i dont get the point maybe on signs at your space-buildlings but it makes no sense on rockets no one is ever going to see again also the performance problems will still be the same.

Squad can profit of the game if it become great and successfull. "Nuking" consumers with ads is not the way to go. I would feel betrayed since people that seem to not care about their privacy actually sell their privacy so that Squad gains profit giving them in-game advantages. Why would i consider that a good idea?

Also who would want to do what you just said - people could easily just disable the ads and no one would ever know and Ad-companies would have no information if it is even seen ingame.

Just because something can bring you more money doesnt mean its necessarily a good thing.

They could for example also start selling premium parts that you pay for with actual money ingame. You can choose to not buy them or buy them and help Squad make more money - how would you feel about that ... ?

[shand]

No Jwenting, they are selling themselves to the next people who want a reliable, effective and cheap (ish) launch vehicle. They are a brand, and they have excellent brand management. even if they never use a grasshopper based design - its given them excellent PR.

The point is, the decal on the side gets them more revenue from future customers then it costs in paint and weight.

advertising is about broadly targetting your audiance - half of all people watching TV dont require feminine hygiene products, but its worth the money. even if 1 person saw their rocket and remembered it at the next board meeting that one decal is worth $50 million. advertising is a flak cannon not a patriot missile.

Anywho, i dont want to dominate this discussion any more Other opinions of the OP's gameplay idea?

edit @Spacehole: ok so we get that you are against real life companies buying ad space on your rocket. what about the other half of the suggestion - fake comic companies that only serve to provide you with a small budget increase ingame. We know decals were originally planned - could this be a use for them?

Edited August 27, 2013 by shand