Google Files Patent to Monitor Gaming For Ads

[Brene]

I see this in other games like BF2142 and some sports games. But can you imagine any type of advertising in WoW?

"In a recent patent filing, Google has proposed a real time profiling of players of online games such as World of Warcraft. Soon players of such games may see in game ads directly designed to appeal to their persona. Last month Google filed a patent in both Europe and the US which outlined plans to psychologically profile people simply by their style of play in popular online games. 'From the patent; "User dialogue (e.g., from role playing games, simulation games, etc) may be used to characterize the user (e.g., literate, profane, blunt or polite, quiet etc). Also, user play may be used to characterize the user (e.g., cautious, risk-taker, aggressive, non-confrontational, stealthy, honest, cooperative, uncooperative, etc)." Taking this a step further, Google also believe if a player likes to explore their new virtual world, that they would be interested in the real world, as such would target the player with travel ads.'"

My sumary source: http://games.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=07/05/15/1434233
Original: http://www.itwire.com.au/content/view/12152/1092/

[Stigg]

I'm a bit confused. Google is going to somehow monitor what I do inside of the game and then put ads inside the game? Did Goblins somehow engineer billboards?

-or-

Google is going to watch what I search for using its functions and put ads inside the game for me? (That might be....interesting...)

How is google going to put crap inside the game? Wouldn't Blizz have to sign off on this?

Thanks for the article Brene, this should be interesting!

[Kugan]

I understand it as: Google is going to watch me play the game, and then give me ads based on that (Probably on google, not in game).

Big brother is watching....

[Naedea]

Google's patented a technology which they can license to MMORPG companies wishing to leverage their player base to sell targeted advertising.

[Stigg]

Hmmm....with google's awesome ad awareness, all i can see is them seeing players using gold in game to buy things, so the entire land of azeroth is going to be filled with in-game gold ads.

gg google, gg indeed.

[Brene]

Yeah, it is not saying it IS going to happen. Just that it is in the works and with the patent they can capitalize on it if used.

[Fursphere]

And this folks, is why Google is a billion dollar company. :)

[Silverhand]

And this folks, is why Google is a billion dollar company. :)


Actually, Google Market Cap = 147.36B as of 12:36PM.

Cheers,

Silverhand

[Fursphere]

Oh whatever! lol

[Rex Normal]

This will not apply to WoW, don't worry. They are just patenting a process by which future game developers can liscense from them a way to focus ads to the gamer, either in the game or while browsing sites with google ads. The sites would check the profile you have stored in the software that most likely would come installed with the game and feed ads to you based on that profile.

As long as ads are keeping things free, I don't really care.

I can just imagine some 14 year old constantly calling people "gay" and this software picking up on the frequent usage of the word so that all he sees are ads directed toward gay people.

[Proverbs]

f*** this.

[moopy]

I can just imagine some 14 year old constantly calling people "gay" and this software picking up on the frequent usage of the word so that all he sees are ads directed toward gay people.

Sadly, probably not in the land of Falwell (late) and Dubyah (not late enough), where it's most needed. Nice idea though, made me laugh.

[Spennce]

I wont mind in game ads as long as it is reducing or doing away with my monthly gaming fee. I can be bought.

[PlayThemAll]

I wont mind in game ads as long as it is reducing or doing away with my monthly gaming fee. I can be bought.

The gold whispers alone make me insane. If I start seeing other types of ad's in WoW i'm done. It would totally ruin the whole game for me.

The first time I see a Coke can on a table at the Inn or a NASCAR poster on a wall in Stormwind, I'm deleting everything and closing my account.

[Stigg]

The gold whispers alone make me insane. If I start seeing other types of ad's in WoW i'm done. It would totally ruin the whole game for me.

The first time I see a Coke can on a table at the Inn or a NASCAR poster on a wall in Stormwind, I'm deleting everything and closing my account.

And I will be right there behind you.

[rgirty]

I average a gold whisper every 10 minutes (started keeping track last night) I didn't want to get that spam sentry addon but I might have to. I get very few real whispers and use a small chatbox as I'm always in vent. Anytime I'm trying to do random enchanting/trading/selling the whispers are a real annoyance.

[Nysard]

They day Blizzard allow ingame advertising in WoW is the day that myself and i'm sure many other players walk away.

I do trust Blizzard and can't help but think, well i'd like to think that they wouldn't even consider the idea.

Sure there's nothing wrong with advertising with other companies, for example in China WoW and Coca Cola teamed up to make some adverts. That in my opinion is acceptable as it doesn't interfere with the game itself.

However the day I see

[Coca Cola]
Requires level 10
Use: Gives the drinker total refreshment increasing all stats by 5 for 15mins. Must remain seated while drinking.

Is the day I think i'll call it a day, but like I said, the chance of it happening in my opinion is the day when we see no more nerfs and complete and utter harmony on the official forums.

[PlayThemAll]

[Coca Cola]
Requires level 10
Use: Gives the drinker total refreshment increasing all stats by 5 for 15mins. Must remain seated while drinking.


Yup, thats exactly what I don't want to see.

Although I could prob save a lot of gold by skipping the flying mount and just buying some Red Bull from AH. :laughing: :laughing:

I really hope it doesn't come to this but the way things are going I don't doubt that there will be some product placement in future games.

[Amurko]

Am I the only person who isn't bothered by this sort of phenomenon? Having peculiar interests and hobbies (outside of WoW), I find the results of automated psychoanalysis amusing.. such as the ads displayed in Gmail based on the content of email I receive.

[rgirty]

I thought we would never see the artificial product placement during baseball games. We have commercials, and on screen logos from the broadcaster.

However, I never thought it would happen and yet it has. A blank black box is installed in ballparks that a computer generated advertisement is shown on during the game. It is just to the side of home plate, even wrigley field was forced to install one.

You will have commercials in your video game soon, all of them. Just look at all the adverts on the dvd's you watch.

[PlayThemAll]

Am I the only person who isn't bothered by this sort of phenomenon? Having peculiar interests and hobbies (outside of WoW), I find the results of automated psychoanalysis amusing.. such as the ads displayed in Gmail based on the content of email I receive.

Everywhere I look I'm inundated by advertisements. The roads are cluttered by billboards; 10 of every 20 minutes on TV are adverts; all of the shows have product placement. I can hardly do anything online without being buried in an avalanche of ads; and so on....

The game is one of the few places I have left where I can escape the real world for a while and I don't feel like someone is trying to shove their product down my throat. I can close my chat window and just play. :thumbsup:

[rgirty]

I'm surprised that major players like coke and pepsi don't offer a cash discount when buying say... a new car.

Get a car in red white and blue pepsi colors with their logo all over it and you save 20% of the price of the vehicle.

I think we'll see that soon.

[poopsmcgee]

ehh if i start getting gold seller spam from google i may just have to change my homepage

[Naedea]

I'm surprised that major players like coke and pepsi don't offer a cash discount when buying say... a new car.

Get a car in red white and blue pepsi colors with their logo all over it and you save 20% of the price of the vehicle.

I think we'll see that soon.
And it will end when a drunk driver kills a family of four while speeding through a red light intersection in a Coke van.

[tybreakyr]

I eagerly await to see what this will bring.

Google = database gurus with very talented and creative R&D department
MMO = Database with a creative GUI
Google generating revenue from MMOs
Google possibly sharing resources with MMO companies...

[rgirty]

And it will end when a drunk driver kills a family of four while speeding through a red light intersection in a Coke van.

spun into a commercial where if he would have been drinking coke, instead of booze it would not have happened.

All the new sports cars will be discounted, if you choose red-bull or ballz/hype or other energy drinks.

it is the way of the future.

[Wiired]

In game ads are the one thing that would make me quit. I don't care if they get rid of monthly fees, I just wouldn't play.

[Akshell]

I'm surprised that major players like coke and pepsi don't offer a cash discount when buying say... a new car.

Get a car in red white and blue pepsi colors with their logo all over it and you save 20% of the price of the vehicle.

I think we'll see that soon.

Um that already exists in the UK....

I don't see why anyone sees this as so insidious, we live in a capitalist society and corporations are fuelled by advertising, because it works. Only one part of that equasion can be changed to solve the problem, can you guess what it is?

[Gekothan]

Advertising only works weak minded tools, and unfortunately 99% of the general population fit that description thus advertising is a viable source income for corporations thus it will never cease. The day I see a SINGLE advertisment in WoW is the day I quit, no exceptions :P

[Akshell]

Of course there are some people who don't 'bite' at certain types of advertising, and adverts in certain places might turn us away from certain ideas (if Nelson was holding a big mac atop his column you can bet it would make people shocked. However advertising works in general because people underestimate it, heck looking around my room at the moment nearly everything I own has a brand label on it, if advertising didn't work would Sony, MacDonalds, the Alcohol and tabacco industries and even the video game industries be as strong and successful as they are?

[Kokolums]

What Blizz might do with this is offer two versions of play.

1. Pay $15/month.
2. Free play, but the screen is cropped at the top so they can show banner ads.

Alternatively, they might use this technology to show you ads at the main screen and character select screen.

The BNET gaming community has never really had a problem with banner ads at the top of the screen in the chatroom interface for WC, SC, and Diablo.

[Schift]

I'm quite sure that this article isn't referring to any kind of advertising in-game. It is merely a system where google would be able to tailor their adds (on google, not in WoW) to fit the player's persona.

Simple version: They use technology to monitor behavior, choices, and preferrences in popular games and use the outcomes to target specific adds at the players on their website and affiliated websites and programs. It's really not that big of a deal and I would actually prefer to get adds tailored to my habits rather than women's underwear or kitchen remodelling.

Don't get so worked up about seeing a new McDonalds in Stormwind or Starbucks in IF, it's not happening.

[Naedea]

Advertising only works weak minded tools, and unfortunately 99% of the general population fit that description thus advertising is a viable source income for corporations thus it will never cease. The day I see a SINGLE advertisment in WoW is the day I quit, no exceptions :P
Congratulations on subsisting completely on things you've made yourself, and on things you've never heard of.