By using this site, you agree to our Privacy Policy and our Terms of Use. Close

Forums - Microsoft - "Advertars" coming to the Xbox 360?

Arstechnina

Microsoft has begun to increase the amount of advertising on the Xbox 360, including ads with sound and video on the dashboard. However, it turns out that the company has plans to make console advertising even more of a presence, based on an announcement to make advertiser-generated avatars for MMOs available to players.

The idea appears to be a bit of a viral marketing campaign, and players who appear as walking advertisements will receive, "compensation as payment for interacting with other avatars." Exactly what this compensation would be has yet to be revealed, though it could include real-world currency or Xbox Live items like "virtual food to keep a virtual pet, such as a virtual dog... alive and functioning."

On the other side of the interaction, players could receive compensation for dealing with the walking advertisements; one example explains that you could be asked by an "advertar" about whatever product it happens to be promoting. If you get the question right, you could win a prize, but if you get it wrong you might have to sit through a "brand-accurate message" to continue on in the quiz.

The question is what sort of framework would have to be built around these premade avatars? Would you be able to put on your Chester Cheetah avatar to compete in 1 vs. 100 and thus advertise for cheesy snacks? Play videos as Bumble Bee from Transformers in order to hype the DVD release of Transformers 2? This could just be a concept the company is kicking around, and we'll never see any implementation of it, but the idea of avatars turning into little more than advertising vehicles isn't the most pleasant to contemplate.



Around the Network

Nice. We can get rewards if we listen to what the bot has to say (and answer right)? This is currently going to be just for MMOs, right?



Random game thought :
Why is Bionic Commando Rearmed 2 getting so much hate? We finally get a real game and they're not even satisfied... I'm starting to hate the gaming community so f****** much...

Watch my insane gameplay videos on my YouTube page!

Posted twice already. I like the one that called them avertards.



nice title, but already posted




If you drop a PS3 right on top of a Wii, it would definitely defeat it. Not so sure about the Xbox360. - mancandy
In the past we played games. In the future we watch games. - Forest-Spirit
11/03/09 Desposit: Mod Bribery (RolStoppable)  vg$ 500.00
06/03/09 Purchase: Moderator Privilege  vg$ -50,000.00

Nordlead Jr. Photo/Video Gallery!!! (Video Added 4/19/10)