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Obama Uses In Game Adverts: First Time Ever

Written by Mark C. Barlet

Published on 14 October 2008

I am by no means going to use my awesome powers as editor-in-chief of AbleGamers.com to endorse a candidate. Please do not take anything I write in this article as an endorsement from AbleGamers, or suggestion by AbleGamers to its readers on how it should vote.

If you're a sports fan, then surely you have seen that advertisers are creative enough to find a way to stick some sort of advertisement on every surface that can be seen by camera. Backstops, walls, even the backs of jackets worn by event staff, everything has an advertisement on it. If you are a sports gamers have seen that same level of advertisement entering your game as well. For some time, the advertisements were static, self-promoting (various EA logos. For example), but now that most games have some sort of online component to them, these advertisements spaces have become real cash cows for gaming developers.

So who has taken advantage of this new found avenue, presidential candidate Barack Obama. , the Democratic presidential candidate has paid to have his advertisement show up in quite a few of the hottest titles. He has many billboards in the Xbox 360 racing game "Burnout Paradise". While not sure all the games, but it was share with you the advertisements.

ABC News Senior National Correspondent Jake Tapper notes:

The virtual world within the Xbox 360 racing game "Burnout Paradise" features an Obama for President billboard -- indicating the first time a presidential candidate has advertised in a video game.

The gaming website Gamepolitics first posted the image of the Obama billboard within the fantasy computer world.

Holly Rockwood, director of corporate communications at Electronic Arts, confirmed to the gaming blog Gigaom, that "like most television, radio and print outlets, we accept advertising from credible political candidates. Like political spots on the television networks, these ads do not reflect the political policies of EA or the opinions of its development teams.”

Advertising Age applauds the move as savvy, saying, "we as advertisers have used the gaming space to reach the 18- to 34-year-old demographic so why shouldn't a presidential candidate use it as well?"

Obama has said in the past, "We’re going to have to parent better, and turn off the television set, and put the video games away, and instill a sense of excellence in our children, and that’s going to take some time.”

But presumably these ads -- which advise that early voting has begun, and directs voters to an Obama website that provides voting information -- are targeted at those 18 and older.

So what's next? Obama product placement on "Lost" and "Heroes"?

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Comments

0 #2 COMMENT_TITLE_R E Obama Uses In Game Adverts: First Time Ever — Mark 2008-10-25 07:50

OMG I have seen ads in Toilet Paper!!! It was in a public restroom in the UK, and it was for a lawyer!

I think they are okay as long as they fit the game, like I expect to see a billboard in a racing game, so most of these ads FIT where they are. Now, if they start to put them in a place that does not belong, I will agree with you...

I do agree on price, or I should be able to turn them off.

0 #1 Ick! ... — BlazeEagle 2008-10-22 18:52

Ads, most especially in video games, negatively impacts games for us gamers.

Soon, We'll get bombarded with ads in all kinds of games.

There's enough ads in entertainment media as is without having games added to the lists of advertisers.

IF this becomes common place, The purchase price of games should be dramatically lowered. I don't want to pay $50 + AND have ads shoved down my throat!

We're constantly bombarded by advertising as is without this!

What next? Ads on toilet paper? :-)