Did something look out of place in that video? You guessed it - the insurance ad!! Google has introduced Adsense for games. The program allows developers of browser based games to insert text, image, and video ads into their games. The ads can appear before a game, after a level change, or when a game is over. I can hear through the internet: “Eff them - putting effing ads in between levels - that’s messed up. How am I supposed to enjoy a game when it wants to sell me insurance?!?” Well angry reader, let me try and explain just why this is actually a good thing for you.

See, with a handful of exceptions, browser based games are free to play. To put it another way, you pay nothing and get something in return. The developer of the game spent hours of their life coding that game for you, and all they got was some internet fame, and enough money to buy a sandwich (not a good one - just some mayo on a bun with a slice of cheddar cheese) from the ads already placed on their homepage. Adsense for games could provide a solid revenue stream for small developers who focus mostly on smaller flash games. With the added income, they’d be able to afford to spend more of their time working on new games - so by sitting through a couple of ads, you are effectively helping to ensure that the person or people who brought you the game you’re playing will be able to bring you more games in the future.

There is one obvious danger here: if this program is successful, there’s no telling where Google may try and take it. I’m OK with a few ads in a flash game I didn’t pay for, I’m not OK with ads all over the loading screens of a game I already paid $60 for. That’s not to say I have a fundamental problem with in game advertising. In Need for Speed: Most Wanted, the main character had a Cingular cell phone. That didn’t take anything away from the game - in fact, if anything, it added a certain level of realism to the game that wouldn’t have been there if the main character had a generic cell phone. Ads in between levels, however, would take you out of the fantasy. Let’s say you just finished an intense boss fight. You’re pumping with adrenaline, and feeling rather proud of your accomplishment, when the game reminds you to use Brand X Whitening strips on your teeth to ensure maximum whiteness. Now instead of feeling accomplished, you’re feeling angry at Brand X, and a little self conscious about how white your teeth are because I drink like eight cups of coffee a day, and my teeth must be stained - do other people talk about me when I’m not looking?? Ahem, personal insecurities aside, ads like that would destroy the flow of a large, rich “core” game. As long as Adsense stays in the causal, browser based market, it’s a good thing. I’m all in favor of providing more revenue for indie developers. As long as Adsense stays out of larger games, it’s a good thing.

-Mike Kurz

Tags: ads, adsense, browser based games, Game Design, Game Industry, in game advertising

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