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Times are tight, and money is in short supply. All industries in North America have been hit hard, and the gaming industry is no exception. In an attempt to stem the tide and deliver consistently good games within a limited budget, developers worldwide have agreed to sell advertisements in video games. Video games will now feature commercials as developers ad adds. Products ranging from Coke to Chevys will be hawked during cutscenes in upcoming games. These ads will be targeted specifically to the game’s audience. Developers insist that the commercials will be as entertaining and painless as possible. “Generating revenue from the sale of advertising is a necessary evil,” comments marketing consultant Bluto Gervais. “We are in a slump and we need the money to continue producing quality games. As enjoyable as the commercials will be, we’re going to give the players a chance to reduce, and ultimately eliminate them as a reward for good playing. Players will see most of the commercials at the beginning of each game and less of them as they progress,” Gervais adds. Product placement will also be used extensively with the characters using, and making, specific reference to the items in-game. For instance, Sam Fisher the star of the Splinter Cell series might be seen enjoying White Owl cigars and sipping Bombay Sapphire Gin martinis while waiting for his Little Caesar pizza to be delivered. It might just turn out that the delivery guy is a terrorist bent on killing Fisher. A gunfight ensues with Fisher using his semi-auto Smith & Wesson Chief’s Special, available for a limited time at participating Wal-Marts. And nothing cleans up brains and bloods like the Sham Wow. Afterwards it’s time for a relaxing massage at Kitty’s Kat Klub, with three locations in Detroit. But wait there’s more. “To keep the advertising on a positive note, we’re prepared to offer players free samples of the products,” claims Gervais. “Players that reach certain goals will be awarded a code that they can take to their local store and redeem their prize, whether it be a Swiffer, Lee Press-On-Nails, coat hangers or Jimmy Rudd’s Spray-On Tuna. In the future we’d like to give away cars to our gaming customers. We’d also like to give away Oprah in the future,” jokes Gervais. Advertising costs will be determined by the popularity of the game. For example, rates for upcoming Grand Theft Auto games will rival that of half-time during the Super Bowl, while games that have anything to do with bowling and monkeys will offer bargain bonanza rates. *This article is presented as an exclusive Cheat Code Central feature titled “Are you dumb enough to believe this?” Please check back each Friday for the newest edition. |