Advertising Coming To Counter-Strike 1.6

Once again, this NEEDS to be said. Thank you, Bill Hicks:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nm6O2XGOzZ8

By the way if anyone here is in advertising or marketing... kill yourself.

No, no, no it's just a little thought. I'm just trying to plant seeds. Maybe one day, they'll take root - I don't know. You try, you do what you can. Kill yourself.

Seriously though, if you are, do.

Aaah, no really, there's no rationalisation for what you do and you are Satan's little helpers. Okay - kill yourself - seriously. You are the ruiner of all things good, seriously. No this is not a joke, you're going, "there's going to be a joke coming," there's no fucking joke coming. You are Satan's spawn filling the world with bile and garbage. You are fucked and you are fucking us. Kill yourself. It's the only way to save your fucking soul, kill yourself.

Planting seeds. I know all the marketing people are going, "he's doing a joke..." there's no joke here whatsoever. Suck a tail-pipe, fucking hang yourself, borrow a gun from a Yank friend - I don't care how you do it. Rid the world of your evil fucking makinations. Machi... Whatever, you know what I mean.

I know what all the marketing people are thinking right now too, "Oh, you know what Bill's doing, he's going for that anti-marketing dollar. That's a good market, he's very smart."

Oh man, I am not doing that. You fucking evil scumbags!

"Ooh, you know what Bill's doing now, he's going for the righteous indignation dollar. That's a big dollar. A lot of people are feeling that indignation. We've done research - huge market. He's doing a good thing."

Godammit, I'm not doing that, you scum-bags! Quit putting a godamm dollar sign on every fucking thing on this planet!

"Ooh, the anger dollar. Huge. Huge in times of recession. Giant market, Bill's very bright to do that."

God, I'm just caught in a fucking web.

"Ooh the trapped dollar, big dollar, huge dollar. Good market - look at our research. We see that many people feel trapped. If we play to that and then separate them into the trapped dollar..."

How do you live like that? And I bet you sleep like fucking babies at night, don't you?

"What didya do today honey?"

"Oh, we made ah, we made ah arsenic a childhood food now, goodnight." [snores] "Yeah we just said you know is your baby really too loud? You know?" [snores] "Yeah, you know the mums will love it." [snores]

Sleep like fucking children, don't ya, this is your world isn't it?

After abandoning 1.6 after Source came out, even though twice as many still play 1.6, they randomly do this. Seems odd.

the really shitty thing about this "in game ads test" is that it's not a test to see if gamers like it, it's a test to see if advertisers like it.

funny thing is valve didn't even invent CounterStrike and its been their biggest money maker. Milk milk milk that big ol' cow Valve.

"— is it reasonable to add such a controversial feature so long after the game "shipped"? Shouldn't gamers be able to factor in-game advertising in their decision to purchase a product?

(Question un-answered)"

Good question, I want an answer.

This may sound the dethknell of CS. BF2142 has ads EVERYWHERE. You can't turn around and not see an ad in the game. It severely detracts from the game and I'm sure it'll be just as bad in CS.

placing ads in a free game years after it was released doesn't seem like that big a deal to me. I don't like ads that much, but if the advertising amounts to a few real ads in maps like office instead of the fake ones - I don't give a shit. Nor do I care about stuff on the scoreboard or whatever.

If it's free, you can bung me some shitty adverts that I likely will ignore. If I paid for it, then it's another fucking matter. I hope we don't see this in future Valve products that are sold on Steam. Unless the title is free or very cheap, then I don't want to see adverts.

I'm not mad that VALVe may get more money. I'm not mad that they don't pass on a reduced price to us. I'm not even mad they're getting all this advertising free on the backs of those who PAY for their game servers to keep running... I am mad because no one mentions the whole concept of in game ads is contradictory to the violent escapist experience that makes games fun. Consider this:

The shape, color, and placement of EVERY ad made is done with the objective of making someone stop, notice, remember. The signs in Vegas are such odd shapes so they stand out from the buildings and scenery. The billboards on the freeway aren't designed to be tasteful, they're designed to intentionally clash and STAND OUT from everything around you. Also, with in game ads it will soon be a requirement that the ads are indestructable, and in no way part of the environment. That is to say, the ads won't be a clever name hidden on the microwave, or a cute emblem on the computer tower. They will be large, distracting, posts on the walls you'll turn to look at, and trust me... these ads will be repeated everywhere with the intention you'll stop and notice them standing out from the environment just like every ad ever made. Only an idiot would make a tasteful ad, that subtly fits into a scene.

Next time you're in that level editor... remember, we only accept levels with a minimum of 2 ads per room, with a minimum of 10 ads per level. Ads must be no less than 10' x 10' and must have at least one ad in each spawn point and/or objective. Please enjoy your creative and artistic freedom!

if they bring this to CS:S and TF2 they wont be getting my money

maybe it will force those people still playing the dead and ancient cs1.6 to move to "new" cs source.

I just want to take this opportunity to thank all the people who bought BF2142. I'm holding you responsible for starting the avalanche of in game ads that will be burying us shortly. Congrats on becomming a footnote in gaming history.

A few years from now, when games are the pop-up hell that the was the internet not long ago, I want you guys to remember this quote:

"In game ads are the future. We might not like it, but it's inevitable."
--oatmela

Because if you remember that, you'll be able to look back and answer the question, "OMG WTF HAPPENED?" By then the apathy will have worn off. Hopefully at that point some company will come up with the CRAZY idea of NOT smearing ads all over their game, instead putting them somewhere tasteful like the loading screen. They'll be something like the google of video games. A company that realizes that advertising is always second to the user's experience.

Electronic Arts Valve is evil!

fuck you valve

never thought I'd be adding you to the list of asshole companies

Adding it after the fact is pretty lame. That’s like World of Warcraft throwing up a Pepsi Billboard outside of the Orgrimmar Auction House. ick :P

Meanwhile, we’re working on some changes to the weapons in CS: Source (pistols, specifically) based on what we’ve learned from the pricing experiment.

I really hope the deagle isn't nerfed. =(

ads in games make me sad.

i enjoy playing games to escape every day life. that includes the barage of advertisements in nearly ever other form of media.

how would you like it if the music you bought off itunes had advertisements at the end of each track? pissed? i would be, because you *paid* to have to hear that advertisement.

unless the games are released free, i think ads have NO place in games

Of course I'm not thrilled, but I have to admit I've barely noticed them in BF2142 - so will we be seeing Mountain Dew ads in Middle Eastern settings (such as Dust)?

News flash to gamers:

CS isn't a free mod anymore. It is a product.

Whats to stop you from using the map editor to remove all the ads?
Just release a community map pack with all their levels - the ads.

Or better yet, remove all the official maps from the server rotation and play only ad free community maps. How long can you play the same dust anyways, god i got sick of this game so fast because of that level.

Either would send them a clear message that ads won't be tolerated by gamers... we know they are making plenty of money without them.

testing the waters. oh well it was to be expected from valve. i like their games but their business model and the way they treat their customers irritates me.
the whole online validation of a game i bought, steam itself and the fact that they make it close to impossible to sell my already played through games are one thing. but the constant bullshit in terms release dates (the hl2 fiasco, tf2) and shit like ads in games that i purchased are another thing that remembers me why i don't buy games from ea.

so does this mean theyre making the game completely free now?

No??

Then does it mean its because they're going to add more to the game?

No??

Then why should I be happy about this?

as I see it, either you use ads to subsidize and turn a profit - magazines, television, some websites absolutely need them, or you stay the fuck away from them.

if you have a big upfront charge for what you're using - HBO, videogames, books, movies... then it's expected you're doing so to deliver the product purely. going beyond that standard and throwing in both ads and a big upfront charge can only mean one thing - you're a fucking asshole.

as has been stated before many times, in-games ads are the future. We might not like it, but it's inevitable.

i see this more of an experiment for valve... if it works and they don't see huge numbers of people stop playing CS 1.6, then i imagine it will start coming to their Source games as well :(

Anyone read the article? The guy doesn't even try to justify adding ads. In fact he seems to dodge the questions.
he doesn't even try to justify it by using the lame excuse that it will help fund work on CS (although he does claim it might be used later to fund development)

More over he's argument seems to be: google has money hats from ads. We want money hats too. Lots of people play CS. CS + ads = money hats!

not that I have anything against money hats. I just don't think it is fair to put ads in a game after someone has bought it.

It's interesting how they'll only be in CS 1.6. I guess when they sell the ads to companies its an easier sell because of how many more players are down with 1.6 rather then source.

Haha fuck, I thought the new economy they put in place was the worst possible thing they could do. Color me fucking wrong!

I haven't played CS in over a year. Now I never will again.

whoa, whoa, whoa, I can understand putting ads in a game before you release it. Then a consumer can choose not to buy it.

But placing ads in a game AFTER it has come out. WTF? I don't think that is right at all.

Dumb fuckers. I don't believe people in the gaming industry actually think this is a way to market to fucking gamers.

here it comes...

how stupid. I see an ad ingame...that shall make me NOT buy that product :)....unless its like mountain dew or something...

meh...it is just in 1.6

*ducks and covers*