Product Placement in Video Games

Product placement is big business. And it's getting even bigger!!!

The new generation of product placement is widely found nowadays in video games, giving endless possibilities for advertisers. Not only can advertisers find the game's characters using their products, but they can also update their in-game ads at any time and offer game updates through their web sites.

People are starting to turn to video games more than television. Last year, video games topped the box office sales with $10.7 billion, and this number is expected to reach $16.9 billion by the end of 2008. And since product placement is already a huge part of the gaming industry, more number crunching will increase rapidly by the end of this year.

Everybody, grown ups and children, are increasing their video game play, and of course the advertisers are making use of this growing method to reach their customers through in-game advertising. For example, while playing a video game, a teenager might see in-game advertising pointed or directed toward him/her like an ad for acne cream or another one for hair dandruff!! One of the video games which is well known for its product placement is "Need for Speed Underground." It features product placement like Burger King, Cingular Wireless and Old Spice.

Advertisers are now figuring video game advertising into their budget. Money previously spent on TV is now being redirected to in-game advertising. So from now on, all of you guys should purchase your favorite video game just in order to stay updated with the latest products... Especially LADIES!!!

For further info about Video Game advertising and related articles, click here.

Rob

Advertisement and the Reader !!

Driving your way to work, home, or to a specific entertainment your eyes are attracted to certain readings on the way, simply it’s an Advertising Digital Billboard. There are several types of digital billboards by which I have previously introduced one of them the (Digital Muppy). I have mentioned its process but not its advertising concept and style! Let’s read more about them below.


=>Advertising Style is designed:

- To catch people’s attention

- To quickly create a memorable impression

- To keep the reader thinking about what he/she have read
after they’ve driven past it

- To be readable for the viewers passing by at a fast speed

- Having large font, few ‘simple’ words, and brilliant lightning’s
(since its digital)

RE: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_(advertising)#Digital_billboards

By Ronda

EyeToy

The EyeToy is a color digital camera, similar to a webcam, for the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation Portable. The technology uses computer vision to process images taken by the camera. This allows the players to interact with games using motion, color detection and also sound, through its built-in microphone.

Using EyeToy is not that difficult, so all you have to do is plug in your device, install it, and get all the fun!! But some people are really not into technology, and just installing a device sounds impossible to do!!! So here are some easy steps to follow and get your EyeToy going....

Step1:
Open Device Manager by going to Start Menu > Control Panel > System > Hardware > Device Manager. Plug your EyeToy into your computer’s USB port - if Windows gives you a “Welcome to the Found New Hardware Wizard” popup, cancel it and continue installing via Device Manager. You EyeToy should appear in the Device Manager list under “Imaging devices” and should have a big yellow exclamation alert next to it. It will also tell you which model EyeToy you have - either Namtai or Logitech.

Step2:
Still in Device Manager, right click on your EyeToy and select “Update Driver”.

Step3:
Welcome to the Hardware Update Wizard!!
Can Windows connect to Windows Update to search for software???
Select "NO, not this time."
Now, click "Next" to continue.

Step4:
What do you want the Wizard to do??
Select "Install from a list or specific location."
Then click "Next" to continue.

Step5:
Browse to the folder where you extracted the drivers.

Step6:
You can safely click "Continue anyway" here.

Step7:
Just click "OK!!"

Step8:
Read the prompt, tell them where you live, then click Yes or No.
(You don't wanna burn alive!!!!)

Step9:
Click "Finish" to close the wizard.

Step10:
C'mon!!!! Use it :)


To get more detailed info about the steps to get your EyeToy started, click here.

Rob

Security Wise...tough topic !!

Here are some real examples of muppies. I’m sure everyone is aware of KFC and Nokia mobile phones.

Security has always been the case. Concerning the study about attaching a mini camera at the corner of the muppy has been done. This camera as planned that it will be linked to the police station incase of any harm. Even though we have the electrical harmless shock but it's not enough. We shall have an image of that person too. We have covered the main contents of having a digital muppy in town, but one main thing is the placement of that muppy which will be mentioned in the introduction of the second type of the digital billboard.

Click here to check out different Digital Muppy Ads

It's me again
Ronda ;)

Where am I?? Moon... Earth...??

Imagine one day you’re looking at the moon and you find your picture.With the new technology and advanced media everything is possible. Actually its serious, Google plans to brand its logo into the surface of the moon so that its visible from earth.
As there are maps of Google Mars and Google Earth, now there will be Google Moon pretty soon where certain companies will become the world’s biggest brand.
Since the US government will be paid a huge amount of money so planting the flag on the Moon’s surface has been considered.

''Google announced this week that it would sell a further 5.3 billion shares to raise $2.1bn.
Google's official filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission said that the sale of shares was designed to raise additional capital for future acquisitions, but the company declined to be more specific about any current agreements or commitments.''

>>So keep an eye at the moon, you never know when your picture appears.<<

Ronda

M-Tech

What is Advertising?

A form of communication whose purpose is to inform potential customers about products and services and how to obtain and use them.For instance, advertisements contain both factual information & persuasive messages.Every major medium is used to deliver these messages including: outdoor billboards(muppy,megacoms,unipoles),television,games,movies,radio,newspaper,internet (check internet advertising). Advertisments are usually placed anywhere people/audience can access more frequently.

With the help of new technology, people working in advertising fields have developed a new way in introducing a certain product using the Digital Muppy instead of the traditional one. Its a new and efficient way for people to advertise using slide show images,animation,and a digital view. Usually all the muppies are linked to the main server which is called the Hub.

How does it work??

Simply attach the information needed to advertise on a cd and choose the location in which you want your Ad to appear at. Then refer to the digital muppy basement to place the cd. Make your life easy by only pressing a small button to process a big job that will only take a few seconds for your Ad to appear. Thats all you have to do!! Im sure that it is way easier than the traditional one.

Here are some media benefits of a Digital Muppy:

• Speed of time => you dont have to print nor install anything just burn a cd.


• Cost effective => no expenses are needed other than having a bunch of cds.


• Easy means of communication => it is suitable for the majority.


• Choice of voice media => press & hear the ad.

Digital Muppies may be used for several options:

1. Advertising for different events and products.


2. Traffic Departments: police may request something using the muppy. For example,if there is an accident on a certain location it can appear directly so people wont access that road...


3. Political elections: people can vote by scanning their Id card, or a touch screen muppy can be used.
   

By the way everything has been managed and under control even security purposes. A 12volt battery has been installed inside the digital muppy for a small harmless electrical shock incase anyone tries to touch or damage it. Lately,a study is being done to add a mini camera and connect it to the police station to protect the worlds new technology from evil hands.

Thats all for now :)

Ronda

Xbox 360

Xbox 360 is the second video game console to be produced by Microsoft, and was developed in cooperation with IBM, ATI, and SiS. Its Xbox Live service allows players to compete online and download content such as arcade games, game demos, trailers, TV shows, and movies. The Xbox 360 is the successor to the Xbox, and competes with the Sony PlayStation 3 and the Nintendo Wii as part of the seventh generation of video game consoles.
The Xbox 360 was officially unveiled on MTV on May 12, 2005, with detailed launch and game information divulged later that month at the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3). The console sold out completely at release (with the exception of Japan) and, as of February 22, 2008, 18 million units have been sold worldwide according to Microsoft. The Xbox 360 comes in three different versions, the "Arcade" console, the "Premium" console, and the "Elite" console, each having its own selection of included and available accessories. Another version of the Xbox 360, called the "Core" which was available from launch, has since been discontinued for retail and replaced with the "Arcade".


Launch

Main article: Xbox 360 launch
The Xbox 360 was released on November 22, 2005, in the United States and Canada; December 2, 2005, in Europe and December 10, 2005, in Japan. It was later launched in Malaysia, Mexico, Colombia, South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Chile, India, Brazil, Poland, Czech Republic, and Russia. Microsoft has additionally announced official launches in: Hungary, Slovakia, and the Philippines. In its first year on the market, the system launched in 36 countries, more countries than any console has launched in a single year. Due to its early launch, the Xbox 360 had a one-year lead on both of its competitors, Sony's PlayStation 3 and Nintendo's Wii.

Robert

WII's World

Remember the days when the Nintendo 64 or the gameboy were actually the coolest things ever??

So many new games out there these days. With competition such as Sony and Microsoft, was it possible for Nintendo to create an ultimate console that could bring back our memories to the here and now?? Would it actually be a stable product that could run in the market??

The Answer is YES!!

Introducing the Nintendo wii

Coming in an ultra cute new look for Nintendo. The wii is the ultimate new generation for gaming. Some of the new features include wireless controls and an inbuilt safety strap for you to hold the control without it 'accidently' slipping out of your hand. The controld even have inbuilt sound!

Is it worth buying it or not?

WII: is able to play games from previous consoles such as the original NES, Super NES, N64, Sega Genesis (also known as Mega Drive) and the TurboGrafix 16 with its 'virtual console' software . This will allow older gamers to relive their favourite games.

Wii already has a strong lineup of games of production, with many more to follow. Familiar characters like Mario and Link will make appearances. Gamecube discs will also be playable on the Wii.

Instead of just focusing on better graphics like their rivals, Nintendo are focused on delivering an improved, fun playing experience with better interactivity. The Wii will also retail at a much lower price than the other consoles. All in all the Wii is an exciting breakthrough in gaming.

For more information click here

Ronda

Internet & Filtering Softwares: A Global Solution

Internet as a medium is not moderated, and while this has obvious advantages, there are also disadvantages. Most countries have formulated their own rules for the media within them, based on majority moral standards and political interest, so censorship levels vary from culture to culture. The global nature of Internet, both culturally and physically, makes regulation impossible. This issue is often particularly worrying for parents, for while the Internet is an excellent resource for children and an exciting new means of communication, they cannot be sure their children access only content that is appropriate for them.

Governments around the world are currently grappling with the issue of regulation. The challenge is to allow people access to the benefits of the Internet while ensuring content doesn't offend community standards. The Movie Ratings system is one example of the way content is regulated in Australia.

Possible Solutions

There is no better solution to keeping children safe on the Internet than to make sure they are ALWAYS supervised when online. The Internet is not like television which only allows adult shows to broadcast late at night. It is more like a library where anyone can access, and insert, content anywhere on the shelves at any time. Undesirable content can be accessed very easily, so it's always better if an adult can be on hand to assist children when using the Internet. Adult supervision can help children avoid or at least put into context any Adult material found.

However, you may not want to risk the chance of any material accidently popping up, or you may wish to make sure you yourself are not confronted with material you are not comfortable viewing. The ABA (Australian Bankers' Association) has provided a list of 24 approved filtering programs that you can use to help avoid this material and moderate your access to the World Wide Web.

Robert

Internet Revolution:

It all started in October 1969. Scientists at the University of California, Los Angeles, were ready for a critical experiment. They had a computer and communications node, while colleagues installed similar equipment up the coast in Menlo Park. They planned to test whether they could link the two computers over telephone lines to operate as one system. The researchers began to type in the message: 'log in' to make the link. The system crashed!!!

By the end of the month they achieved the link. This was the beginning of internet revolution. Of course, the purpose in those days was to ensure that nuclear missile systems could be kept operative even if part of the network was put out of action in a war. The commercial importance of this breakthrough was not fulfilled for another 25 years, similarly the petrol combustion engine did not lead to cars and trucks for about two decades.

Publishing is the process of production and dissemination of information – the activity of making information available for public view. In some cases authors may be their own publishers.
Traditionally, the term refers to the distribution of printed works such as books and newspapers. With the advent of digital information systems and the Internet, the scope of publishing has expanded to include electronic resources, such as the electronic versions of books and periodicals, as well as websites, blogs, and games.

Cyberpunk vs. Steampunk

Cyberpunk is a science fiction punk genre noted for its focus on "high tech and low life." It is also a subgenre of industrial rock music. The name is derived from cybernetics and punk and was originally mentioned by Bruce Bethke as the title of his short story "Cyberpunk," published in 1983. It features advanced science, such as information technology and cybernetics, coupled with a degree of breakdown or a radical change in the social order.

Click here to find out more!

Steampunk is a subgenre of fantasy and which came into prominence in the 1980s and early 1990s. The term denotes works set in an era or world where steam power is still widely used—usually the 19th century, but with prominent elements of either science fiction or fantasy, such as fictional technological inventions like those found in the works of H. G. Wells and Jules Verne, or real technological developments like the computer occurring at an earlier date. Other examples of steampunk contain alternate history-style presentations of "the path not taken" of such technology as analog computers; these frequently are presented in an idealized light, or a presumption of functionality.

Steampunk is often associated with cyberpunk and shares a similar fanbase and theme of rebellion, but developed as a separate movement (though both have considerable influence on each other). The main difference between cyberpunk and steampunk is that steampunk settings usually tend to be less obviously dystopian than cyberpunk, or lack dystopian elements entirely, knowing that dystopia is a society characterized by human misery, oppression, disease, and overcrowding.

For more information about Steampunk click here