Title of Project: Advertising and Product Placement in Sport Video Games
Inspiration Behind the Project:
Advertisements and product placements in sport video games enhance brand awareness and increase sales rates, but have the propensity to take away from and/or diminish the gamer’s authentic gaming experience. In an observation focusing on the effectiveness of product placement in video games, the author Michelle R. Nelson declares that “critics have articulated concerns over loss of artistic freedom and increased commercialization echoing comments heard within the film industry” (82).
This increase commercialization in video games forces gamers to critique it as more of a marketing ploy, than an actual review of its improvement in graphics, interactivity and overall plot. Major sponsors collaborate with game designers to develop video games that feature their brands and products as an important component in the game because most independent game designers lack the funds for production.