Dynamic Ads in video games
Just read online that EA games will soon have dynamic or live ads in their video games, starting with Need For Speed Carbon. The ads will fit into the theme / idea of the game - i.e. there will be no ads for 2007 Fords in Medal Of Honor Pacific Assault V2.0 (no I do not know if that is a real game in development by EA as I made it up as a example). Other ads in games will be static. The dynamic ads will display when the gaming system / PC is online. I was unable to find out what will happen when the system is NOT online regarding dynamic ads. I would assume that they will be replaced with a series of rotating canned ads that are on the system already, but that is just a assumption on my part.
This is a neat idea, it is cool and all, but my concern is that it will be / is a bandwidth hog. If the games are constantly hitting the web and getting ads how much will it impact game performance and web access for others using the web connection at the house / dorm / office, etc?
There is also the issue of what data is being passed related to amount of game play, habits of game play, games played, etc. For me personally the privacy issue is not about protecting people that play inapproiate games for their age, or inapproriate games in general, but about not allowing more private data out into the world. Along this line, there is also the issue of such games providing one more opening into the system that could be exploited by hackers and those that may aim to do harm or act inappropriately. I hope we do not get into a time where there are regular security downloads / patchs for games.
Bottomline I think this is cool, but I do not see a real need for it to improve game play, and I am unsure of the impact that such features will have on both game play and privacy of the gamer.
Just something to think about.
