• How to Break Into New Media as a Career by CC Chapman
• Wap-A-Matic
• 15 Fundamental Truths About Social Media Marketing
• Top things NOT to do in advergaming
• It’s Official: U.S. Social Networking Sites See Slow Down

I hope you find this useful. Please feel free to send me links to relevant articles.

Have a great week!
-Roland

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Burger King to sell three Xbox/Xbox 360 video games that incorporate brand icons–including “Subservient Chicken,” originally the star of an online viral campaign. The games, “Pocketbike Racer,” “Big Bumpin’” and “Sneak King,” will sell for $3.99 each when consumers buy a meal.

What probably makes these work:

• For the low price, it would be hard to pass up. Although free would be more desireable.
• Although creepy, the “Burger King” is oddly aluring and I can’t quite turn away. (It’s almost like you have to stare at that car accident on the road.)
• They look fun and self mocking. (You can’t just stuff any stoggy looking corporate mascot into a bumper car.)

It’s not often that we see blatantly branded video games based on corporate mascots. (Just to be clear, I’m NOT talking about inserting corporate logos into video games, or games about movie characters, like the new Scarface game). If the Burger King Xbox games are successful, we may see the start of an interesting trend. Here are a few thought starter ideas to kick around:

• Wendy’s Wendy in her own Sims-like virtual game
• Kellog’s Tony the Tiger in his own urban jungle stalking adventure
• Brauny Man vs. Mr. Clean
• Tony the Tiger vs The Exxon Tiger combat game
• The Planter’s Peanut Dance Dance Revolution
• Chef Boyardi battles Bobby Flay
• Kool Aid brick busting adventure

What do you think? Post a comment whether you would or would not buy/play corporate branded games.

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Excerpts:

In-game advertising is an innovative way to reach Gamers, but some worry it might be considered an intrusive form of advertising that could alienate an audience. However, while some Gamers are offended by in-game advertising, the results of comScore’s survey suggest the positive effects outweigh any negative consequences. Specifically, when asked about their attitudes towards games with advertisements, only 15 percent of Heavy Gamers claimed they would be ‘unlikely’ to play games that included such product placements.

In contrast, more than twice as many Heavy Gamers (33 percent), said they would be ‘likely’ to play those games, while fully 52% of Heavy Gamers and 56% of Light/Medium Gamers stated that the inclusion of advertising would have no impact on their likelihood of playing a game.

“Advertisers are quickly learning that Gamers are a highly desirable consumer target,” said Erin Hunter, senior vice president of comScore entertainment solutions. “Gamers are networked and vocal about what they like and don’t like, and the results of comScore’s study reveal that the vast majority of Gamers are not bothered by in-game advertising.”

What do you think? Please post your comments. Thanks.
-Roland

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