toy

But using the game machanics, it would be very hard to advertise. If Pepsi came out and said that they’d like to sponsor my linkshell in Final Fantasy XI, what would I do to act on that? After I kill a mob would I have to say “This rabbit massacre is brought to you by Pepsi: For those who think young!”? I really don’t see how corperate sponsorship of guilds and VR property could work except for in Second Life, which to me seems as though it was aiming to be the VR Stephenson depicted from the very beginning. What is Thunderbox PC doing but making The Sydnicate “the official guild of Thunderbox PC”? They’re really just saying that they like this guild a lot. So what? M&M’s are the official candy of the Olympics.

I wouldn’t worry about this catching on. Let Second Life deal with it.

toy

More like dealing with a Pushy door-to-Door Salesman, than the simple presence of a Logo on a T-Shirt.

Maria.

~points to the McDonalds hamburger stands~

toy

You raise some valid points. It seems to me that the risk of this happening in TSO is small, in general, because of the nature of the beast. TSO still has “game” aspects to it — the avatars on the lots need to do things (skilling, greening, etc.) and that would be a pain for a corporate sponsor. It also seems doubtful to me that EA would agree to share exposure, branding, etc., with any significant corporate entity in the game.

In Second Life, the issue is different because the game isn’t really “game” like, the properties can be designed as freely as the programming skill and creativity allows (really unlimited), and Linden Labs doesn’t seem to care very much about branding. A structure that is designed as an advertisement for MTV, for example, would need no staff to tend to guest’s needs (avatars don’t have any needs to satisfy to begin with) and could be as MTV-like as the programmers were able to get – whih makes it pretty problematic from the perspective of people in Second Life who go there precisely not be in their First Lives, LOL!

But it is interesting to see this happening elsewhere in virtual worlds — it does seem unlikely to me that it would happen to a sny significant extent in TSO.

Kelli

Interesting concept,, But Still Not Good, and i am still against it.

Let us say perhaps that a Major Resteraunt chain, or Hotel Franchise wanted into the Middle of the Rose Thorn Gardens, But there are no lots available.(It is one of the largest neighborhoods in AV, and therefore, desirable as a location) Now,, on one side you have one person owning a lot, and paying their $10.oo a month, on the other side, you have a Major corporation Paying Possibly Thousands of Dollars a month to TSO for advertising space, and expecting Special consideration because of it. Can you see any Possibilities here? And that would be just one of Possibly a dozen advertisors wanting in.
How Would the Sim Arts community feel about Pizza Huts cropping up all over the neighborhood? (Although from my aquaintances with Various RL artists, A Starbucks might be welcomed. Lol.)
Also, Wouldn’t A Corporation bent on advertising pay employee’s to play the game in order to keep their lot open 24 hours a day? One person with Dodgey Room mates would have difficulty competeing for the Guest time.
Also, Would those Corporate employees be restricted to their lot? or would they also Roam about Spamming other lots? (Or possibly get into other Mischief?)

These are, Of Course, very extreme examples of what could be wrong with that system.
Quite simply put,, TSO Isn’t big enough to support individual players in Free competition with Major corporate sponsors. I don’t think it would work.

TSO is first and formost about People Interacting with People. I don’t think any good will come of trying to make us a Captive audience for Advertisors.

Question:
Woud TSO accept Corporate advertising Dollars from Microsoft or Sega?

Just some concepts for Discussion, Let’s hear what you think.

Maria.

I overstated the amount spent — it was more like $1500 or so.

And, oh, I don’t think Linden Labs is concerned at all, LOL!

Kelli

Of course, we already have McDonalds and some other stuff in TSO, but the idea of a company coming in and buying property is a different animal. I can see how the users in 2L are suspicious of it, but I suspect this is something that Phil R at 2L would actually like to encourage.