Guys? There was a point in that other thread that bears repeating - if only so we can figure out a way around it:
(Ghost Falcon here, on my personal account).
Ultimately, in-game advertising via billboards just didn't prove very successful. In a game where players can super speed, super jump, fly and teleport, players did not stay in front of an advertisement long enough to count as an advertisement "impression". (Note: "Impression" is defined as a player's character standing within a predefined area (and facing the ad) for a specified amount of time.)
Additionally, by providing players the option to turn off in-game advertising, those impressions were reduced even further.
He's right. I have one character with superspeed/superleap - another with flight - another with Superleap.
The one with SS/SL is FAST - velocity Hard-capped. When I'm racing down Steel Canyon I barely see/notice billboards at all.
The one with flight is often too high to see the ads.
The one with superleap? If I HAPPEN to land right in front of one that's distinctive? I might notice it. But most of the time I'm concentrating on where I'm going to land and take off from next and pointing in the right direction.
A little history lesson for you with shaving cream as the example - Burma Shave:
(From Wiki-pedia) Burma-Shave sign series first appeared in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1925, and remained a major advertising component until 1963 in most of the contiguous United States. The exceptions were New Mexico, Arizona, and Nevada (deemed to have insufficient road traffic), and Massachusetts (eliminated due to that state's high land rentals and roadside foliage). Typically, six consecutive small signs would be posted along the edge of highways, spaced for sequential reading by passing motorists. The last sign was almost always the name of the product.
This use of the billboard was a successful advertising gimmick during the early years of the automobile, drawing attention and passers-by who were curious to discover the punchline. As the Interstate system expanded in the late 1950s and vehicle speeds increased, it became more difficult to attract motorists' attention with small signs.
(For the curious - the progression of the signs went like the following examples:
Every shaver / Now can snore / Six more minutes / Than before / By using / Burma-Shave
Train approaching / Whistle squealing / Stop / Avoid that run-down feeling / Burma-Shave
If you dislike / Big traffic fines / Slow down / Till you / Can read these signs / Burma-Shave )
So that's the main problem I see - the billboards in Paragon City would work for cars (in theory) and slower moving characters without travel powers. But once you get travel powers, it becomes a problem.
So what to do? Well - put them in places where the characters are naturally going to be slowed down or moving through tight spaces - or even stationary just hanging around.
I suggest Pocket "D" as the first place. C'mon! It's A BAR. How many advertisements do you ALWAYS see IN A BAR? There's all that wide-open window space to the outside. Put some holographic/see-through ads along the top half of those windows - or even neon signage style! Put ads behind the bars. Put the ads in the Lobby coming into the bar from the various entrances!
Next suggestion: Put a few in the power suppression room of AE. Or even in the kiosk area near the Interface node. (Perhaps using the same "semi-transparent/neon signage style suggested for the windows in Pocket D.)
Have a supergroup base? Want to reduce the cost of your rent? Put up some ads in your base!
Put up ads along the back wall of ICON (Facemaker for Villains?)
Put up ads in the various HO Stores.
Yin's Market.
Or anywhere the Heroes/Villains are going to be SLOWED DOWN - STOPPED - LOOKING AROUND.
(OOohhh!! Hey! If NCSoft wants to buy adspace in the game, we'll let them do so - but ONLY IN THE ROGUE ISLANDS!!!
)
So what do you guys think?
