Ugh. Sony, what are you doing? First you delight us by the news that you plan on tossing the boomerang and making your games region-free and now you earn our contempt by the announcement that the PS3 is going to generously feature in-game advertising.

From Phil Harrison, courtesy of Next Generation.

He showed an example of an F1 game where gamers could download extra tracks from within the game. The in-game shots are closely integrated into the style of the game. He called it a "product-to-service evolution."

"We're moving from a disc-based business to a network-based business, with more complex revenue streams," Harrison said. "PlayStation Network Platform can augment the current business model with content downloads, episodic content."

He added, "Games can have the same social currency as a great TV show, like Lost or 24." He also pointed out that in-game advertising will play a significant role in PlayStation 3's future.

Swell. We get the heebie jeebies any time guys like Harrison talk about in-game advertisement. Unless games are to be free or drastically reduced in price, advertising has no place in games. We accept it in television and radio only because the entertainment itself is free. But we're definitely not cool with paying $60 bucks for the privilege of you guys ejaculating some more ads into our face. Boo!

Harrison Unveils PS3 Network Features

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