Business Week looks at the sometimes-blurred lines between video games and advertisements and looking at why in-game ads are included by developers. When pointing out a giant neon sign for Axe body spray in Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, it's pointed out that part of the reason it was included was for the developers to play with the neon lighting. Obviously publishers gain from allowing ads to appear in their games, but in a weird way, so does the gamer. See, because of video game developers' desire for their games to ape real life, including these advertisements sometimes may make things seem a bit more real—we're always being sold something, aren't we?

Thanks, Chilly

Is that a Video Game — or an Ad? [Business Week]