In a move not particularly surprising to most, GameSpot reports that Sony Online Entertainment have announced that they will be running adverts - served by Massive Entertainment - in The Matrix Online.

These adverts for real products will sit alongside the fake adverts which are part of the scenery, and will, by all accounts, blend in, not animate or otherwise be obtrusive. A possible upside to all of this is that players may (note the may) in future run their own adverts on the network; in the meanwhile, expect to see lots of commercials for DVD boxsets and fast food, with no reduction in subscription cost. Yup, no gain to the consumer here, so far, unlike say with Anarchy Online which is ad-supported and free to play.

Me, I loathe the idea of ads in a game that I've bought which also comes with a paying subscription. For every one of me though, I'm sure there are people out there who have no problems with real-world commercial messages invading their paid-for fantasy spaces.

It's a good discussion to have: offensive or just part of everyday life? Tell us what you think...

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