If I asked you how you felt about seeing product placement of real world products in your games or movies, you'd probably get all pissy about it. But what about the reverse? Would seeing items that first appeared in-game be available for purchase at your corner store something you're interested in? My guess is that you'd be cool with that—depending on the property.

That's the opportunity that the Harvard Business Review and David Edery (who also just happens to be an Xbox Live Arcade product planner) say we could see more of in the future. Edery points to two examples, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans from Harry Potter and the Suntory/Square-Enix Final Fantasy Potion collaboration, as good indicators of how "reverse product placement" can work.

This seems to happen not that infrequently in Japan, where companies like Capcom will release an entire wardrobe line "inspired" by the outfits of Resident Evil 4's Leon Kennedy for example, but I wouldn't be surprised to see it gain traction on a global scale.

What do you think? Any in-game properties you'd like to see break into the real world? Michael McWhertor

'Reverse Product Placement' Game's Next Big Thing? [Gamasutra]

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