Can't say I was much of a fan of the first "Live Your Moment" ad, the "casual" targeted slow-motion nightmare that kicks off Microsoft's new Xbox 360 holiday ad blitz. Fortunately, the next two, shot in the same vein and focusing on LEGO Batman and Xbox Live Marketplace's video download service, are simply more goofball than nightmare-inducing. The kid in the second ad spot, fresh-faced though he may be, looks like he's getting a hit of heroin off-screen, he's so delighted.

Don't do drugs, kids. Play LEGO Batman instead.

While we contend that Microsoft's new marketing thrust is the kind of disturbing digital witchcraft that will give us night terrors, the company describes its efforts as "focused on shifting brand perception and driving re-appraisal of the platform in a very competitive region with entrenched competition."

Continue on for the first "Live Your Moment" ad, if you dare, to see if your "re-appraisal of the platform" is significantly driven.

Gaaaaaaaaahhhhhh!!!!!

MS Launches Biggest Ever Xbox 360 Marketing Blitz [Edge Online]

Are Sony trying to appeal to the portly gamer set who prefer to masquerade as teenage waifs online? Or is it the other way around, speaking to the blue ocean market of women with runway physiques who desperately long to be a morbidly obese and wear nothing but brown? Or is it just "Look, nipples!"? We're stumped.

PS3: Matrjoska [Ads of the World]

Anyway, The Motley Fool came up with a tongue-in-cheek list of five ways to tell if you're EA Sports ad material:

Think you're ready to be "in the game," as EA says? Here are five signs you'll be the firm's next sports star. Drumroll, please:

5. You frequently brag about your digital outfielder's "cannon of an arm."

4. You look just good enough to not upstage the console.

3. The closest you've been to a football field is your nationally televised defeat during season one of Madden Nation.

2. You bought a $200 headset to go with your gaming console because "that's how the pros do it."

And the No. 1 sign that you might star in a new EA Sports ad: You replayed the Super Bowl in Madden NFL till your team won — by the exact score you predicted in the office pool.

I dunno, I think you guys can do better. Post your own version of "you know you play too much Madden when." And would you want to be in one of these commercials?

5 Signs You'll Be The Next EA Sports Star [The Motley Fool, pic the WSJ]

According to GamesIndustry, the ASA did find the game distasteful, but was not glorifying violence because of its "comic and exaggerated" nature:

"Although many might find the name and content of the game to be in poor taste, the content of the ad was unlikely to cause serious or widespread offence," it said.

ASA dismisses Bully advertising complaints [GamesIndustry.biz]

“The growth of in-game advertising, both current and projected, makes it an attractive medium for brands looking to reach hard-to-reach consumers,” said Elizabeth Harz, EA’s Senior Vice President of Global Media Sales. “This study solidifies what many in the industry have known for a long time: in-game ads are effective and well-received by the gaming community.”

Hooray! We're only alienating 18% of the gaming public! Hit the jump for the rest of the numbers, most of which seem to be aimed more at attracting advertisers rather than assuaging consumer concerns.

Landmark IGA-Nielsen Study: 82% of Consumers React Positively to Receiving Contextual In-Game Ads During Game Play

New research data from 1,300+ consumers indicates brands receive measurable lift in perception, awareness when advertised in-game

Tuesday 17th June/...Integrating dynamic advertisements into videogame environments provides brands a measured lift in overall consumer awareness and opinion of the products they are exposed to during game play according to the Consumers’ Experience with In-Game Content & Brand Impact of In-Game Advertising Study, a landmark research study conducted by Nielsen BASES and Nielsen Games on behalf of IGA Worldwide, the leading in-game advertising network.

“With young adults now spending on average 6 hours a week gaming, advertisers should be excited at how well their messages were embraced and the brands positively perceived,” said Justin Townsend, CEO of IGA Worldwide. “The consumer insights we’ve gleaned from this data will help drive the industry’s first research-based in-game advertising measurement standards as well as strengthen IGA’s position as an effective in-game ad network brands can trust to efficiently deliver their message to target audiences.”

One of the most important factors confirmed by the Study is that most consumers reacted positively to in-game ads: 82 percent felt games were just as enjoyable with ads as without. In addition, there was an average 61 percent increase in consumers’ favorable opinions of products advertised in-game post-play.

“The growth of in-game advertising, both current and projected, makes it an attractive medium for brands looking to reach hard-to-reach consumers,” said Elizabeth Harz, EA’s Senior Vice President of Global Media Sales. “This study solidifies what many in the industry have known for a long time: in-game ads are effective and well-received by the gaming community.”

One of the most comprehensive in-game advertising effectiveness research studies completed to-date, Nielsen tested multiple variables with multiple brands across multiple games, as opposed to just a single brand in a single game. The research also showed how IGA’s in-game unique advertising opportunities generate significant advertising value across key ad metrics.

"In-game advertising is an opportunity to present targeted brand messaging to a highly desirable demographic. This new data shows how important it is how the targeted and contextual ads are displayed in videogames. Participating in this study with IGA Worldwide has provided valuable new insights into effectively using the medium." said Chad Stoller, Executive Director, Emerging Platforms Organic, Inc.

Nielsen surveyed over 1,300 PC gaming participants in their homes by linking IGA’s proprietary measurement software with research trackers embedded within sample game disc. This unique methodology allowed for unprecedented in-depth analysis of consumer receptivity to in-game ads. The participating brand advertisers included Taco Bell, Jeep and Wrigley and game titles were provided by Electronic Arts and Activision.

Select Findings from the Study:

• There is an average 44 percent increase in post-game aided recall from pre-awareness;

• Positive brand attribute association increased 33 percent across all brands;

• Over 70 percent of consumers who were most opinionated about in-game ads, felt the ads made them feel better about the brand, feel more favorable toward the brand, make them more interested in the brand, and believe the ads are for innovative/cutting edge brands;

• Over 60 percent of the most opinionated consumers feel the ads catch their attention, make games more realistic, do not interrupt the game experience, and are promoting relevant products;

• In-game ad exposures with a duration over 2 seconds, as they are measured in IGA’s in-game ad methodology, generates on average an almost 30% increase in key ad metrics, including ad noticeability +100%, recall +42%, and fit +27%, vs. ad exposures with a duration of less than 1 second

“This study offers proof that dynamic in-game advertising is an influential digital ad medium,” said Dave Anderson, Senior Director Business Development, Activision. “Just as important to us is how users react to the ads. From the research it is clear that the overwhelming majority of consumers enjoyed the gaming experience just as much, if not more, with dynamic ads present. As game publishers, it is reassuring to know advertisers and consumers both stand to benefit from dynamic ads.”

IGA’s network offers dozens of games across multiple genres and platforms, as well as a range of standardized awareness advertising formats with digital measurability. The Company’s advertising products and metrics are in-line with the ad industry and measure ad exposure during game play, including key metrics like minimum time viewed, size and angle thresholds.

Videogame advertising is poised to grow to a $2B global industry by 2012 according to eMarketer, making games the fastest-growing major advertising medium. As a result, advertisers are making significant investments in the in-game environment as an effective strategy to reach target audiences.

These pictures by ad firm BBDO Chile surfaced on Ruliweb and feature hidden PlayStation images if you look closely enough. And to further the mind fuck, at least one of these two pictures (the other after the jump) has multiples of at least some of the PlayStation's trademark triangle, square, circle, X shapes. Sony, why do you do these things to our attention span? It's a Friday for heaven's sake!

List your results in the comments if you're so inclined.

Images [Ruliweb via PS3Blog]

But this shouldn't come as any surprise. In fact, this estimate is more conservative than in the past. Join me on a trip down memory lane for just a moment, back to the wonderful world of July 2007. Back then, the Yankee Group said that by 2011, in-game ad revenue could reach $971 million. So while in-game ads are on the rise, they may not be growing as quickly as originally thought!

eMarketer: U.S. In-Game Ads Market to More than Double to $650M by 2012 [GameDaily]

Game-Ad Boom Looms as Sony Opens Up PS3 [Adage via GamesIndustry]

Says Stringer:

The [supposed] solution to everything at the moment in the digital space is ad-supported. While advertisers are happy to talk that up, there is a limit to the amount of money available... Young people don't like advertising very much...

Make that, young people don't like bad advertising. If it's done in an innovative, non-intrusive way, in-game advertising could work. I mean, why not?

Questions Raised Over Modern Ads [FT.com via Gamasutra]

Circuit City's weekly ad offers a $10 gift card with a pre-order of Devil May Cry 4 for either the Xbox 360 version or the PS3 version. A $10 gift card is also available for pre-orders of the 360 and PS3 versions of Turok. For a full rundown of all the weekly ad deals, check out CheapAssGamer.com.

It is innovative, it is new, and it is far removed from the more traditional methods we have been using. I believe that is what we need if we are to reverse the number of Scots families suffering the tragedy of a loved one being lost.

Xbox games tackle drink driving [bbc]

Added support for Audio Mute/Unmute for video ads.

London, 2038. According to to legend...

Who knew the DS was part of "ancient knowledge and rituals [that] were lost to the antiquity of time"? We certainly didn't. But now that we do, we're ordering ourselves another DS.

God bless typos that aren't our own.

Thanks Addy! [damn, they fixed it already]

In the next five years, we're all going to have to deal with this. In China, they're giving games away for free...People who benefit from the current model will need to embrace a new revenue model, or wait for others to disrupt.

Nothing is free. We're guessing he means "ad subsidized." Because short of sticking actual commercials into games, it's tough to believe in-game ads could produce $59 per copy..actually, more than $59 since games are already getting ad cash.

Then again, Riccitiello should know of some master plans that we don't. Like, maybe communism is taking over America and EA will give every citizen a game pending proper numbers of "work units."

What EA's CEO learned from playing Madden NFL for 11 straight years [fortune]

The folks at IGA mention predictions of a 33% increase in the number of in-game ads over the next year. I found it notable that in a recent review of Guitar Hero III at Gamespot, one of the "cons" listed was a "heavy dose" of ads.

A press release loaded with dull business talk guaranteed to put you to sleep is after this. Skip to the comments, you'll be much happier.

IGA Worldwide and NBC Universal Enter Strategic Relationship

Tuesday 30th October/...IGA Worldwide, Inc., the largest independent in-game advertising network, and NBC Universal Digital Media today announced they have entered into a multi-faceted agreement. Through this new relationship, the NBC Universal Digital Media Advertising Sales team will now have the opportunity to sell a portion of IGA's premium in-game advertising inventory, as well as create customized packages for marketing clients on the IGA network.

"We couldn't be more proud to partner with NBC Universal Digital Media, the leading advertising sales force in the industry, to offer strategic, innovative placements for both their current and future clients, said Justin Townsend, CEO, IGA Worldwide. "The partnership is validation that in-game advertising is an important part of the media mix for advertisers of all sizes as well as the publishers in our network."

"We are focused on creating multi-platform solutions for our marketing clients, ensuring they achieve their campaign goals and connect with engaged consumers wherever they are spending their time," said Nick Johnson, Vice President, NBC Universal Digital Media Advertising Sales. "The virtual world and gaming space is one of the fastest growing mediums around. Working with IGA, the global independent leader in in-game advertising solutions, we will now, in addition to TV, web and Mobile, be able to offer marketers a whole new opportunity to reach a highly engaged and ever-growing audience."

With in-game advertising spending expected to grow 33% a year over the next five years and faster than online advertising , IGA Worldwide is at the forefront of this new strategic advertising medium, offering a unique 360 degree advertising solution that helps brands to understand and exploit the rich and diverse opportunities available now and in the future. Through its proprietary ad serving network Radial™, IGA enables advertisers to target millions of engaged consumers across a wide range of platforms and genres while they play.

In July, GE/NBC Universal's Peacock Equity Fund participated in IGA's $25 million Series B investment round, for which JMP Securities was the consulting investment bank.

NCsoft Vouches for In-Game Ads [Next Gen]

computer-savvy, technologically able, quick thinking...We find increasingly we have to use less conventional means of attracting people . . . to go beyond glossy brochures and milk-round stalls.

Why video gamers make the best spies [timesonline] Thanks Ad!

It's not a big loss, and possibly and improvement. But one of my favorite parts of watching old videotapes is seeing the old commercials, pushing weird toothpaste ingredients and antiquated technology. The ads, now ineffective, are an unintentional commentary on society—a time capsule of our styles and values. As we see actual dynamic advertisements creeping into games (and already on TV sports), we may one day suffer a loss of nostalgia.

What? Wii ads appear in Wave Race 64? [siliconera]

In-game billboards will download new content via broadband connection and brainwash you accordingly, with pricing determined by the amount of time the ad is on screen. And while I have no issues with ads for realism, it's our bandwidth that is paying...ahh, never mind. It's useless to fight these corporate giants. Until Lara Croft's jigglies are replaced with 2-liters of Coca Cola, I'm not complaining. And even then, things won't be that different.

As for Sony not being involved with this advertisement...we may see those effects on spreadsheets down the road.

Game Ads in Realtime [underdark]

There's been a lot of talk about in-game advertising lately. They are annoying and ugly and in certain cases can really disrupt the feeling of the game. The creators of Bioshock have a ton of in-game advertising in their amazingly beautiful game, but in this case they aren't ads for real products.

The Bioshock community site, Cult of Rapture, has posted a gallery of twelve different ads that you can see as you roam the halls of Rapture. As with the rest of the game, the posters are done in a great art-deco style that adds a sense of realism and unity to the whole experience. It is precisely this kind of attention to detail that will raise Bioshock levels above your run of the mill FPS.

I, for one, can't wait for this one to come out. I may just have to pull a Cartman and freeze myself until the game is released. It's like... waiting for Christmas... times a thousand! Flynn De Marco

ADVERTISEMENTS OF RAPTURE [Cult of Rapture]

YouTube user plamoo has posted a handful of clips that integrate Gundam figurines, the audio tracks from Japanese TV ads and stop motion photograph. He photographs the toys at 24 frames-per-second, and each clip usually takes him about a day to make. Above is a Segata Sanshiro ad for House of the Dead.

Hit the jump for the amazing diaper and Fanta spots. Brian Ashcraft

I can't really add anything to this spot. It's a Wii commercial. For Tiger Woods 2007. It's funny. Enjoy. Michael McWhertor

According to CS-Nation, two maps currently support the new ad spots, Dust 2 and Aztec. With time, I'm sure Valve will find new locations to paste up billboards for whomever's willing to foot the bill.

Personally, I don't really care. I've found the inclusion of custom sprays far more offensive. Man, I've seen squids show up in some unlikely places. Michael McWhertor

Ads Now In CS1.6 [CS-Nation]

I was a little concerned when I read that Take-Two had signed a deal with Double Fusion to include in-game advertising, as I had waking nightmares that we'd see no more Ammunation or Burger Shot or other clever advertisements in Grand Theft Auto IV. Yeah, pretty chilling, I know.

However, this deal only represents 2K developed titles, which includes a number of sports games, ones that could benefit from a realism standpoint from in-game ads. I doubt we'll be seeing much of this advertising in games like Pirates! or Civilization.

Also, I'm sure that Take-Two will pass the savings on to you, Joe Consumer, once the Double Fusion based revenue starts rolling in. On Bizarro World, of course. Michael McWhertor

Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. and Double Fusion Sign Multi-Title In-Game Advertising Deal

Double Fusion to Represent Advertising Opportunities for up to Nine Sports and Action Titles from 2K and 2K Sports

NEW YORK & SAN FRANCISCO—(BUSINESS WIRE)—Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (Nasdaq: TTWO), through its 2K and 2K Sports publishing labels, and leading independent in-game advertising company Double Fusion, today announced that the companies have entered into a multi-title agreement (up to nine titles) for the sale of in-game advertising opportunities in a selection of 2K and 2K Sports titles.

Under the terms of the agreement, Double Fusion will be the exclusive North American and European representative for integrated advertising opportunities in select 2K titles debuting in 2007 and 2008. In addition, Double Fusion will serve as the exclusive representative and technology provider for dynamic in-game advertising across all PC and certain console platforms except for the Xbox and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft.

"Our titles offer a range of advertising and marketing possibilities for leading and niche brands, so working with a company that can effectively sell both dynamic and integrated opportunities was key to our decision," said Steve Glickstein, 2K's Vice President of Sales and Licensing. "Double Fusion's sales team immediately provides 2K with the advertising agency connections on Madison Avenue and the scale necessary to tap into the opportunities inherent in many of our games."

Select versions of 2K and 2K Sports titles will feature integrated, hard-coded placements that will offer marketers opportunities for deep integration into gameplay and storylines, reaching users of the games whether or not they are connected to the Internet. In addition, certain titles will also contain a rich array of dynamic advertising placements, allowing advertisers to reach millions of gamers through real-time media buys, while also offering consumer targeting, measurability, and flexibility in delivering advertising content.

"The relationship with 2K represents an alignment of long term visions between our two organizations on both the current state and future direction of the in-game advertising industry," said Jonathan Epstein, President and CEO of Double Fusion. "2K offers the hottest slate of sports and action games with extremely attractive, advertising friendly environments, delivering key demographics with the flexibility, pervasiveness and accountability that only in-game advertising can provide."

The partnership with Take-Two underscores Double Fusion's commitment to offering their advertiser and agency partners a wide array of in-game advertising opportunities, its commitment to maximizing revenues for its publisher and developer partners and its commitment to building a portfolio of top titles among retail PC and console games, massively multiplayer online games, casual downloadable games, and advanced online games. Double Fusion is currently seeking approval of their technology for all console platforms.

About Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc.

Headquartered in New York City, Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. is a global developer, marketer, distributor and publisher of interactive entertainment software games for the PC, PlayStation game console, PlayStation 2 and PLAYSTATION 3 computer entertainment systems, PSP (PlayStation Portable) system, Xbox and Xbox 360 video game and entertainment systems from Microsoft, Nintendo GameCube , Nintendo DS and Game Boy Advance. The Company publishes and develops products through its wholly owned labels Rockstar Games, 2K and 2K Sports, and Global Star Software; and distributes software, hardware and accessories in North America through its Jack of All Games subsidiary. Take-Two also manufactures and markets video game accessories in Europe, North America and the Asia Pacific region through its Joytech subsidiary. The Company maintains sales and marketing offices in Cincinnati, New York, Toronto, Geneva, London, Paris, Munich, Madrid, Milan, Sydney, Breda (Netherlands), Auckland, Shanghai and Tokyo. Take-Two's common stock is publicly traded on NASDAQ under the symbol TTWO. For more corporate and product information please visit our website at www.take2games.com.

About Double Fusion

Founded in 2004, Double Fusion is the leading independent provider of dynamic in game advertising. Going beyond traditional advertising mediums to engage valuable and hard to reach gamer demographics, Double Fusion provides the widest range of in game advertising and marketing programs, from dynamic 3D interactive objects, video, interactive ads, 2D signage and more, all the way up to fully immersive storyline integrations. Double Fusion's sales force and integration teams work directly with advertisers, developers, and content owners to ensure seamless execution of advertising and marketing campaigns, creating an additional revenue source for videogame publishers while protecting the gameplay experience. Double Fusion is privately held and headquartered in San Francisco, with offices in Los Angeles, New York, Jerusalem, London, and Shanghai. More information on Double Fusion is available at www.doublefusion.com.

Advertisers interested in opportunities within the Double Fusion network; and developers and publishers interested in increasing their per-title revenues through integrated and dynamic ad placement opportunities should visit www.doublefusion.com.

Double Fusion is a registered mark of Double Fusion, Inc.

All trademarks, copyrights, registered marks, brand names, registered brand names, product names, and logos found in this press release are the property of their respective owners, may be registered in certain jurisdictions, and are mentioned in this release for identification purposes only.

While U.S. cities are pulling Rockstar's Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories ads from their public transportation systems, other countries seem to have no problem with it. In the U.K., where Bully was made to change its name and Rule of Rose's release was canceled due to media outcry, GTA is apparently A-OK. So ok, in fact, that instead of the regular on bus posters, they have decided to plaster the GTA:VCS ad on to the entire back of a bus.

Ok, kids, just so you know, bullying is wrong! Being mean to other children and torturing them with a rat on a stick is wrong! But hey, would you mind going over there and jacking that car? Don't forget to kill the driver! Oh, and while your at it, go have sex with that hooker. Flynn De Marco

[Thanks to A. Jackson for the pic!]

Yeah, so someone in Belgium decided that the best representative character for their pasta product was a plumber. Call me crazy, but the first thing that comes to mind when I think plumber is ass crack, perhaps with a few wispy hairs thrown in for good measure. Not the most appetizing image in the world, is it? You can't just slap a chef's hat on a plumber and make him a cook anymore than you can lodge handlebars in my spinal column and call me a bicycle.

But wait! He's Italian! So is Sonny Corleone. You don't see him on a box of noodles, though if you did, you'd totally buy it. I know I would. I do enjoy the clever misdirection caused by changing the I in Mario to a C, creating a whole new character. It's a me, Marco! Michael Fahey

Thanks for the pic, Petrus!

There's subtle advertising, in-face advertising and then there's this. (And I don't know what this is, really, except that it's annoying). Without a PS3 to compete with, Microsoft is going a little nutty in the UK. Writes tipster Matthew:

The attached pictures are from the Metro newspaper they give away on the underground in London, and as you can see there is literally a 360 advert on every page. I love 360, but at that time in the morning it was a little bit too much Xbox for my liking.

Not just yours, Matthew, but mankind's. Hey Microsoft, ease up. Europe is a cash cow this Christmas. Brian Ashcraft

Gallery of Ad Crazy UK Paper [Kotaku]

The best way to market your new console to gamers everywhere: make them evacuate their bladder in hysteria.

What more can be said about this Playstation 3 advertisement? A horrible, dead-eyed baby doll with its eyelids cut off and possessed by the souls of a thousand Chuckies screeches with the horrifying falsetto of Eraserhead's reptilian infant. Then its eyes begin to bleed... backwards.

It seems what the advertisement is saying is that the PS3 will cause your toys to come to life. Upon becoming sentient, these toys will go into the kitchen and remove a knife from the drawer. It will then creep to the bedroom where you're sleeping and, before you can wake, it will blind you, deafen you and cut out your tongue. The next hours will be spent cutting away wet pieces of you and you will experience it all in a black world sensationless but for your own terror and agony. Buy a PS3. Florian Eckhardt

I am from the MTV generation. This means that when I watch something, something exciting needs to happen every ten seconds to keep my attention. So, Dear Sony, here's an idea for a Playstation ad I might watch: Johnny Depp leaping out of an airplane without a parachute, fighting an entire wave of ninjas with a bazooka whilst simultaneously being fellated by Scarlett Johannsen, who is also a time-traveling, super-sexy cyborg. Now that is living.

But a three minute commercial in which a gummy old granny makes her afternoon tea? For god's sakes, Sony, who the hell are you selling this product to? Who would watch this ad and go, "Wow, that elderly granny metaphor really got through what an invigorating, exciting piece of machinery this is?" Jesus, Sony. You're just ticking off things you can fuck up on the way to launch one by one, aren't you? Florian Eckhardt

Not able to preorder a Wii? Well, here's a fairly substantial chance that you can get one anyway: Toys 'R' Us is planning on giving away 25,000 Wii consoles. All you have to do is find their circulars in your local paper.

Weekly circulars will have two suitecase cutout game pieces, players can cut out the suitecases, go into a Toys R Us store, and opt for a Deal (Scores them a 10% off an in-store item coupon), or a No Deal (Cashier's scan the ticket, lucky winners score a Wii console, or lose their 10% coupon in favor of a 5% coupon).

Players can play once a week as they get the new ads in.

There's also a $1 million prize, including a trip to Los Angeles to attend the show, as if anyone wants that. There's also a handful of other prizes including Nintendo products (non-Wii), Sony products, and Leapfrog products.

I don't really get the rules, but it seems like it's worth a shot. Florian Eckhardt

Toys R Us Giving away 25,000 Wii Consoles [Evil Avatar]

Look, I don't want to hear any complaints about how this ad doesnt show any game footage. Or how it doesn't even show the PlayStation 3. Or that if you didn't know better, and somehow missed the final 3 seconds of footage, you'd have zero inclination this was PS3 related at all. Why? 'Cause I like it. Let me just enjoy the serenity of the black and red hued marketing chill out that is "The Wait", now showing at theatres and Web sites nationwide. If you really need to, make some cracks in the comments about how "The Wait" should really only be shown in Europe. Michael McWhertor

Eds Note: Sony just contacted us to say this ad is running in Canada and not the US.

These come from deep in the bowels of Sony itself, via blindfolded carrier pigeon that's signed an NDA.

What the hell is it?! There are hints.

So I've attached some png's of the playbeyond site, it's currently just a graphic featuring the clock stopped at 3 but it will become something much more when it goes live. Yes this will be an ARG of sorts. That's all I can say for now... drop me a line in future and I might be able to tell you more.

Stay tuned, Kotaku Scouts. I'll be bringing you updates when I can. Hit the jump to see them all full size. Eliza Gauger

Although we've seen the PS3 billboards before — and though all of us besides those Kotaku editors desperately phoning in the hard-hitting gaming "journalism" for which we're known felt our eyes glaze over and our middle fingers involuntarily twirling the mouse wheel past the mundane, uninspired posts — this one is interesting.

And not just because I'm posting it. Do you see that melting clock? Great Salvardor Dali's Ghost! Obviously, it's trying to tell us that the Playstation 3 is the hot console of this holiday season. But wait a second: is, perhaps, a national campaign showing a household appliance liquefying from the heat emanating off of the PS3 a wise move considering that Sony's stock has actually nose-dived after reports of all the overheating problems at TGS?

The short list of Playstation 3 advertising symbols, denoting the hotness:

1) Melting clock
2) The radioactive trunk from Repo Man
3) The Ark of the Covenant

Florian Eckhardt

ArsTechnica claims that last year's suspicious research conclusion, that gamers actually enjoy games with advertising more than those without, is probably just as bunk as it sounds.

Not only was the study funded by those that stood to profit from such a result, but it just doesn't sound right. A new study by ComScore Networks asserts that 63 percent of "hardcore gamers" (16+ hours per week), and 73 percent of more casual gamers polled, did not want in-game ads.

AT suggests an alternative:

The reality is that advertising generates $1-2 of profit per title sold. This is not the sort of massive subsidy that game designers would have you believe is necessary to keep the games coming. If advertising provided 25 or 30 percent of the title's development budget, the argument would make more sense. When a new game sells for $60, though, adding another buck to the price is hardly going to break anyone's bank.

The problem with this solution is that it does not take into account the cost of extra programming time required to create two version of the same game, even though the differences would probably be limited to texture swapping. I'm not sure how much work that would be, however. Eliza Gauger

Most gamers do not agree that advertising makes games more realistic [Ars Technica, thanks Frodo (who also provided the image for this post)]

What do hottie Brook Burke, the Subservient Chicken and the King have in common? No, not porn. Xbox 360 games.

After threatening to sue us for breaking the story months early, Burger King has finally come clean and spilled the dirt on their upcoming line of Xbox and Xbox 360 games due out this holiday.

The games will give you "control" of The King, Brooke Burke and Subervient Chicken in three arcade-style games. The games include an action, title, adventure title and racing title and all three, sadly, are rated E for Everyone.

Each game will sell for $4 with the purchase of a value meal and will be on sale from Nov. 19 through Dec. 24. Hit the jump for the two other frightening box shots as well as the official description for the three games. Brian Crecente

Update: I've added the screens from the games here.

"Pocketbike Racer" (Racing) — Welcome to the wild world of Pocketbike racing where players race the King and his miniature motorbike crew through five fun, yet challenging speedways. Each track varies in level of difficulty and players navigate long straights, tight bends and sharp turns at high speeds while attempting to earn enhancements and tools that they can use to gain an advantage over opponents. Featuring HAVE IT YOUR WAY customization options, players select a bike and a driver and then hit the track of their choice — a BURGER KING restaurant parking lot, a construction site, a backyard, the King's garden or the fabled Fantasy Ranch set. In addition to individual play, four players can race against each other in classic split-screen set-up or eight players can battle it out online using XBOX Live.

"Big Bumpin'" (Action) — Big Bumpin' looks like a traditional carnival bumper car ride and features familiar BURGER KING icons, including the Subservient Chicken and Brooke Burke. But, there's a catch - Big Bumpin' arenas come with some big hazards, like surprise saws, bottomless pits and "power up" items that let gamers dole out thundering bumps. With several different types of game play, gamers have a chance to hone their bumper car skills in a variety of challenging scenarios. The game features theme parks, including the "Ice Box," "Broiler," "King's Court," "The Deep" and "Monsoon of Doom," and three modes of play for each - intense four-player and XBOX Live-supported. Easy to learn. Fun to play. Difficult to avoid a major crash.

"Sneak King" (Adventure) — Only the King can turn an everyday act into an art form and now players can step into the King's royal shoes and use cunning stealth to sneak up behind unsuspecting people and bestow them with a delicious meal. The goal of Sneak King is to surprise hungry citizens with BURGER KING sandwiches and other menu items throughout the day before they pass out from hunger. Whether in a logging yard, construction site, suburban neighborhood or downtown urban scene — each rich with detail and hidden pathways — players can hide out and earn points based on how elaborate the delivery is executed.

I love these Japanese Metroid commercials. In the first, Samus Aran surfs a 3.5" floppy through the universe to battle gelatinous, brain-sucking slugs. I also love how Japanese pronounce every letter in the English language like a separate syllable. "Muh-eh-tuh-ruh-oid-u!"

In the second, a sexy bikini Samus morphs into full battle armor, but only after we discover that all Anglo-Saxon scientists of the future speak perfect Japanese. Florian Eckhardt

Okay, we totally didn't report this when it was tipped to us early last week. An ad for Best Buy showing a Black 360? This is just some sort of mix-up: there's no way a random Gamespot banner ad is going to break the 360 going ebony. But it's getting so much press, let's just get it out of the way.

As reported at our sister site, Gizmodo, and every other frickin' site on the neck, Gamespot is currently featuring an ad featuring a black Xbox 360. "Is this simply a photoshop mishap? Is this an early leak? Is this just a freak accident from a wormhole? My money is on early leak."

Photoshop accident is hard to believe, and I don't doubt a black 360 is coming. But isn't an alternative that the ad designer just Googled up an image of one of the many black Xbox 360 replacement cases? Like this one? The angle is almost right, after all.

If this was a leak, it's hard to believe Microsoft hasn't stamped down on the ad yet. Florian Eckhardt

Black Xbox 360 Coming? [Gizmodo]

My darling readers, you recall clearly when I introduced the concept of credibility budget to you, right? Good.

After my stunning defeat of the 360 running Prey at Gamefest (the frame on which it froze portrayed the death throes of an alien bastard), I was interrogated by an onlooker about the subject of in-game advertising, a topic that has seen some attention on Kotaku.

He asked me about my opinion on the matter, which is disapproving overall, with some allowance made for ads that could blend into or even enhance gameplay. I used the example of Atari and Coke advertisements in Blade Runner being appropriate to the genre and good for the overall believability. Instead of being jarringly anachronistic, it enhanced the reality of Los Angeles 2016.

It did not, in other words, strain the credibility budget. It even may have made a deposit. I forgot to use this term with him, but with any luck he is reading this right now.

Now here's a very fine example of extremely poorly-executed in-game advertising:

In Dungeon Siege 2: Broken World, our forum goer Scero found an NPC that told him about the Dungeon Siege PSP game and offered him a code for it, as well as saying the PSP game had a code for items in the game he was playing. Way to help us suspend disbelief. Even worse, this "ad" was voiced by the character. Wanting to advertise in a game is fine, but I think this is kind of sick; characters in games should not try to talk to you about other games the developers want you to buy.

I've just put Broken World in my "do not buy or play" folder.

This single NPC encounter drains the credibility budget entirely, and reminds you that you are still sitting on your filthy couch, your laptop burning weals into your groin and your gut interfering with your use of the space bar. Reality comes bursting out, and it smells like feet.

I told my advertising friend the same thing. Not only is bad in-game advertising distracting to the player, it activates the inborn gamer counterculture urge: distrust and resentment of The Man. Any large corporation I do not specifically and consciously use and endorse, I automatically disdain. Even corporations I do use are subject to my distrust, such as Blizzard. I see my relationship with them as a necessary evil, not a pleasant little tryst.

The best part of this post is the comments section, where many good points are made, the funnies are rolled out, and only a very few people pipe up to say they don't care. And someone echoes my sentiments exactly, the ones that seemed to surprised the guy at Gamefest: The day I see a Coke billboard in Orgrimmar is the day I stop playing. Eliza Gauger

When in-game advertising goes too far [Opposable Thumbs]