Once advertisers get a foothold in a form of media, they tend to exploit it nearly to the point of rendering that media useless. I argued as much in an article I wrote last August for Mindjack.com entitled "Banner Ads Invade Gamespace," which introduced Massive Incorporated's plan to insert ads in video game worlds. As I anticipated, Massive's scheme has expanded at the expense of the medium of video games. The company has added video and audio ads to its already-invasive static banners.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, gamers can now look forward to 15-second advertising spots that include either full-motion video or audio-only material. Massive marketing officer Nicholas Longano reportedly said that Massive works closely with game developers to determine what type of ad would be appropriate in a given game environment. Too bad Massive isn't working closely with gamers.

Any seasoned gamer will tell you that audio and visual cues form a fundamental part of game play. Gamers are easily distracted by moving pictures and sound effects. That's because these are traditionally the heralds of a crucial aspect of a game, be it an incoming missile, an approaching car, or a lurking monster. While Massive's plan is perfect for advertisers, the company continues to do gamers a disservice. It was bad enough that real-world ads invaded game space. Now those ads are screaming for attention, which can do nothing to improve game-play. Faced with such in-your-face advertising, gamers will have to second-guess every audio and visual cue presented in a Massive-friendly video game in order to determine the relevancy of incoming information. A good game doesn't distract gamers with irrelevancy.