Article - Obama buys first video game campaign ads (http://www.reuters.com/article/technologyNews/idUSTRE49EAGL20081016?sp=true)

The Democratic Illinois senator is using the Internet ads, featured in 18 games through Microsoft Corp's Xbox Live service, to promote his online voter registration and early balloting drive in 10 battleground states, a campaign spokesman said on Wednesday.

Unprecedented in U.S. presidential politics, the video game buy is targeted mainly at young adult males who are difficult to reach through more traditional campaign advertising.

"The 18-to-34-year-old male is the mainstream demographic for the hard-core video gamer," said Van Baker, an analyst for Gartner Inc., a technology market research firm in San Jose, California. "They're hard to get to because they don't watch much TV and they don't read a lot, so it's a good venue to get that segment." Does this sound good, bad, or ugly? Does this seem like a desperate move?

I'm glad to hear it. It means that in the unpleasant chance that Obama is elected, I have less of a cause for Obama to go Jack Thompson on us gamers.

Does this sound good, bad, or ugly? Does this seem like a desperate move?the video game buy is targeted mainly at young adult males who are difficult to reach through more traditional campaign advertising.No, it doesn't sound desperate. Sounds like a man who has an understanding of the demographic he's targeting his ads at.

Some certainly would, but you could say the same thing about those signs people place in their yard, or TV commercials. I don't really see a difference in that respect between the two.

A sound move. Makes you feel more integrated on the game world.

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You see?

What does that have to do with the topic of the thread.

I mean I know what you're getting at, but I don't think it's relevant.

:lol: Just found this quote

Politics have no relation to morals.
And a dozen other quotations.

Obama escort mission!

* Obama casts Summon Healthcare II

:lol: Just found this quote: Considering that the children he mentions in your quote can't vote, I'm going to have to assume that he's targeting young adults. Presumably Obama doesn't jump to the conclusion that young people that play video games are automatically incapable of managing their time, their responsibilities, etc.

Conservative response: Obama is in league with Bill Gates

Some certainly would, but you could say the same thing about those signs people place in their yard, or TV commercials. I don't really see a difference in that respect between the two.

QFE.

I think this is a good thing, certainly.

_EW_

Conservative response: Obama is in league with Bill Gates

Bill Gates doesn't run Microsoft anymore. He and Melinda mostly do charity stuff.

Anyway, I think it's about time somebody picked up on the fact that games are a good place to advertise to a group of people who don't usually vote. Of course, anyone can still hit "mute" or turn off the TV/game and usually use some skip function, but still, the fact that it's there means that at least some of the people who see it will actually listen.

Bill Gates doesn't run Microsoft anymore. He and Melinda mostly do charity stuff.

And? Doesn't seem that facts really stop political ads haha...

Personally I don't have a problem with Gates. But he and MS have a strong base of anti's...

I think it's because of Clippy(that evil creature) who has also been retired. But then this is getting off the topic of the thread... which was something about advertising in games...

Actually it's a pretty smart move. Even though he criticized parents who played games for not paying attention to their kids(that was how I took it... maybe I'm wrong, but I tend to agree with that sentiment). With more and more people playing games, and less watching the ads(DVR for teh WIN!), you get more exposure than your TV ads get. I just wouldn't recommend having ads in games like Counterstrike though haha...

^: TiVo is teh winnar!

The ads make sense, if he is trying to reach that target audience. The thing makes sense in game like Rainbow Six: Vegas, and Guitar Hero 3 because there are a lot of space where there could be adverts that don't detract from the game itself.
I just hope MS doesn't figure out how to run the ads like pop-ups in the middle of a game.