i make a distinction between games that are / part of the interactive narrative itself and those that are obtrusive because they’re real function is just to be simply channels of the brand. many companies nowadays use stories or games in online campaigns albeit unsuccessfully, because they still tend to apply old rules to a new medium. a lot of creativity – and restraint – are needed for advergames. creativity in developing concepts that authentically reflect users needs and restraint in injecting the brand in every nook and corner. i think for and advergame to be successful it should be prepared to lose part of its advertising nature and embrace the fun and chaos of games. advertisers should immerse themselves in the gamers’ world and respect their culture. start with the very basic: gamers don’t like being distracted from the game. that’s just disrespectful and totally against the Code ;-p .the challenge is to make the ‘branded environment’ disappear: weave the proposition seamlessly with gameplay. this is why emotional interfaces like avatars can hold huge potential for advertising or branding. make it about the user, not about the brand. brand = user.
check out two sites i got from our company blog:
jelly battle – these jelly-buggers are quite addictive. simple, smart, entertaining. kewl.
le courage was visually stunning and had a promising basis, but the story was not cohesive and was not sustained. it was thin. also there wasn’t really a gameplay to speak of. the game was more of an afterthought that an integral part of the story.
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