This thread is very much directed at the Devs.. but what does everyone else think to this? (and apologies if it's been discussed before. I did search and didn't find)

It's weird! Everywhere else on the Internet, I'm doing my damndest to kill ads, avoid popups, and not click on click-thru banners. So why do I find myself, in the case of LFS, WISHING to see REAL ads from REAL companies around the track!?

I'd REALLY like to see, in LFS, sponsorship from real companies on the billboards around the track. I'd be delighted to see Vodaphone banners, Dunlop banners, Goodyear, Orange.. ANYthing, actually, that's real. I know there are companies out there who are introducing the concept of live banner advertising to game developers, and into online gameplay, and in the scenarios I've seen, I've found the idea largely unattractive. But LFS is entirely different, because the scenario begs for reality, and current and relevent, dynamically updated advertising IS a reality that I think is VERY achievable in LFS.

When we (my friends and I) set up our dedicated server to play LFS, one of the other games servers we installed was Battlefield2, and in the config is an option for "Server Graphic". In there, we dropped the URL for our own banner. KEWL! It would be nice to be able to advertise your LFS team on the pitwall, or on the wall facing you at turn 1, or on the bridge. At the moment, the only place you get to promote your server is in the list of multiplayer servers before folks pick and join one. It would be nice to get a bit more screen realty inside the game too!

The fundamental aspects of the mechanism exists already, in LFS, with dynamically updated car skins (kickass!!!).. and I see billboard advertising as a mere step away.

On top of everything else, it could guarantee the longevity of LFS beyond S3. While I do very much sense a philanthropic aspect to Scawen, Eric et al, and the business model of LFS and its supporting gaming community is most definitely a departure from traditional concepts, I do sometimes worry how long the servers that support LFS (Master Server, LFS Desktop etc) could coast in coming years.

It's a discussion that's getting coverage in the UK at the moment, with companies bidding for products' placement in TV programmes. I've been thinking about the thing since joining the LFS community this year. What do you guys think?

Yeah it would be good to have more real ads. There is two already Castrol and ATL.

I like the idea, too! That would be even more realistic and as long as LFS doesn't stop in the middle of a race with a message "We're right back after the break ..." and then starts showing ads :hyper:, I'll say

And Cromo too


Well, the idea is not new, but hasnt been discussed really into the detail either, but Imo it's clear: Add real ads into the game - not by buying a license, but by sponsorship.


About the master Server:
Dont worry, it will be online for quite a while, and in veeeerry far future, you dont have to worry about that, because Im sure Scawen will release the Master Server software, or at leadt give it to someone in the comunity, so that the racing can go on even without any development

IIRC both Splintercell and Swat 4 have banners where companies can buy their space for a certain time. After that the banners will be updated via online update.

This would work great for LFS. Also, with LFS having a very specified peergroup, you could get ads from Companies which spent relatively low amounts for advertisments...

Yeah! But I am sure that this is not the most important thing.

Can't say I care to look at adverts while I'm playing a game, but whatever. If it's adverts for other games I'm probably not going to buy them anyway, and if it's adverts for car parts that would be irrelevant too given that I don't have a car. I also don't drink soda, my mobile was given to me to replace my old one which was given to me five years previously, I don't play online poker or use online casinos, I already know where I'm buying my next computer, I don't need viagra or any of its generic alternatives, and I don't need any part of my body enlarging - in fact I don't even have breasts. Advertise to me all you like but you're wasting your time.

2 opinions here. I agree it would be really cool to see real ad banners and stuff around the tracks instead of the made up stuff. It would help in the immersion factor. Also, it may help out in the dev's developing with paid advertisments.

But then again, I can't say I know, but I imagine that it falls this way alot. LFS Dev's start to accept money for advertisments, then eventually, the companies paying out the cash for ads start to dictate what happens, where their ads go, the Dev's need to start paying for their own advertisments and marketing because the paying "sponsors" demand it, etc, etc.

If the case of the second scenario would be what happens to the Dev's, then I say no way and leave the fake stuff there.

As long as it is not intrusive.

Quote from mrodgers :

... I imagine that it falls this way alot. LFS Dev's start to accept money for advertisments, then eventually, the companies paying out the cash for ads start to dictate what happens, where their ads go, the Dev's need to start paying for their own advertisments and marketing because the paying "sponsors" demand it, etc, etc.

If the case of the second scenario would be what happens to the Dev's, then I say no way and leave the fake stuff there.

I totally agree with what you're saying, which is ironically why the LFS model makes this idea work. LFS exists as a business model WITHOUT dependency on sponsors. LFS will exist and continue to be developed as LFS does, with or without the additional financial input of external sponsorship.

I'm quite sure, having read many posts by the devs, that the driving force behind LFS will always remain entirely within the control of Victor, Scawen and Eric. All in all, I perceive the potential to be a 3-fold enhancement: We, the gamers, see real advertisements on the track; The advertisers get their name out there (how cool to have your company's ads at Silverstone AND Blackwood!?) and the devs have additional revenue coming in.

It may be that companies don't see the potential benefit, in which case the default fictional banners could remain in place, but when a slot is taken up by a sponsor.. tada! If a sponsor doesn't like the way LFS is, they don't have to advertise in it.. and the future of the game isn't at risk in that event.

Just strikes me that it's an opportunity for the devs, and for us, and for potential sponsors, that it would be a real shame to miss.

Quote from JJ72 :

As long as it is not intrusive.

Totally agree. There are a great many different billboards around LFS tracks. I'm specifically thinking of those. They exist anyway, and add to the realism of the simulator. If more of them were real products, then I personally think the realism would increase accordingly.

Perhaps they don't have the time and/or personal resources to go and
lobby sponsors. Maybe if someone took it upon himslef to do it for them.
So far the only 2 real products in LFS are the MRT5 and the RunAbout.
The MRT5 isn't even a 'product' as you cannot buy it anywhere, so
that leaves the RA. How did the RA get in LFS and does the company
making that car give ANY money for the publicity ?!

As for seeing general brands all over the track, i couldn't care less.
We are bombarded all over the place anyways, i have a filter. If LFS
needs the money that bad then i say go for it. Heck, here in Canada
some public schools get funding from exclusivity contracts with
Coke or Pepsi (there, i've done it. I didn't want to mention names, but
those two have been at each other's throat for years, it just shows how
low they can go to get any part of a market). Santa makes money from
kids !!! Is that news to anyone ?

Quote from Fonnybone :

How did the RA get in LFS and does the company
making that car give ANY money for the publicity ?!

It's RaceAbout!

I suggested it to the devs and they said yes. I had (still have) access to the car and was able to provide info and take photos for textures. There is no company making them. Only one car is made. It's designed and built by students with the help of some companys. There was(/is) no money involved. It's good publicity for both the car (and the school) and LFS.

Quote from thisnameistaken :

Can't say I care to look at adverts while I'm playing a game, but whatever. If it's adverts for other games I'm probably not going to buy them anyway, and if it's adverts for car parts that would be irrelevant too given that I don't have a car. I also don't drink soda, my mobile was given to me to replace my old one which was given to me five years previously, I don't play online poker or use online casinos, I already know where I'm buying my next computer, I don't need viagra or any of its generic alternatives, and I don't need any part of my body enlarging - in fact I don't even have breasts. Advertise to me all you like but you're wasting your time.

But you do need to l0se we1ght and a |R|O|L|E|X and st0cks and m1cr0s0ft 0ff1c3!!

When I wrote my post up there^^ I was thinking about paid advertisements and not just lobbying the companies for putting their name in for nothing. If racing specific names (ie, oil, tire, maybe Pe*si and C*ke since they're big in racing sponsorship) just allowed LFS to make banners with their name, I wouldn't take that as advertisements. I'd take it as immersion because it would make it seem more real as you see them all through real life racing. That I wouldn't have a problem with. And if no payment is made, then there is no control issues from said companies either. It would strickly be an immersion factor for us to see Pennzoil, Redline, Yokohoma, Pirelli, etc around the track. As long as it's racing specific and not stuff as thisnameistaken said with online poker and casinos, mobile phone companies, computers, viagra, finger enlargements (or any other enlargements, LOL). If it's just for immersion factor, OK. If it's for true advertisements, then no way. That's why we have TiVo and Popup blockers, spam blockers and stuff. To get rid of it all. By now, everybody knows who Dell is, who HP is with printers and cameras, who Ford, Cheverolet, Toyota, Mazda, and Honda is, who McDonald's is. This is half the reason why someone like me can't afford all the stuff advertised, because the price is jacked so high to pay all the ridiculous sums for advertising. When was the last time you were watching TV and you saw a Walmart commersial (at least over here in the US) and thought, "hmm, Walmart, I've never heard of that. I'll have to check that out."

Sorry, I'm beginning to rant as I really hate advertisements and commercials jacking prices up so that I can't afford the products they're trying to entice me to buy. Hmm, after the 1,000,000 email about certain enhancements, don't you think if I thought it was a great idea, I would have sprung for it way before that 1,000,000th email?

I'm not sure i follow ... are you saying that they SHOULDN'T take money from sponsors but
instead give those big companies FREE publicity ? Now that's just wrong. If LFS has fictional
names, i imagine it's precisely because of the devs 'we dont need any big brother' mentality
in the first place...as long as you're selling out, might as well make money from it imo.
Hey how about an EA sign, lol rofl lololol 111 ok

Quote from Tege :

It's good publicity for both the car (and the school) and LFS.

I think it's fair to say that nobody would have heard of the RaceAbout if it wasn't for LFS, so it certainly is good publicity. It looks ace both in reality and in the game but I hope it handles better in real life :mischievo

Anyway, for sponsorship, the billboard approach is somewhat predictable and I'm not sure how successful they would be. How about a more integrated approach such as tyre companies, steering wheel manufacturers, tuning companies etc.? Surely seeing a Momo wheel every time you race would have more effect than a billboard somewhere far off your line of sight.

Quote from durbster :

I think it's fair to say that nobody would have heard of the RaceAbout if it wasn't for LFS...

I saw it few years ago in the Finnish Motorshow...

Quote from SamH :

I'd REALLY like to see, in LFS, sponsorship from real companies on the billboards around the track.

I sure don't. But even if there was... not a problem. I could easily get rid of it.

If you want real life ads, simply go edit the ad dds files.

Job done, and leaves scawen to get on with more important things. (Like making a ball we can play carball with. :rolleyes

Quote from L(Oo)ney :

Job done, and leaves scawen to get on with more important things. (Like making a ball we can play carball with. :rolleyes

Missed the point somewhat L(Oo)ney.

Anything that doesnt obstruct LFS, or Scawen/Victor/Eric's way of development, then its certainly a good idea - especially if it allows the LFS team to be slightly more affluent.

As long as they keep coding and don't waste time wandering Ferrari showrooms to spend their affluence. Unless there taking photos and measurements for new cars

Good caveat Mr Cliffe

If the devs needed the money so bad that they had to go selling advertising space in LFS, im pretty sure they would have already found themselfs some sponsors by now.

Personally i dont care if there is no coke, pepsi, ipod, tesco, asda ect ect ads in lfs. I dont take much notice of the ones in there already.

I'd rather choose what (if any) extra track graphics I download, rather than being forced into high res ad banners, most companies wouldn't want there products advertised on dirty cracked up banners, which is what 99% of real track advertising is like. Also banners need to be easy on the eyes, and can be low res, high res banners slow LFS down without you actually seeing them well at a side angle, trees, skies and tarmac are far better to make high res.