Uma Is Watching Me
Over here in Oz, there’s some kind of magazine that’s advertising it’s latest cover all over the bus-stops etc. The one I walk past every day has had quite a few different posters in it.
For the past week or so, it’s been a big picture of Uma’s head/torso staring at me. It’s kind of haunting.
And this morning it got me thinking.
What instances within Development do we have the chance to bombard our users with whatever kind of advertising we wish?
Well, firstly. I think there will be some new-fangled stuff coming along in the next couple of years. Innovation isn’t done yet in our domain.
But the biggest one that springs to mind is … Loading Screens.
Of course, these are mainly within the realm of games, but not entirely. The OS gets a chance. Adobe software has it in the splash screen that starts up, running all the initialisation stuff. Which is entirely similar to how Sims did it. “Reticulating Splines” in-particular has stayed in my memory, even though it was my wife who played the game.
But Loading Screens, and other minor off-shoot paradigm-ee screens, are very effective when done well. Most games these days give you hints about the game. General hints. Some pictures of some format or another will appear.
I installed Oblivion last night, and it had some cool pictures on install.
World of Warcraft has recently upgraded to giving hint out on their loading screen. Along with cool drawings of their world (these were always there, well, since retail at least).
But what about other forms of software? Surely there are ways to subtly ingrate some form of advertising, whether it be of the product in question, or other, more calculated, subjects.
The problem with software, business software mostly, is that people don’t want to wait. I want to fire the program up and use it.
So that just means that the advertising has to be smarter. Games have an in. People are willing to accept some length of load times.
But other applications need to look at things differently. I’m not sure about where this thought is headed. I don’t have anything definitive yet .. but it’s not a bad one.
And anyway, this thought has run it’s course for the moment.
So if you’ve got some ideas, comment away. If not .. (with the sound of the Hypno-Toad) Comment Away.
Have to tell you that any advertising while opening up a program would be completely lost on me (or have negative impact) … yep I noticed the fact that Adobe Acrobat takes ages to load up with a silly splash screen that I haven’t read while I’m tapping my fingers saying HURRY UP (remember blackboard on Mr Squiggle). Maybe subliminal?
When opening games, thats the time you go and get another coke right!
Comment by Lil — March 24, 2006 @ 9:13 am
It depends on the type of application as well.
Eudora, an email client, has a paid version and a free version. The free version contains ads in a box in the bottom corner of the main window.
Opera, a web browser, used to (I’m not sure if they still do) have a free version which also contained advertising in a specified location within the browser.
Games can also contain product placement, similar to that used in movies.
TANSTAAFL I guess.
Comment by Brett — March 24, 2006 @ 11:24 am
Yeah, advertising on opening can be very detrimental. I’d say something more subtle is happening, or will happen.
Comment by Stu — March 27, 2006 @ 9:11 am
I guess the “free-version-with-advertising” has been around a long time. It’s a staple of business practice. But these days, with the advent of opensource becoming professionally accepted, people are doing things smarter. Like, not to use them in every example, but, Google.
I guess we’ll never get away from the “Free gets you this much, but you pay, you get THIS much” business ideology.
Also .. TANSTAAFL .. me no understand???? I could Google .. but you know :).
Comment by Stu — March 27, 2006 @ 9:14 am
There Aint No Such Thing As A Free Lunch. My operating system lecturer used to use it all the time.
Comment by Brett — March 27, 2006 @ 11:40 am
Ahhh. Nice. Me understand now :).
Comment by Stu — March 27, 2006 @ 12:45 pm
Faster Business Software…
Some good points here about how games and other technology make business software seem slower than ever…….
Trackback by Office Max! — March 28, 2006 @ 2:30 pm