Even if it is an ad.  Well, duh!  Here’s a link to an article about how advertisers are having success reaching gamers with their messaging through compelling video games.  I’ve come around to the side of liking this type of advertisement.   If the product or ad feels natural in its setting, then it will be affective and possibly liked by potential customers.  The advertiser is meeting a need or somehow delighting a customer which is all good for everyone involved.

I do like the warning in the this article about creating a bad experience.  I imagine a poorly executed game could cause gamers to lose all respect for a brand.  This is tough, because gamers are a communicative bunch, so both good recommendation and bad recommendations travel fast and broadly.  It’s also tough to keep on the cutting edge of “gamer cool”.

Thinking on the recent ads for WOW, I’m not sure as a gamer I like the idea of folks like Shatner being a part of that world.  Perhaps it’s cool for the boomer crowd … okay, it could be cool if there was a custom Shat character that used Capt. Kirk’s hand-to-hand combat fighting style.  I could get into that!  That would be so surreal and hilarious!