Here’s a free idea for Massive Inc, the people putting ads in games like SWAT 4 and Planetside.

Encourage your partners to make the ads destructable.

Judging by the screenshots I’ve seen people really like to shoot at the ads. But go beyond bullet holes. Make ‘em explode satisfyingly. Hell, make ‘em drop health. Have the ad respawn 2 minutes later.

I realize this may be a tough sell to Coke and Fanta, but trust me, it would work out better. First off, it allows all of the ad haters in the world (which is pretty much everyone) the opportunity to get their hatred for ads out of their system. Secondly, and more insidiously, if you’re aiming and firing at an ads repeatedly, that ad has your complete attention. Players are much more likely to remember the advertisers than if they’re relatively non-interactive billboards – real life has taught us to tune those out.

The original comments thread is here.