Tuesday, October 03, 2006

If it's not real, I don't like it

Today's ironic treat brought to you by Kotaku writer Eliza Gauger in this post.

The post calls your attention to a post from Arstechnica regarding two research conclusions, both regarding gamers and in-game advertising. Basically the post calls the earlier research "bunk" and uses the new research as evidence. The irony? You'll see.

Here's what the Comscore research said:

"four out of ten heavy games (37 percent) agreed that featuring actual products or companies in games make the games feel more realistic, while 27 percent of light/ medium gamers agreed."
Here's what Arstechnica said:
"37 percent of these gamers agreed that the inclusion of ads made games more realistic. While this is higher than the 27 percent of light and medium gamers who agreed with this statement, advertisers should take note that 63 percent of hard-core gamers (and 73 percent of more casual gamers) do not agree."
Here's what Kotaku said:
"A new study by ComScore Networks asserts that 63 percent of "hardcore gamers" (16+ hours per week), and 73 percent of more casual gamers polled, did not want in-game ads."
Notice that the actual research was about gamers' opinion on "realism" of in-game ads. There was nothing about whether or not they "want" in-game ads. Psst Kotaku, here's a tip: If your post is about legitimacy of conclusions, try not to jump to yours.

For your own interpretation, here are both research press releases. Comscore & Activision/Nielsen. Check out the different methodologies and conclusions.

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