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Ads for a PC game?

Discussion in 'General Discussion' started by lmbarns, Mar 3, 2013.

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  1. lmbarns

    lmbarns

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    All the ads I see for apps are for mobiles, what about PC?

    I made a little tool with Unity I'd like to release for free and maybe have it show you an ad while you're setting the configurations in the menu...

    I could have it run and send the output to my server, launch the browser to an adsense page with the output file, but as it is now it just outputs to the application folder and I'd like to keep it that way unless I can't find anything else...
     
  2. Starsman Games

    Starsman Games

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    Ads in applications went away during the first half of last decade. They were horribly ineffective and people seemed to hate them. I remember when Opera used to have a built-in ad banner...

    Anyways, no one seems to bother offering desktop-in-app-ad services because there seems to not be market to sell placement for them. Web site ads, sure, in app-ads? not so much.

    The closest thing to this right now is in-app video ads for flash apps that have to run in a browser anyways, perhaps because it's seen as the target being in the web.

    Admob and other mobile ads are a new thing, due to many factors (like the single app on screen) they appear to be more successful than the failed desktop version, but mark my words: sooner or later they too will collapse.
     
  3. nipoco

    nipoco

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    One of the best parts of PC and console gaming:

    No f****ng ads!

    I'd rather pay for a game than seeing that annoyance on my PC games.
     
  4. Starsman Games

    Starsman Games

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    Although I agree: I'd take ads over the stupid "Free"-To-Play model...
     
  5. lmbarns

    lmbarns

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    Damn that sucks. It's not a game just a tool, like imagine if photoshop showed an ad when you went to save your work each time. Or you could pay $10 to have an ad free version.
     
  6. kingcharizard

    kingcharizard

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    you already are paying hundreds for PS, I get what your trying to do but its not gonna be popular, what about banner ads around the object in a webplayer version..
     
  7. lmbarns

    lmbarns

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    Can't use web player for this one...I can use a phone but limited texture output is 1024x1024 and the whole reason it's for PC is so you can use very high poly models and processor intensive shaders to pre render stuff...main target is newb indies using 2d engines like game maker, rpg maker, etc, so they don't have money and would probably tolerate the ad.

    I can upload the file to my server and make them download it from a page with ads. And if they pay $10 they get an ad free version.
     
  8. MarigoldFleur

    MarigoldFleur

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    Stop doing things that exist in ways that enforce the terrible employer/employee relationship we currently share with games.
     
  9. Darkjayson

    Darkjayson

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    Your title says ads for a pc game but you talk about pc apps? Which is it?

    There are in game adds for some pc games but it depends on the game there usually free to play and the ads support the game.
     
  10. lmbarns

    lmbarns

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    I guess I mistyped my title. It's a unity app that lets people load 3d models, choose a shader and some settings and it outputs animated tileset/sprite sheets with a click. It uses the alpha channel to remove the background and packs all the frames into a texture. The idea is that any newb can use it and I was going to include models as content. It has preset camera angles like top down, isometric, straight on, etc. You click an animation and press a key and it outputs 8-16+ frames you can replay as an animated sprite.

    Not worth much but I figured all the newbs using 2d engines would probably use it so I figured ads would be great. Most people here could do their own version of it, which is why I was trying to make it simple and target noobs.

    It outputs stuff like this:

    Here I added 7 shader options:
     
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2013
  11. angrypenguin

    angrypenguin

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    I actually imagine that being pretty useful, but I'd probably prefer it in the Editor than being a standalone tool. With that in mind, instead of ad support why not sell it in the Asset Store as an Editor extension?

    For the sprites you're generating I'd also suggest rendering at 2 or 4 times the required resolution and then downsampling to get nicer edges.
     
    Martin_H likes this.
  12. lmbarns

    lmbarns

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    The videos are on my android build so limited to 1024x1024, but I'm planning to move over to my gf's with unity 4.0, I'm still on 3.4.2f, so the textures will look MUCH BETTER, and I also have all my lowest LOD in this project so the idea was making it PC would let you render very high resolution. I had to reduce the resolution on all the imgs in this project cause it's android...

    You can capture 1024x1024 tiles and pack 16 into a 4096x4096 file on PC. Or a lot of 512x512's. I'm reducing them to 256x256 tiles but it's adjustable.

    A couple years ago I was searching high and low for sprites for a 2d game I was making and they were all rpg maker graphics. I downloaded SpriteWorks which is a sprite generator for 3d models, but my textures didn't load in it. That's why I was thinking if I launch standalone with content that's tested to work, and anyone can use it, they could sit there pumping out animated sprites to their hearts content. Especially indies with no money, and even if just for placeholders, but the idea would be they have rights to use them in games which is a relief for some.

    And with ads piracy doesn't matter even if it's a $5 tool.
     
  13. ColossalDuck

    ColossalDuck

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    I only agree with you as long as its a pay to win. If it's like League of Legends system though, not in the slightest.
     
  14. STEFZIV

    STEFZIV

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  15. Schneider21

    Schneider21

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  16. Aiursrage2k

    Aiursrage2k

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    Unity should lock threads that are over a year old
     
    wccrawford likes this.
  17. Brity

    Brity

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    What does age have to do with it?

    I'm interested too.. If I could have Unity video ad in my desktop game I would. Free version or paid version.
     
  18. darkhog

    darkhog

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    Yup. Me too.

    There was once company called Zapspot. They've made PC games, really cool games, which were ad supported. That company actually were doing pretty well, but then dotcom crash happened. I think it's time to revisit the idea, since another dotcom crash is unlikely to happen and it would allow to make money out of "free" games on PC just like on Android and iOS. Unfortunately there isn't any PC-friendly ad network.
     
    Brity likes this.
  19. Ryiah

    Ryiah

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    Just create a WebGL-based game, bundle it into a Webkit portable browser, and have normal web ads. :p
     
    Brity, Kiwasi and Schneider21 like this.
  20. bluescrn

    bluescrn

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    I'm surprised ads in mobile games work, as they're all ads for other games. A game full of ads is essentially shouting 'don't play our game, play this other game instead'....
     
    darkhog, QFSW, kB11 and 3 others like this.
  21. Tomnnn

    Tomnnn

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    Host the ads on a standalone site and offer people in game rewards for electing to go watch them. That's the most effective way I've seen ads for desktop games.

    I don't understand mobile games period. Their best utilization is a companion app / pda peripheral.

    (number of times companion app quote used this month: 6)
     
  22. Stevepunk

    Stevepunk

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    Does Unity support PC ads yet?
     
  23. simulism

    simulism

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    Use of Unity's ad network requires that your game is on IOS or Android. Top google link: https://unity3d.com/services/ads
     
  24. simulism

    simulism

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  25. iiiplays

    iiiplays

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    Can anybody give me some examples of desktop game that use video ad ? I didn't know that it was possible but I read on several forums people who are asking for this so I'm curious to see what it looks like :)
    I think it can be a good idea if you give the choice between a free version with ads or a paid version without them.
     
  26. Flashmangagames

    Flashmangagames

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    You could use GameAdTrading. It supports windows and has some nice ad formats. You also earn a decent amount off it.
     
  27. daniel_alves_bra

    daniel_alves_bra

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  28. daniel_alves_bra

    daniel_alves_bra

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    Take a look at Gameloft games on Windows Store(windows 10).
     
  29. Eagerkid

    Eagerkid

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    If you learn one thing in the video game world, it is that people hate ads. So many better ways to monetize games
     
  30. FrankenCreations

    FrankenCreations

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    U learn 2 things....people hate ads and people tolerate things they hate if it means they can not spend their money.
     
  31. Rachzella

    Rachzella

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    First of all, you can use adds on pc games using unity, Adf.ly, Objects with a ad picture, so it’s possible
     
  32. Ostwind

    Ostwind

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    Showing the ads is not the problem. Most, if not all of the ad networks do not allow such (desktop) use which is probably the original reason for the question.
     
    LilGames likes this.
  33. Rachzella

    Rachzella

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    you can make an adf.ly account and make a web UI pop up when the player does an action the adf.ly ad pops up and you get advertisement withdraw on your PayPal, and some others I cant remember, this is the closest you'll come without contacting other companies
     
  34. Rachzella

    Rachzella

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  35. xVergilx

    xVergilx

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    Casuals. They just don't give a damn. They probably could just watch ads without any gameplay at all.


    Try that on a PC audience. They'll probably will find you.

    And punch you a couple of times to the face.

    Seriously, if you don't want to be hated - don't put ads inside PC / console games.

    Edit: Necroing is evil btw.
     
  36. MadeFromPolygons

    MadeFromPolygons

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    Thanks for the pointless 2 year necro.
     
    Joe-Censored and xVergilx like this.
  37. Murgilod

    Murgilod

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    Well, for one, they only... kinda are. Mobile's big revenue comes from IAP, IAP that's often used to disable ads in the first place.

    Ads do not thrive on mobile, they are simply tolerated.
     
    Joe-Censored likes this.
  38. AAAAAAAAAE

    AAAAAAAAAE

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    "And punch you a couple of times to the face."
    seriously kid..Don't crack poor jokes like this...y would u want to hide that line if u r scared of writing it in the first place ?!
    "Seriously, if you don't want to be hated - don't put ads inside PC / console games."
    Nothing like gamers whining on how costly PC , Console games are (then waiting for massive discounts) on top of the In game purchases and the loot box scam
    u can decide to ignore the thread and move on right ?
     
    Last edited: Sep 21, 2019
    neonblitzer likes this.
  39. AAAAAAAAAE

    AAAAAAAAAE

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    Ur welcome
     
    neonblitzer likes this.
  40. zombiegorilla

    zombiegorilla

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    Closed for pointless necro.
     
    Socrates and xVergilx like this.
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