this post was submitted on 03 Nov 2023
286 points (96.7% liked)

Games

32016 readers
1679 users here now

Welcome to the largest gaming community on Lemmy! Discussion for all kinds of games. Video games, tabletop games, card games etc.

Weekly Threads:

What Are You Playing?

The Weekly Discussion Topic

Rules:

  1. Submissions have to be related to games

  2. No bigotry or harassment, be civil

  3. No excessive self-promotion

  4. Stay on-topic; no memes, funny videos, giveaways, reposts, or low-effort posts

  5. Mark Spoilers and NSFW

  6. No linking to piracy

More information about the community rules can be found here.

founded 1 year ago
MODERATORS
top 26 comments
sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] MeekerThanBeaker@lemmy.world 105 points 11 months ago (6 children)

Normally, I think gamers overreact a bit when it comes to ads on Xbox... but this time, this full screen ad when you boot up the system should not be allowed.

Wonder what genius exec had that brilliant idea. Stupid.

[–] AlolanYoda@mander.xyz 29 points 11 months ago (1 children)

You say "stupid", but I'm kind of worried it'll have a positive impact in their sales, making these types of ads the new standard... I hope not, but my expectations are getting worse and worse

[–] kromem@lemmy.world 22 points 11 months ago

That this exists at all means it is a new standard ad format they are testing out. They didn't program in a new ad format just for Activision.

So unless there's enough of a pushback that they can it, you'll be periodically seeing similar boot up ads for other games and maybe even things like McDonald's down the road.

[–] thesprongler@lemmy.world 16 points 11 months ago

Any sort of ad on a luxury item you've already paid for should be cause for concern for the future. Sony does have ads, but they are hidden in menus and are static text ads, not video ads (yet).

[–] RoverRacecar@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

Classic Microsoft.

[–] kromem@lemmy.world 7 points 11 months ago

It was almost certainly multiple execs, from multiple companies, with Activision being the first partner for a new ad format team Xbox was rolling out but had discussed in advance with multiple agency partners.

[–] rip_art_bell@lemmy.world 6 points 11 months ago

I thought there's no way... when you boot up!? Sure enough. "the ad in question pops up when players boot up their Xbox"

Wow

[–] Buddahriffic@lemmy.world -2 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Personally, I'd like to thank Microsoft. They've been making it easy to not regret getting a PS5 and not really even considering the xbox option that strongly. Between the series S needing to handle it for it to be allowed on the series X and now full screen ads, it's like Sony is the only one that realizes there's still competition going on.

I'd also like to thank people who still buy Xboxes anyways for giving Sony a reason to not turn the enshitification up to an 11 because it's probably more of a difference in confidence than principles.

[–] CmdrShepard@lemmy.one 5 points 11 months ago (2 children)

They also recently announced that all third party accessories will cease to work with the Xbox as of a couple days ago.

[–] rustyriffs@lemmy.world 3 points 11 months ago
[–] Buddahriffic@lemmy.world 1 points 11 months ago

Yeah, plenty of things that have made me glad to not have one. Has there been anything positive about Xbox in the news lately? That isn't kinda a backhand compliment, like BG3 being available on it soon while it launched everywhere else a while ago now?

[–] Deestan@lemmy.world 54 points 11 months ago (2 children)

Meanwhile, over on Reddit, several members of the Xbox community have labelled this marketing stunt "vomit inducing" and "unacceptable".

People still on Reddit want someone to take their complaints seriously? Empirically speaking, they will accept this.

[–] Goronmon@kbin.social 26 points 11 months ago (1 children)

People still on Reddit want someone to take their complaints seriously? Empirically speaking, they will accept this.

Nah, it's more than the communities on places like Reddit and lemmy/kbin are so small and unimportant relative to the overall consumer market that you can pretty much ignore them completely.

[–] Deestan@lemmy.world 13 points 11 months ago (1 children)

Yep, that's more significant for sure. People on any online forum are a loud minority.

It is a cheap dig, but I just found it funny that people who have demonstrated with (lack of) action that they do in fact not care enough to change their habits use a term like "unacceptable".

[–] FigMcLargeHuge@sh.itjust.works 7 points 11 months ago (1 children)

They are the same people who complain when a news story alerts them to the fact that facebook is collecting their data. They whine about how the govt should do something about this egregious act, and then share that with all their facebook friends.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 11 months ago

and of course they refuse to engage in politics and vote for people who want to restrict advertisements.

fucking vote, people

[–] setsneedtofeed@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

Picture related will never not sum up internet boycotts.

[–] Audrey0nne@leminal.space 40 points 11 months ago

Entertainment industry as a whole is about to relearn some painful lessons about customer satisfaction. Every day there’s a new reason to hoist the black flag on predatory capitalism.

[–] Veraxus@kbin.social 25 points 11 months ago (1 children)

This kind of thing is the reason I've started moving completely away from Microsoft platforms, including Windows. Microsoft is getting more and more invasive and aggressive pushing advertising onto people in their own private spaces, and that is unacceptable.

Since I'm a PC gamer first and foremost, I don't use XBox... and after this, I won't. Ever. This was just MS dipping their toes in to see if they could get away with it.

Thankfully, with Valve continuing to rapidly improve Proton, just about any Windows game runs on Linux now with very little elbow grease. No Microsoft necessary.

[–] rip_art_bell@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago (1 children)

with Valve continuing to rapidly improve Proton, just about any Windows game runs on Linux now

I hope this is actually true, or becomes true. The only reason I'm on Windows is for gaming.

Heck even my Bitwig DAW runs on Linux.

[–] Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de 1 points 11 months ago

it's to the point that even pirated games generally Just Work if you run them via steam, it's magic

[–] woelkchen@lemmy.world 21 points 11 months ago

That must be the positive change to the industry the takeover was promised to bring.

[–] boomer478@lemmy.ml 18 points 11 months ago (2 children)

I've had a Day 1 edition Xbox One that I've used nearly every day since release. Admittedly, not great for games, but it's been an absolute powerhouse of a media center for me. Twitch, youtube, plex, any streaming service, and a blu ray. If for some reason I can't stream something to it, I can plug in my chromecast or laptop, and with passthrough, it's literally all I've needed in my living room for the past 10 years.

For the first time yesterday I very honestly considered boxing it up and getting rid of it after booting it up and getting this forced full screen ad before getting to my homepage. Fuck this shit.

[–] MamboGator@lemmy.world 4 points 11 months ago

I had pretty much the same experience. I loved using my Xbox One as an entertainment centre, but the most recent dashboard update made me never want to turn it on again.

[–] slazer2au@lemmy.world -2 points 11 months ago

You shouldn't consider it. You should do it. But too bad M$ already has the money so they won't care of you flog the unit off second hand.

[–] Squizzy@lemmy.world 8 points 11 months ago

We need legislation to protect from ad placement. It should not be the case that advertisers can get to you on your premium devices in places they could not to begin with.

Manufacturers should have to outline in their launch and marketing material where ads are going to be posted and after that they cannot expand it.

I remember the PS4 having a load of bullshit apps waiting to be downloaded too, I bought the most expensive version you sell, how am I to escape ads if not through that.