Blizzard might add ads to their video games?

Community General Discussion
1
Knowing Activision, Do you think there is a chance this can spill over into Blizzards IPs?

"Hi, this is David Karnovsky on for Alexia. Just for King, can you provide an update on your advertising outlook and maybe what the contribution of ad revenue was in the quarter or year to date? Thanks"

-David Karnovsky - JPMorgan Securities LLC

"Our ads team has worked closely with the game teams to integrate ads into the key titles.

And in Q3, we made good progress in each of these areas. The number of video ad impressions on the platform nearly doubled in Q3 versus Q2, and we're seeing a strong growth in the number of advertisers committing to meaningful campaigns on our platform as well as growth in the average spend by these clients.

We're now going to build on this progress. First of all, we're focused on scaling further the ads across our network, and we're doing this by enabling ads for even more players in the games where ads are already implemented and also introducing ads to more games.

And then we're also building an even greater demand on the sales side. We believe that rewarded video is a great format for brand advertisers because it associates brands with a positive experience in the game and therefore a positive experience in the player's mind. And because with over 90% completion rate, this leads to a strong brand recall. So we think that the rewarded video is a great format, and it's a format that is unique to games.

In the longer term, we want to roll out the ads business also to the other parts of the Activision Blizzard group. And so I think if I have to summarize, I feel very good about the progress this year in ads. And as the ads business continues to scale, I expect it to become an even more meaningful contributor in 2019."

-Riccardo Zacconi - Activision Blizzard, Inc.
2
link?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-o-M8Fv-3Ko

https://seekingalpha.com/article/4220179-activision-blizzard-atvi-q3-2018-results-earnings-call-transcript?page=1
4
I am not a I hate this I am going to quit kind of person. I really enjoy playing BFA and am kind of getting back into Hearthstone and Overwatch. But the second they add ads in game for something I am out. Put it on their website all they want, but do not put it in game. This gear drop brought to you by Coca Cola. Peace.
5
I play WOW. I've seen no adds.

edit: has anyone else seen these adds "integrated" into our game?
6
Yeah that’s pathetic. That would be it for me.
7
You mean like the cross brand promotion they did with the rocket bot thingy? I don't really care about that - but if they start showing little ads in game.. I'd be out of here so fast it would make their little accountant calculators freeze up.
8
That is disgusting. I have defended blizz through the craziest ****, but this is something I can't even twist in blizzards favor.

I pay $15 a month to play my quality content and I am not going to sit through some AD when gear drops are buffed 80% for 10m. Absolutely horrific.

I am the literal definition of a white knight but.. Jesus, you're pushing my limits actiblizz.
9
"On the first driver, our teams continued to deliver exceptional innovation and execution with major new content releases for Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Candy Crush. "

This has to be a joke, right? Where is this "exceptional innovation" they supposedly added to WoW?
10
So basically we're gonna charge us for adblock DLC?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6kJKxvbgZ0
11
Everyone calm down.

This has been quoted completely out of context.

This is from the Q & A section of the Q3 2018 investor conference call and is an answer to

" Just for King, can you provide an update on your advertising outlook and maybe what the contribution of ad revenue was in the quarter or year to date? "

Riccardo Zacconi is *not* from Blizzard but from King Entertainment who have been part of Blizzard since November 2015. It's clear Riccardo is talking solely of King Entertainment titles and *not* Blizzard titles.
12
11/09/2018 07:03 PMPosted by Morteth
"On the first driver, our teams continued to deliver exceptional innovation and execution with major new content releases for Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Candy Crush. "

This has to be a joke, right? Where is this "exceptional innovation" they supposedly added to WoW?


If they're talking about future content? I'd be willing to believe it. It really does look like they are trying to improve BfA. As to what we received already in the form of BfA? Not so much.

This looks and sounds more like "we might have messed up in some other areas, but we totally didn't mess things up with these games we swear! *looks around nervously*"

I'd also be willing to bet that they're going to just add more ads to what we have already on the launcher and whatnot. Maybe add some to the login screen as well.
13
wut
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11/09/2018 06:55 PMPosted by Jamalia
I play WOW. I've seen no adds.

edit: has anyone else seen these adds "integrated" into our game?


"Might add" not have added.
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You know what kinds of games tend to be littered with ads?

Mobile games
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Every time you wipe, 30 sec ad, and get 1% buff to make your next attempt less futile! Fun times!!
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11/09/2018 07:06 PMPosted by Kentaurus
I'd also be willing to bet that they're going to just add more ads to what we have already on the launcher and whatnot. Maybe add some to the login screen as well.


Or they could do absolutely nothing as Riccardo was talking about King Entertainment who have been part of ATVI since Nov 2015 ?
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11/09/2018 07:06 PMPosted by Kentaurus
11/09/2018 07:03 PMPosted by Morteth
"On the first driver, our teams continued to deliver exceptional innovation and execution with major new content releases for Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, and Candy Crush. "

This has to be a joke, right? Where is this "exceptional innovation" they supposedly added to WoW?


If they're talking about future content? I'd be willing to believe it. It really does look like they are trying to improve BfA. As to what we received already in the form of BfA? Not so much.

This looks and sounds more like "we might have messed up in some other areas, but we totally didn't mess things up with these games we swear! *looks around nervously*"

I'd also be willing to bet that they're going to just add more ads to what we have already on the launcher and whatnot. Maybe add some to the login screen as well.


I doubt they're referring to future content, as this is from quarter 3 of 2018, probably right when BFA launched
19
11/09/2018 07:06 PMPosted by Bluspacecow
This is from the Q & A section of the Q3 2018 investor conference call and is an answer to

" Just for King, can you provide an update on your advertising outlook and maybe what the contribution of ad revenue was in the quarter or year to date? "

Oh my, GD posters taking things out of context to stir up false panic? Say it isn't so. /s
20
11/09/2018 07:09 PMPosted by Morteth
<span class="truncated">...</span>

If they're talking about future content? I'd be willing to believe it. It really does look like they are trying to improve BfA. As to what we received already in the form of BfA? Not so much.

This looks and sounds more like "we might have messed up in some other areas, but we totally didn't mess things up with these games we swear! *looks around nervously*"

I'd also be willing to bet that they're going to just add more ads to what we have already on the launcher and whatnot. Maybe add some to the login screen as well.


I doubt they're referring to future content, as this is from quarter 3 of 2018, probably right when BFA launched


If so, then they are quite frankly in denial. Was I believe the fastest selling expansion if I remember right, but it didn't retain people very well.