Advertising overload: Difference between revisions

====Advergaming====

While not as popular as it once was, companies would pay developers to work on games that exist solely to advertise a product, such as McDonald's McWorld, which also advertised other products inside the game.<ref>Olivetti, Justin, [https://massivelyop.com/2020/05/23/the-game-archaeologist-mcdonalds-mcworld-mmo-is-a-thing-that-existed/ The Game Archaeologist: McDonalds’ McWorld MMO is a thing that existed] (2020-05-23) ([http://web.archive.org/web/20260223005215/https://massivelyop.com/2020/05/23/the-game-archaeologist-mcdonalds-mcworld-mmo-is-a-thing-that-existed/ Archived]) ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250829122526/https://massivelyop.com/2020/05/23/the-game-archaeologist-mcdonalds-mcworld-mmo-is-a-thing-that-existed/ Archived])</ref> Sometimes these games would also introduce additional anticonsumer practices, often to the detriment of young kids.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Moran |first=Eric |date=27 Jan 2023 |title=McWorld: What happens when a fast food restaurant create an online virtual world |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nerFPG-PEQ |url-status=live |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=[[YouTube]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250825132954/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6nerFPG-PEQ |archive-date=25 Aug 2025}}</ref> <!-- Okay, I actually think McWorld deserves a bit of an article here lol - JamesTDG -->Many of these games were made as shovelware as well, so many of these games are often not meant for an extended period of time to be accessible. Older advergames often only sold for a short period, only up to a few years at best, so if a game held any quality, there is a problem of [[FOMO]], this has been seen with popular titles such as Pepsiman on the PS1 or Cool Spot on the Sega Genesis. In the 2000s, these games often preferred accessing servers, mostly to encourage serving additional ads. Many of these would not last long, and these products people invest into are just taken away from them, such as ToonTown<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kelly |first=Heather |date=23 Aug 2013 |title=Coping with the loss of an online world |url=https://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/23/tech/gaming-gadgets/closing-toontown/index.html |url-status=live |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=[[CNN]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20250813162715/https://edition.cnn.com/2013/08/23/tech/gaming-gadgets/closing-toontown/index.html |archive-date=13 Aug 2025}}</ref> or Club Penguin.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Martinelli |first=Marissa |date=3 Apr 2017 |title=Disney’s Beloved Club Penguin Has Shut Down After More Than a Decade. We Documented Its Final Days. |url=https://slate.com/culture/2017/04/what-the-end-of-disneys-mmo-club-penguin-was-like-inside-the-game.html |url-status=live |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=[[Slate]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251219191942/https://slate.com/culture/2017/04/what-the-end-of-disneys-mmo-club-penguin-was-like-inside-the-game.html |archive-date=19 Dec 2025}}</ref>

===Web===

Ever since the introduction of cookies in the early 1990s, websites have been trying to make progressively more money off of advertisers. This pattern used to be easily thwarted, as in the early days of the web, consumers could simply choose not to visit these websites to avoid being so pervasively served advertisements. Unfortunately, in modern times, consumers lack this capability, as mass advertising has now become a systemic problem. Popular news sources, such as The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and others, are filled to the brim with advertisements. As mentioned by publications such as The Huffington Post,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elliot |first=Christopher |date=8 Feb 2017 |title=Yes, There Are Too Many Ads Online. Yes, You Can Stop Them. Here's How. |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/yes-there-are-too-many-ads-online-yes-you-can-stop_b_589b888de4b02bbb1816c297 |url-status=live |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=[[HuffPost]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20251127141328/https://www.huffpost.com/entry/yes-there-are-too-many-ads-online-yes-you-can-stop_b_589b888de4b02bbb1816c297 |archive-date=27 Nov 2025}}</ref> The Conversation,<ref>{{Cite web |last=D'Alessandro |first=Steve |date=18 Sep 2024 |title=Why is the internet overflowing with rubbish ads – and what can we do about it? |url=https://theconversation.com/why-is-the-internet-overflowing-with-rubbish-ads-and-what-can-we-do-about-it-237980 |url-status=live |access-date=15 Mar 2025 |website=[[The Conversation]] |archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20260126234756/https://theconversation.com/why-is-the-internet-overflowing-with-rubbish-ads-and-what-can-we-do-about-it-237980 |archive-date=26 Jan 2026}}</ref> and B2,<ref>Crossland, Archie, (2024-06-20) [https://www.b2.ai/ad-overload-are-publishers-showing-too-many-ads/ Ad Overload: Are Publishers Showing Too Many Ads?] ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250815092938/https://www.b2.ai/ad-overload-are-publishers-showing-too-many-ads/ Archived]) ([http://web.archive.org/web/20250815092938/https://www.b2.ai/ad-overload-are-publishers-showing-too-many-ads/ Archived])</ref> the web itself has too many ads.