Ad Space for Rent - Hidden Ads?

Croesis · 06/16/2008 08:32:05

Right, so I know why non-US players can't see adverts that US players do without doing something with their ISP's or IP address' or something, but that's a different subject. I'd like to know why some city ads (and I take it that they aren't the US ads) are covered with the 'Ad Space for Rent' signs?

For example, here are a row of three billboards with the Ad Space for Rent wording but, move the camera slightly and you will see that some (not all ads, but the middle one shown did also have an ad behind but I couldn't catch it) do have ads behind them:

Why is this?

I know that there have been contests for ads (I know that there were certain issues with that competition too) but a few more ads, relevant to the Matrix and the world it's set in, scattered around would make the city a little less bland for non-US players.

**0uranos**

Yeah that's what I was wondering too. Sometimes I'm able to see them, sometimes not.
I remember that during Monolith's days, Euro players were able to see every ads. It was fun because during some LEs, hidden messages were put in the ads.

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I wish something like that could happen again. That was really one of the best thing in the game.

**machete**

What you describe is the result of a video glitch. I experience the same thing all the time. I am not sure how exactly it can be remedied. It is rather annoying..

Steelle

0uranos wrote:

Yeah that's what I was wondering too. Sometimes I'm able to see them, sometimes not.
I remember that during Monolith's days, Euro players were able to see every ads. It was fun because during some LEs, hidden messages were put in the ads.

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I wish something like that could happen again. That was really one of the best thing in the game.

Hey thats pretty cool. Could you imagine something like that nowadays?

Croesis

machete wrote:

What you describe is the result of a video glitch. I experience the same thing all the time. I am not sure how exactly it can be remedied. It is rather annoying..

Oh yeah, I know.. the billboards are experiencing z-fighting as shown in the image... but what I'm asking about is why there are ads underneath the default and why we can't see them unless viewing the boards a a certain angle to induce z-fighting?

**Ballak**

Vinia wrote:

machete wrote:
What you describe is the result of a video glitch. I experience the same thing all the time. I am not sure how exactly it can be remedied. It is rather annoying..
Oh yeah, I know.. the billboards are experiencing z-fighting as shown in the image... but what I'm asking about is why there are ads underneath the default and why we can't see them unless viewing the boards a a certain angle to induce z-fighting?

I think that's just rendering distance, but I do believe there are places where the hidden ads are not hidden. As for why they're under Ad Space for Rent? I'm not sure.

**machete**

What type of video card does your machine have? I believe it may happen with Nvidia cards. Are there any ATI users that can confirm this same glitch?

**Kybutra** · 06/15/2008 19:28:05

All the Ad Space for Rent signs were once normal random ads through out the game, they later decided to overlay the current boards and allow an advertising company to use them instead, but all we ever see is the ad space for rent signs anyways. maybe the occasional Video Advert will show up.

Croesis

Kybutra wrote:

All the Ad Space for Rent signs were once normal random ads through out the game, they later decided to overlay the current boards and allow an advertising company to use them instead, but all we ever see is the ad space for rent signs anyways. maybe the occasional Video Advert will show up.

Ah I see, thats what happened. I had thought that in game advertising had happened from the start, seems I was mistaken. Seems a shame that non US players, for the most part, loose a sense of immersion because of some red tape. At least we don't get video ads though...

Oh, yeah I use a nVidia GeForce 7900GT. I wasn't really reporting the glitch, just wondering why some normal looking ads were covered up with the ugly and boring Ad Space graphic, Kybutra pretty much answered that question!

I won't ask for this thread to be locked. If anyone else has anything to say about the Advertisments, they are welcome to, if not I guess I'll leave this to sink down the page as most old and unused threads are destined to do...

Siepher

Question, why are us, the europeans not allowed to see adverts in the game?

I think it would be nice.

Croesis

Something to do with different advertisement legislation for different countries and IP address's as far as I can make out.

**Kybutra**

The ad space for rent should be removed, I live in the US and 99% of the time its still Ad Space for Rent, it'll be that once and a blue moon advertisement that gets through. So I think they should just start using the billboards like they did back in the Monolith days for riddles and other content.

Croesis

I guess it depends on how much money SoE gets from the advertisement company and the contract they have. I can't think of any other current SoE game which has these type of real world ads. I would guess that The Agency may have a a deal going on though.

**phi**

The "Ad Space for Rent" Signs are overlain surfaces on the billboards, and are built into the world model so something must be drawn there, but a transparent texture rather than "Ad Space for Rent" would be great allowing us to see the ads underneath.

However the image is supplied by the advertising company, so there may be a technical reason that transparencies aren't possible.

The reason for the ads being available to U.S. (and a few others) customers is because to show an ad the agency needs the end-user's IP address, which SOE are happy to supply for U.S. customers, but not for internationals due to assorted privacy laws. If you are not in the U.S. and get the ads it's because your IP address is considered to be an American one.

I would love to have the old ads (including the player made ones) back, but if it's ASFR or the U.S. ads I'll take ASFR over a video ad with sound anyday.

**Ballak**

Oh come on, everyone loves the Video Adverts. The one about the guy singing about trippy chocolates, Will Ferrell and the Turtle Cages, and we can't forget the good ol' "It's not just liquid oil, it's liquid technology. It's not just liquid oil, it's liquid technology. It's not just liquid oil, it's liquid technology. It's not just liquid oil, it's liquid technology. It's not just liquid oil, it's liquid technology. It's not just liquid oil, it's liquid technology. It's not just liquid oil, it's liquid technology. It's not just liquid oil, it's liquid technology. It's not just liquid oil, it's liquid technology. It's not just liquid oil, it's liquid technology. It's not just liquid oil, it's liquid technology. It's not just liquid oil, it's liquid technology. It's not just liquid oil, it's liquid technology. CASTROL GTX"