Konami recently unveiled that Metal Gear Solid: Peace Walker would feature product placements for Pepsi beverages, Uniqlo apparel, Doritos chips, Axe deodorant, and Sony Walkman music players. Some consumers are leery of their inclusion, forcing Metal Gear series creator Hideo Kojima to comment.
“Regarding the collaborations, I have one reason for doing them, wrote Kojima via Twitter. It’s because I want to surprise the players. If the surprise and freshness were lost, I would stop the collaborations. It’s different from Hollywood-style merchandizing.”
Most core game titles have avoided product placement, but the Metal Gear Solid series has embraced it since Metal Gear Solid 4 and given that title’s success, it perhaps suggests that the market is more accepting of their presence than initially thought. Brand marketers do need to be careful, however, when working with developers to make sure the product placement doesn’t tarnish the game experience.
Source: IndustryGamers {link no longer active}
