Ad Nauseum

By Rob Fahey Published 12 September, 2009

Advertising on console dashboards is a great idea if it's handled with care.

Published as part of our sister-site GamesIndustry.biz' widely-read weekly newsletter, the GamesIndustry.biz Editorial is a weekly dissection of one of the issues weighing on the minds of the people at the top of the games business. It appears on Eurogamer after it goes out to GI.biz newsletter subscribers.

Sony's most recent update to the PlayStation 3 firmware, version 3.00, has brought with it a little more controversy than anyone had expected. Coming in the week when the console notched up the highest point in its sales since launch, it's unlikely that this unrest has caused too many sleepless nights at the firm, but it's interesting to consider the source of the complaints.

A few minor issues regarding user interface aside, the primary source of the backlash was, perhaps, somewhat predictable. Many users don't like the new "What's New" panel which appears when you switch the console on - accusing it of being a platform for advertising rather than a useful addition to the system.

Sony refutes that viewpoint, arguing that the panel also gets you into games more quickly by offering hotlinks to recently accessed games on the hard drive. However, there's no doubt that What's New is, for the most part, designed to serve as an advertising platform.

So, do consumers have a point when they complain that this update has polluted their dashboard with adverts, eroding the sleek, minimalist aesthetic and functionality of the XMB interface in favour of the steady encroachment of adland? From a design standpoint, possibly. From a functionality standpoint, however, the PS3's dash is long overdue an advertising mechanism.

Regardless of your personal views of the console war, there's no doubt that one of the big winners in this generation has been downloadable content - in the form of game add-ons and small games on services like Xbox Live Arcade and PlayStation Store. Whether it's providing more content for blockbuster games, such as song packs for Rock Band or new areas and missions for Fallout 3, or encouraging creativity and risk-taking in development by providing a channel for the distribution of low-cost games like Braid and Flower, these services have provided new breadth and depth to the gaming market.

However, they suffer from a huge problem - visibility, or rather, the lack of it. XBL and PSN titles are locked away behind an icon on the dashboard, often buried several levels deep in a store interface which few users will peruse on a regular basis. Consumers who regularly read the gaming press will know which titles they're hunting for in these stores, but the average user will probably either ignore the store entirely, or only skim through it on a very infrequent basis.

Rockstar went for the obvious solution to this problem when it released expansion content for Grand Theft Auto IV - the publisher invested in a major TV advertising campaign, the first of its kind for a piece of Xbox Live content. This avenue, however, is only open to major publishers with high-profile content to push. Much of the point of XBL and PSN is the benefit it affords to smaller firms, for whom TV advertising is out of reach.

The obvious, logical solution to this is, of course, to create an affordable, tightly targeted advertising solution on the platform itself. Console dashboards need a way to put new releases and products of interest front and centre, where users will see them, rather than burying them in the store.

This is exactly what Sony has done with the new firmware update - and, of course, it's also exactly what Microsoft did with the release of the NXE dashboard update for the Xbox 360 many months ago. Both firms recognise the potential of on-dash advertising boxes - not only the potential, in fact, but the simple necessity of their existence.

Naturally, as with any advertising venture, there are a number of pitfalls which gape open as soon as you start down this path. It's possible, for example, to annoy users by poorly integrating your advertising space with the design of your dashboard - Microsoft avoided this by designing NXE from the ground up to be an advertising platform, but Sony has walked headlong into it by slapping a big ugly ad space over the top of its existing interface.

Even more annoying in the long term is the delivery of irrelevant advertising content to your users. Repeatedly telling players of Killzone 2 or Gears of War about the exciting launch of a new Hannah Montana game will result in users switching off and ignoring the irrelevant, annoying ad spaces. Modern consoles have individual user profiles which know perfectly well which games each user plays - this information can be used to create accurate targeting which changes adverts from being distracting to being useful and relevant.

The biggest pitfall of all, however, is also the most enticing - simple greed. Advertising space on console dashboards is justified if it's being used to promote features and content which are accessible through that dashboard - in that context, it's actually useful to users. What's vastly more questionable is the selling of that space to promote other products, treating it effectively as a standard ad format which is available to anyone with money to spend.

Microsoft, which has been keen to monetise everything to within an inch of its life in this console generation, has already started down this path with the advertising boxes on the Xbox 360. These spaces are pitched to advertising firms, and Microsoft clearly sees them as a new revenue stream - even though in many cases they're appearing on the dashboards of users paying for the Xbox Live Gold service, which seems a bit cheeky.

This is the tipping point at which many customers may begin to feel a little abused by on-dash advertising. Promoting new content on XBL or PSN, or highlighting new additions to the assorted video rental services, is something that actually makes the dashboard more useful and informative. Suggesting that you might like an ice-cold Pepsi or a trip to see Michael Bay's latest movie in the cinema, however, is just clutter, and platform holders will have to tread carefully here to work out where consumers' comfort zone ends.

For those complaining about the addition of advertising space to the PS3, however, there are no words of comfort. I'm surprised it's taken this long to arrive, in fact - and now that it's launched, you'd better get used to it. Love it or loathe it, on-dash advertising is becoming a core part of the console experience.

For more views on the industry and to keep up to date with news relevant to the games business, read GamesIndustry.biz. You can sign up to the newsletter and receive the GamesIndustry.biz Editorial directly each Thursday afternoon.

Picture of Rob.

About Rob Fahey

Rob Fahey is a former editor of GamesIndustry.biz who spent several years living in Japan and probably still has a mint condition Dreamcast Samba de Amigo set.

Read more articles from Rob by visiting the Rob Fahey archive page.

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Comments (54) Latest comment 2 years ago

Comments threads automatically close after 30 days, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Scimarad #1 2 years ago

    I really don't understand why the new panel would irritate people - it's tucked away at the end of the sodding dash, for god's sake!

    It's still a lot more simple and inituitive than the 360 dash by a long way. IMO, of course. I do like the way the music player pops up on the 360's 'guide' menu, though.

  • Syrok #2 2 years ago

    I'd still argue that advertising by and large has the opposite affect of what they are hoping to achieve and that is that people are annoyed by the company trying to sell you anything and therefor less likely to buy their product.

  • Strifer #3 2 years ago

    Maybe if they offered a series of RSS-like feeds that you can choose from. I'd subscribe to one if it was about release dates for games, games in the same venue, maybe something else.

  • t8yman #4 2 years ago

    Targetted, relevant advertising doesnt bother me too much - but as outlined in the article - don't tell me about shitty films I will never watch. As far as xbl goes - I think silver members (like myself) cant really complain, but Gold Members should be able to turn off the ads.

  • Cappy #5 2 years ago

    So, I've got to have advertising for my own good?

    It's essential, no absolutely vital that I know about new wares available online? I would understand that if this was being run under a public service ethos but it's not like they're giving this space away just because they think Flower for instance deserves more sales.

    If it was to support the underexposed titles and give them a helping hand I would feel a bit differently, what we are actually losing is yet another refuge from hype and marketing. Hey! He's got to know about Fallout 3 DLC and all the other stuff that's already overexposed everywhere else!

    Being out of reach, able to ignore things that don't interest me is something that I value.
    Edited by 1 at 12/09/09 @ 10:14

  • Chufty #6 2 years ago

    Nonsense. Why is advertising products 'vastly more questionable'? Adverts are everywhere, the only baffling thing is that games have resisted as an advertising platform for this long. The very website on which you're reading the article is plastered with adverts.

    And I'm sorry, but it's naive to say that advertising turns people off products. Why then is advertising a global trillion-pound industry? Even annoying adverts work because they put the product in your mind when you're making a purchase decision.

    Is anyone in the UK not annoyed by the Sheila's Wheels adverts? No, they're the most annoying adverts in history. But they have become by far the biggest brand in female-only insurance in the UK, entirely on the back of that advertising campaign.

    Microsoft are going to make a hell of a lot of money advertising on their NXE dashboard and Sony will get left behind if they don't follow suit.

    And please, dashboard is the name of the 360 interface, not the PS3 interface.

    /rant

  • davisorle #7 2 years ago

    I dont like the new panel like i never , neither anyone, ever liked the adverts nor similar pages on XBL.

    It's still rather amusing how they had to see so many reactions from PS3 owners in order to"excuse" the adverts on a console instead of keep spitting on the console like they did for XBL. Honestly, its just way too odd and f**ked up if you ask me.

    Now, wanna advert on dashboard? If you ask me keep in the Indie games sections the adverts for those games themselves so you can see those adverts if you visit them yourself. Wanna have GOD adverts on XBL? Do it in that sections/part of the XLB/dashboard. Wanna have random adverts? You get them on your PS3's browser's eitherway. Wanna Have anything else? Excuse it poperly if you dont want reaction and ALWYAS give option to NOT have them in your face even if you consider they MIGHT cause reaction for irritating your consumer or accept the fact that you will be trashed for. Like MS has been dealing with all the craptalk ever since their first effort to get in the console universe, they shouldnt find it so f**king weird that finally even the "Sony" consumer has a mouth of his own and opinionate on what they get and the services.

    Anything to argue about? Minusrate me for all i care you will be the ones that can NOT have an opinion but love to have shit forced onto them without talking nor thinking about it. And for those few that dont get bothered the slightest? Well thank God there are ppl that have no issue with "small" things, cause when it comes down to final point is small things that either you see that you have the right to complain about so they wont keep screwing you over OR you are smart enough to know you can worry and be bothered about way more important things. Unfortunately im in the first category. I cant and wont freaking care what others think if they see it differently. As simple as that. You do? then im sorry that people are that sad and have nothing better to do :p

  • nicksan #8 2 years ago

    It's not hard to go into the settings of the PS3 and turn off 'What's New' loading on default at boot up. I saw it once when I updated, and haven't seen it since.

  • RedPanda #9 2 years ago

    Post deleted at 14:31:59 28-01-2012

  • Solvalou #10 2 years ago

    The article seems to promote the idea that the real gripe with this firmware is the advent of advertising, while the aesthetic changes would be minor quibbles. I happen to think the opposite. I can turn off What's New, but I can't get rid of an awful zoomed font or grey boxed contacts... These changes overall makes the whole xmb an unpleasant experience, uneasy on the eye... PS3 loses much of its sexyness, but that probably just reflects the arrival of the slim.

  • rotmm #11 2 years ago

    @RedPanda, "Can someone translate this into English please?"

    Translation: Waah, waah, waah!

  • Mashum #12 2 years ago

    I often look on the store so the ads don't inform me much (they may brainwash me a bit though). The new panel isn't that intrusive but it does break the beautiful simplicity of the xmb a bit.

    On the other hand using the 360 dashboard is like being forced to drive past giant billboards. It's genuinely annoying when all I want is to..
    - play what's in the disc drive or on the hard drive
    - know what's new in the store
    ...if I want saucy videos of jessica chobot pointing at gameplay or some fop haired marketing cock telling me about new product I'll go onto the internet :-o

    edit:terrible grammar
    Edited by 1 at 12/09/09 @ 12:03

  • Retroid #13 2 years ago

    If they're little adverts for new products I might have an interest in (they're games, so it's a fair bet), or stuff I might not be aware of (new DLC, price offers, that sort of thing) then I have no issue whatsoever.

  • davisorle #14 2 years ago

    @RedPanda
    " Δεν μου αρέσει, ούτε σε κανεναν, άρεσαν ποτέ οι διαφημίσεις σε παρόμοιες σελίδες στο XBL"

    That is translated in Greek since im Greek. Now if you are english and your IQ doesn't allow you to even imagine what word is missing and makes that sentence unexplainable to you then I wont even feel bad for you being a retard. Start with crosswords and connecting dots. And i wont correct my comment just cause its fun when dumbasses jump up like you did. lol

  • dither #15 2 years ago

    I turn my console on and play games. I don't give a shit about what the dashboard or XMB look like, or what they try and make me buy.

  • GreyBeard #16 2 years ago

    "For those complaining about the addition of advertising space to the PS3, however, there are no words of comfort."

    Apart from, you can turn it off in the settings :p
    Edited by 2 at 12/09/09 @ 12:17

  • Oh-Bollox #17 2 years ago

    It would be good if the content was differentiated by quality, instead of merely being the newest, most expensive shite. Sort them by OPM scores, or better yet, Metacritic scores. If I had Noby Noby Boy, The Last Guy, Flower, etc popping up and I knew that, despite the total lack of advertising, they received good reviews from someone not on the Sony payroll, I'd be interested and give them a go (if I didn't have them already).

  • Ashcroft #18 2 years ago

    An article so awful that it has to be posted on GameIndustry and Eurogamer? Just turn the bloody thing off in the PS3 options, try doing more than 2 seconds research next time. You can't turn the NXE advertising off mind, unless you don't sign into Live, now that is annoying.

  • mattius30 #19 2 years ago

    I wonder whether console-based advertising needs a little more sophistication.

    Its all very well splashing ads all over the dashboard/XMB - but apathy can quickly set in and it's easy just to ignore them as peripheral objects.

    Consoles now recognise a disk that has been inserted, so how about a box appearing that lists any additional DLC - or 'other games you might like'? At least then any advertising or offers are somehow related to the user. Or even scanning your game saves and listing potential items of interest. Personally, I would find that more appropriate to me than 'What's New' on the PS3 that hasn't appeared to change since the update, or hiding content amongst a pile of other crap.

    Advertising seems to be here to say though - I just to pray to God we don't get real, regular adverts streaming onto any of the consoles...

  • copper08 #20 2 years ago

    You can turn off "what's new" so it's not the first thing you see, do a bit of research, who's gives these idiots jobs?

  • zabeu #21 2 years ago

    /looks at obtrusive EG adds and ponders writers double morale.

    How much do you pay for reading EG, "notmyrealname", and how much did your PS3 cost? How do you think EG is funded?

  • Eraserhead #22 2 years ago

    This is DISGRACEFUL. I can't believe EG had the NERVE to publish this article.

    I mean, everyone knows it's spelt "Ad nauseam."

  • kaya08 #23 2 years ago

    Seems perfectly reasonable to me. Its not like your being charged for the 'service'.
    Unlike some

  • Xerx3s #24 2 years ago

    "Advertising on console dashboards is a great idea if it's handled with care."

    A great idea when the user who paid for it all has the option to turn it all off.

    EDIT: Not so much aimed at the ps3 as it is at the 360.
    Edited by 1 at 12/09/09 @ 13:10

  • SeesThroughAll #25 2 years ago

    For those complaining about the addition of advertising space to the PS3, however, there are no words of comfort.

    But you can turn the "What's New" off.

    A much better example to support this article's case would have been the Wipeout Fury loading screen ads.
    Edited by 1 at 12/09/09 @ 14:27

  • Stegofreak #26 2 years ago

    Personally I'm not really bothered by the advertisements. I think SONY have implamented them well enough. What bugged me about the new update was putting a store icon between Game and Trophy List.

  • Syrok #27 2 years ago

    I think that actually better. Means I don't accidently click on the Home button.

  • harhol #28 2 years ago

    The only adverts I've seen so far have been for popular games I already own (e.g. Shatter) or for massively hyped upcoming games which are impossible to avoid elsewhere (e.g. Heavy Rain). It could be a useful feature if they used it to advertise stuff which we might not know about, e.g. obscure or long-forgotten PSN games.

  • mattdoc30 #29 2 years ago

    Games consoles are a media format, all media formats eventually fall 'prey' to advertising. I place 'prey' in inverted commas because [prepares for flaming] I actually don't mind it - when it implemented properly.

    Personally I think the NXE has the right level of advertising and in the right places, it shows me what's new on the games front and if I'm interested it links me straight through. The other day I noticed an advert for a film that is yet to be released, clicked on it and it presented me with some trailers. This is good for me because the XBOX is just part of a larger home entertainment system - I have an interested in Movies too and so am interested by this type of advertising.

    The form this advertising takes is okay because it is passive, if an advert pops up every time you loaded a game (that you've paid for) or drilled down into a menu then this would be annoying but as it stands you go up one level and start you game or in PS3s case you use the 'What's new' to jump straight in so you can ignore the advertising if you don't like it. I happen to think that the advertising is so well implemented on the NXE that it almost adds to the 'decore' of the dashboard and there in lies my issue with the PS3 - the XMB isn't exactly brilliant at presenting large amounts of information without looking, dare I say it, ugly!

    It's not the advertising that's the issue, it's the way it's delivered and Sony need to make it fit a little better!

  • old_skool #30 2 years ago

    I don't see what the big deal is. You can still disable the panel in your system settings. That's what I did. End of story.

  • old_skool #31 2 years ago

    system setting> display[what's new] on-off

    I set mine to off.

  • gareth886 #32 2 years ago

    The main reason for the backlash was the crap looking friends list not the What's New panel.

  • chessboxer #33 2 years ago

    @ xXBrombeerXx

    The panel still displays BUT the background will only change if you're too slow whilst navigating the XMB. I can scroll through the entire XMB without the background changing, and that's with a normal theme or a dynamic one.

    If the background changes when navigating past "What's New" then you need to be a bit faster.

    I haven't noticed any flickering whilst scrolling through the friends list but that may be because my TV has a very high refresh rate (very high end Bravia).

    Oh, and I like the sparkles.

  • Lemming81 #34 2 years ago

    Actually, as a PS3 owner I have to say the problem isn't so much the outright visibilty of these games as it is an obtuse layout for the store itself and the fact that NO screen shots are present when you highlight a product. Even a looping 10 second clip of the gameplay would do, like the XMB does with video files.

  • jarek98 #35 2 years ago

    I don't see any problem with new "What's new" section. You always can turn it off in setup.

  • moozaad #36 2 years ago

    You buy the console, you buy the games. You should at least be allowed the option to turn adverts off... ie. to opt out, even if that means missing deals in the online store :]

  • napalm68 #37 2 years ago

    Mate, the What's New can be turned off.

    The thing that can't is the information bar. You used to be able to. I wouldn't honestly mind the information bar, but there is a bug in it that causes the clock to popup for me every 5 minutes during video playback (even if paused):
    http://i2 58.photobucket.com/albums/hh247...

    xXBrombeerXx - the "sparkles" can be turned off also. You have to change your theme to Classic (which is the old PS3 theme). "Original" is the new theme with sparkles.
    Edited by 1 at 12/09/09 @ 23:19

  • man.the.king #38 2 years ago

    Looks like Rob Fahey was so enthusiastic about including the PS brand in this admania criticizing that he forgot that the "What's New" thing can be turned off in the PS3 System Settings.

  • Miths #39 2 years ago

    @napalm68

    The guy who posted about that issue on the Playstation forum found the source of the problem - the external USB hard disk he had connected. Unplugging the disk fixed it (well, obviously it still looks like it's a bug in the 3.00 firmware, but at least one with an easy and not particularly intrusive solution until it's been patched up).

    Edit: Actually that picture was from the post on the PS forum, so I assume that guy might have been you? :)
    Edited by 1 at 13/09/09 @ 05:52

  • yrg_autumn #40 2 years ago

    i don't think advertising is ok on my console's dash. i've paid for it! if you were to put advertising in a game and sell it for 30 euros, i'd mind. if you put ads in and sold it for 5 euros, then i'd understand. i think it's as simple as that - it's ok to use advertising as an alternative revenue stream in order to reduce the price of your products, it's NOT ok to shove advertising down your consummer's throat and still take all his money. So yeah, it's ok for eurogamer to be advertising AND complain about advertising on xbox360.

    however, i don't agree with EG that advertising could help pull games out of obscurity. unless sony feel in a very generous mood, as a company, they can't be expected to do anything other than "rent" the space to the highest bidder - which won't be nobby nobby boy, it's going to be fifa 2010, who people probably already knew about.
    Edited by 1 at 13/09/09 @ 09:04

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #41 2 years ago

    I paid for my iPhone, but when browsing eurogamer on it, I get adverts! I paid for a Sky subscription, but when watching sky one, I get adverts! I paid for a cinema ticket, but before the film started, I get adverts! I paid for a magazine, but every few pages, there are adverts!

  • MENTAL1ST Verified Senior Software Engineer, Picsel UK Ltd. #42 2 years ago

    Also, to the chorus of people informing us that you can turn ps3 adverts off, the article explains that they are intended for people not savvy enough to know about forthcoming downloadable games and other content. What makes you think they'll be savvy enough to search for a config option in the settings to switch them off? Especially if it's something you need to explain to people on the forums of an enthusiast website.

  • Darren #43 2 years ago

    I disabled my PS3 booting to the "What's New" section so now I seldom see any advertising unless I deliberately hover over the icon or visit the PS Store. Instead my PS3 boots to the Games section as it always did. No complaints from me! :)

    Although I agree the XMB with the new 3.0 firmware has become a little messy and cluttered, mostly due to the increased icon and font size and the fugly Friends boxes, the advertising at least isn't as in your face as it is on my Xbox 360 where I cannot stop the console from booting to the Spotlight section short of not logging into Xbox LIVE.

  • Chufty #44 2 years ago

    Anyone who says you can turn What's New off, needs to re-read the article. It's a commentary about the coming rise in console-hosted advertising, using the new firmware updates as an example. The points made in the article still stand, whether you agree with them or not (which, incidentally, I don't.)

    Thick people really annoy me.

    Most of the features in 3.0 can be turned OFF! Even the background sparkles. And yes, the "What's New" section too.

    This is my favourite example of such a comment, for irony's sake.

  • bad09 #45 2 years ago

    Christ, yes you can turn it off for start up but it is STILL on your dash with no way to remove it. That is not turning it off peeps.

    Does Steam infect your desktop with ads? no of course not, sure you see ads or offers when you hit steam but people would be pissed if it put ads on your PC before even using it. I think that is the underlying problem a lot of people have with it (i know that's my issue with it), it's on your interface no argument.

    Internet connection for consoles seemed so perfect at first, now look where we are "BUY ME! BUY ME!!! BUY ME!!!!!" before you even start a game. (of course Sony are nowhere near MS and the absolute ad overload mess of NXE, but the new firmware is a step closer to them IMO)

    Of course some don't care about this approach (and even like it) but for others, like me, it's a complete turn off. Still maybe I'm just an old fart who foolishly still thinks hardware is for software not an ad platform. Keep it in your stores MS and Sony after all I expect to see ads in there....

  • Miths #46 2 years ago

    @bad09

    Yes, they are still there in the XMB, but as you actively have to scroll over to see the ads if you've turned the feature off, I personally don't notice them at all. The What's New section is almost to the far right of the XMB, and if you're quick enough on the buttons you can scroll right past it before it even activates.

    Anyway, aside from that I do understand the concern about forced ads, and just as Microsoft make sure to slam them right in your face, I certainly wouldn't put it past Sony to start doing that at some point as well - if not in this console generation, then the next.

  • Mchief22 #47 2 years ago

    What you fail to tell people in this article is the fact that you can turn off the playstations adverts if you dont want them there.
    Xbox on the other hand made the NXE from the ground up to advertise, thus ruining a perfectly good dashboard in the process.
    The original Blades system worked fine while offline, it was only the online part that needed updating. What you also failed to make clear is that the Playstation is free to use online, so if they wanna advertise on the system, as a consumer I can totally understand that. if it's free what have you to complain about.

  • septimus #48 2 years ago

    It takes a Sony update for this to be released. 360 is worse. The XNE is a shit experience to use, utterly intuitive. Sony will probably listen to this backlash at least and minimise it.

    With 360 i PAY for them to fucking advertise to me each year.

  • Bigglesworth #49 2 years ago

    @Brombeer
    Just light a bonfire and chuck your Sony kit on it, have a ritual burning or something - that seems like the only way you'll feel better. Be careful not to look at any Sony logos in future either, or the nightmares will come back.

    /facepalm

  • Grayvern #50 2 years ago

    2 things,
    as has been mentioned before you can turn most of it off
    but most importantly the new part is at the end of the xmb which always starts on the games part meaning that unless you go to far right you need never see it.

  • spidermanalf #51 2 years ago

    But surely if we all say we don't want it, they will get rid of it, just like they did with PS2 backwards compatability!

  • funkateer #52 2 years ago

    "I'd still argue that advertising by and large has the opposite affect of what they are hoping to achieve and that is that people are annoyed by the company trying to sell you anything and therefor less likely to buy their product."
    If that were true, there would be no advertising.
    Some commercials are actually designed to be annoying so that people remember them. People buy something because they know it, not necessarily because they liked the commercial.

    Personally I'm not bothered by the 'What's New' panel. You have to specifically navigate there, so if you don't like it, just don't go see it. It's your own choice.
    It's not like commercial TV stations where you are constantly bombarded with commercials to the point you seek refuge at downloaded TV series without them. Let's hope consoles won't become like commercial TV stations...
    Edited by 1 at 14/09/09 @ 09:49

  • Darren #53 2 years ago

    @Chufty - By default the new PS3 firmware boots up to advertising but this can be disabled for a less intrusive experience. In my case since I've disabled the option I've not noticed any advertising on the XMB unless I enter the PS Store as I generally only use the Game and Music sections.

    As long as Sony stick with this policy then I personally have no objections to the "What's New" section unlike the Xbox 360's NXE where advertising is shoved in your face the minute you sign into LIVE and you cannot ignore it like you can on the PS3. I think that's the point people are making.

  • Chazmeister #54 2 years ago

    So far I've got no complaints with the advertising on the 360. It's all related to the specific blade as it were, ie the game marketplace just showing what the latest games and demo out are etc, and the videos blade showing new films to download. The spotlight just shows a mixture of stuff and the streaming video's like Sent u a Message etc. I don't have a problem with any of that, as it's good to know whats new in the marketplaces.

    The only unrelated ads on the 360 I've seen so far have been for new films at the cinema, like Gamer, but they are few and far between and hardly obtrusive. It's not as if the 360 dash is plastered with in your face adverts for Pepsi Max and Pringles etc.

    If the ads on the PS3 are in a similar vein then I can't see whats wrong with that, especially when it's a free service.