Blizzard looking to hire "product placement" producer for next-gen MMO

by Mathew McCurley Jan 24th 2012 at 2:00PM

As Blizzard charges into 2012 with three big releases (Mists of Pandaria, StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm, and Diablo III) coming soon, rumors begin to swirl as a new job posting became available on the Blizzard career site for a franchise development producer. The interesting facts in the job listing are that the position is for the next-gen MMO, focused on working with consumer brands and creating brand-extending merchandise.

What does this mean for the next-gen MMO currently roasting slowly at Blizzard's complex? We don't really know. If we look at other games that have had advertising, it's usually in the form of billboards or sponsorships, featuring products that you and I know of. The possibilities for where ads could go within the game world of an MMO are endless, but it does preclude some settings and time periods. Intriguing, no? Something to freak out about? Definitely not.

Tags: blizzard, blizzard-jobs, development, franchise, franchise-development-producer, job, job-posting, project-titan, titan

Filed under: Blizzard, News items

Reader Comments (Page 2 of 3)

Ata Jan 24th 2012 2:28PM

Goblins had advertising for Kaja Cola on their island. You've got the flyers for the fishing tournament and the posters for the Darkmoon Faire. It's possible in WoW, would just have to be a lot more creative about it.

Imnick Jan 24th 2012 3:01PM

But Kaja Cola was a Goblin plot element :V

threesixteen Jan 24th 2012 2:26PM

brew of the month: Heineken.

yessssssssss

Ata Jan 24th 2012 2:26PM

I dont know about you, but I can fit it -easily- into a fantasy/medieval period. Posters ala 'wanted' posters or the old advertizing for circuses, town criers...would be kind of interesting to see something like Pepsi advertized in a medieval sort of fashion, and damn creative if it were pulled off right too.

Don't automatically preclude any time period. Sure would be easier from like, the 1850's onward, but still possible.

bastetswarrior Jan 24th 2012 2:34PM

Pets would be an easy way ... a pet floating pizza for example. Nearly anything can have a pet representation. Or mounts, those are less flexible, ... a Honda horse or a Toyota Pterrodax.

pinteresque Jan 24th 2012 2:31PM

Or you've got it backwards, and they're looking for a marketing guy to figure out how to place product placements for Titan in other media.

pinteresque Jan 24th 2012 2:32PM

aaaaand then I read the job posting. So probably not.

Imnick Jan 24th 2012 3:06PM

Shame, I was imagining a ninja programmer sneaking into other developers' headquarters and planting lines of propaganda into the next Call of Duty and Sims.

Amaxe Jan 24th 2012 2:33PM

Man, this sounds ridiculous. Next thing you know, we'll be seeing some weird shit like Mohawk grenades and Mountain Dew Robots...

...oh wait...

Shinae Jan 24th 2012 2:33PM

I don't think that it was intrusive when the Mt. Dew "Game Fuel" ad campaign happened, and we got compainion robots in WoW that could be given red or blue fuel, like the red and blue versions of the WoW-labeled Mt Dew drink. The robot was just another companion pet, and there was no mention of the real-world product in game, thankfully.

The most intrusive "ads" in WoW have been things advertisting WoW/Blizz itself, such as the Mr. T grenade, the Blizzcon mount, and the 7th anniversary tabard.

Pam Jan 24th 2012 4:08PM

I want more fuel tho....they shoulda put it in the Toy Shop. ;/

Dude Jan 24th 2012 2:34PM

Old news, move on nothing to see here. Mmm McDonalds.

spectres Jan 24th 2012 2:39PM

For me it just says, "Hey the game will be on planet Earth." which is not something you see much of from Blizzard!

Yvl Jan 24th 2012 2:50PM

Or WANT to see.

Imnick Jan 24th 2012 3:04PM

We have no idea what Titan will be but honestly I don't see why anyone would be that worried about the time period, as Starcraft is set in the far future.
There are thousands of ways that Blizzard can use concepts that they are are already familiar with into a modern setting. Demons will go pretty much anywhere, players could wear Terran-esque armoured suits, etc.

RogueJedi86 Jan 24th 2012 2:44PM

People already described shoulderpads in WoW as billboards, now we'll have something to do with those billboards. I hope we get a cut of the advertising on our shoulders.

(I know, this is going to be for Titan. Not a fan of ads except in settings already filled with them, like NASCAR and the sides of sports arenas, and their videogame equivalents for each.)

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