Players respond to an in-game Elder Scrolls Online advertisement promoting a cash shop purchase.

To help promote the sale of its Senche Leopard mount, ZeniMax Online Studios (ZOS) displayed an in-game Elder Scrolls Online advertisement during Welcome Back Weekend. While game promotions and advertisements are nothing new in the ESO launch client, this is the first time ZOS has used an advertisement in the form of a system announcement during game play.

Elder Scrolls Online Advertisement

Both subscription and non-subscription players have reported seeing the in-game ad (see image below). In yellow letters, players were encouraged to purchase the Senche Leopard mount in the cash shop. The Elder Scrolls Online advertisement is said to have been broadcast in English, French, and German at different times throughout the game.

Forum Poll Conducted

A player-created poll was conducted on the Elder Scrolls Online forums to gauge opinions regarding the in-game advertisement (see poll here). Feelings varied on the matter, but the majority of participants voted against the practice.

One player against the ads, Danikat, writes:

I agree it’s not acceptable. Notices on the launcher and login screen along with other game updates and notifications are fine but to my mind on-screen notifications in the game are for important messages, like the server being shut down soon, not advertising.

And like many people I don’t object at all to them having a cash shop or advertising it. I’ve actually been checking every day to see if there’s anything new (I do the same in GW2 as well) so if anything the message is a bit redundant for me. But there’s a big difference between choosing to look, seeing it in amongst other news about the game and having it slashed across my screen.

Another player, Valen_Byte, indicates the Elder Scrolls Online advertisement broke his immersion:

Just happened again. Three times in a row, in 3 Languages!! Got the screenshot this time. As you can see, I was in the middle of becoming a WW. Completely ruined the moment, and my immersion. Thanks for that. To show my appreciation, I give you this lovely middle finger.

Still, other players didn’t see a problem with the ads. Makkir says:

Do you guys complain about commercials when you are watching TV too? Chill the hell out. I bet you are all completely offended by such vulgarities as advertising something in the crown store? Sometimes I think you guys just need something to complain about.

The issue of in-game ads elicited strong feelings in some, devolving into personal attacks. ZOS indicated they valued players feedback on the issue, but some comments had to be removed.

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Final Thoughts

So what do the readers of the Skyrim Fansite have to say on this issue? Do you see value with in-game Elder Scrolls Online advertisements, or should ZOS stop the practice, as ashlee17 indicates in the following meme? Share your thoughts in the Speak Your Mind section below.