Advertising Funded MMO?

[Minute]

I was bored and perusing some of the free mmo's out there (Specifically the ones that didn't suck and could sort of compare to actual pay per month ones). All of them seem to be funded through some sort of real world purchase. Like you have to buy cards to level your toon, or buy points or some shit. Anywho, it got me thinking about advertising. With the crazy amounts of numbers that MMO's draw and are potentially exposed to daily, the chance at making phat cheese through advertising in them is pretty big.

Like for instance when you need a quick power up you eat a Snickers or drink a Red Bull, or to avoid the endurance loss you have to eat the new fat fuck pizza lovers from Dominos, you get the idea. I'd think that advertising of this magnitude could easily fund an MMO and it's development.

Anyone know of anyone out there doing something like this?

[Kulaf]

God I hope not.

[Bahd Zoolander]

The free version of Anarchy Online has in-game ads. There are some others that do the same.

[Taxious]

I don't remember any of this in Guild Wars, and I think it's an amazing game.

[Rsak]

You might be able to pull of funding the operating costs, but not the development since the price tag is too high.

[Xican]

Shadowbane has in-game ads. Well, not exactly in-game, but after you turn it off, you basically get a 30 second commercial for some random shit.

[Mukik]

not sure if it panned out,

but the matrix online was/did some advertising
http://www.lockergnome.com/game/2005/11 ... ouncement/