programming and human factors
by Jeff Atwood
Games that run in your web browser are all the rage, and understandably so. Why not build your game for the largest audience in the world, using freely available technology, and pay zero licensing fees? One such game is Evony, formerly known as Civony – a browser-based clone of the game Civilization with a buy-in mechanism.
There are also plentiful opportunities to 'pay money' now. In the end, Civony is still a business. And to be honest, it's probably better to give the option for some elite folks to finance the game for the masses than to make everyone pay a subscription or watch in-game ads. In addition to the old $0.30 per line world chat, you can spend money to speed up resource gathering, boost stats, and buy in-game artifacts. I'm sure there are other ways to pay money that I haven't discovered yet. But whenever you see a green plus-sign (+), you know the option exists to pay money for a perk.
The game is ostensibly free, but supported by a tiny fraction of players making cash payments for optional items (sometimes referred to as "freemium"). Thus, the player base needs to be quite large for the business of running the game to be sustainible, and the game's creators regularly purchase internet ad space to promote their game. The most interesting thing about Evony isn't the game, per se, but the game's advertising. Here's one of the early ads.
Totally reasonable advertisement. Gets the idea across that this is some sort of game set in medieval times, and emphasizes the free angle.
Apparently that ad didn't perform up to expectations at Evony world HQ, because the ads got progressively ... well, take a look for yourself. These are presented in chronological order of appearance on the internet.
(if this lady looks familiar, there's a reason.)
To be clear, these are real ads that were served on the internet. This is not a parody. Just to prove it, here's a screenshot of the last ad in context at The Elder Scrolls Nexus.
I've talked about advertising responsibly in the past. This is about as far in the opposite direction as I could possibly imagine. It's yet another way, sadly, the brilliant satire Idiocracy turned out to be right on the nose.
The dystopian future of Idiocracy predicted the reduction of advertising to the inevitable lowest common denominator of all, with Starbucks Exotic Coffee for Men, H.R. Block "Adult" Tax Return (home of the gentleman's rebate), and Pollo Loco chicken advertising a Bucket of Wings with "full release".
Evony, thanks for showing us what it means to take advertising on the internet to the absolute rock bottom ... then dig a sub-basement under that, and keep on digging until you reach the white-hot molten core of the Earth. I've always wondered what that would be like. I guess now I know.
Erik must work for Evony.
Aaron on August 4, 2009 9:09 AMThe good thing is, its free !!!
Kunal Shah on August 4, 2009 11:41 AM...
What has the world of advertising come 2?
Anonymous on August 5, 2009 5:40 AMThose are getting ridiculous. I wonder when they'll cut the money train and measure traffic. Perpetual hype machine - eventually runs out of money. $money_in $money_out
Dr Doom on August 6, 2009 11:38 AMWe are web developers and have followed the Civony/Evony ad progression (regression) too. Thank you for the article.
I signed up for the game at Beta stage to compare it with other games. I couldn't believe the direction of the ads, as it has NOTHING to do with the game itself. The last one and playing secretly is bizzare as again it is unrelated to any aspect of the game.
That they've gone this route is one issue, but my problem with it is that the ads are showing up in other serious gaming sites and gaming related sites and are quite inappropriate for the audiences that frequent those sites. I think that the sites displaying the ads should police it, or that Civony/Evony should receive some 'punishment' for not taking that into consideration.
As a morally sound, beautiful, classy, sexy, intelligent, (and yes, big breasted) female who would make any female cartoon in these ads bubble over with jealousy, I have a few comments. I was asked to play this game by a male friend. I arrived at the login page and was turned off... That is what lead me to this blog. I am happy to see so many intelligent males in here who were turned off to the cheap tactics and misleading ads. Those are the kind of males "real" and desirable, intelligent females like me want to spend time with. Not because we are intimidated, any of us can "sell out" in a heartbeat and earn millions. Smart men realize that this kind of advertising degrades men as much as it degrades women. I am far from being a prude. If you want sex, go out and start a meaningful relationship with the female of your choice and have it! I realize that sex sells... so I say to all those men who insist that these types of ads are harmless and appealing… then let’s start with ads featuring YOUR MOTHERs or your sisters in them! Men to a great degree still have more "power" in the world, both financially and politically.. intelligent men know it's not beneficial to them to take advantage of women... nor is it wise to take advantage of males less intelligent than themselves, who cannot see the big picture...I hope that when females keep stepping up and gaining more power in society this tactic doesn’t "bite many men in the butt." Maybe if women require men to wear form fitting clothing that defines the size and shape of men's sexual organs so they can compare you to each other based on your penis size for just one day, or make a man sit there and view half naked men in ads telling them how old, wrinkled, fat and undesirable they are, that would be enough to snap any guy who doesn’t agree with me out of his breast filled stupor! For any male young or old, who spoke against all this garbage I admire you greatly... and trust me... there’s a beautiful female out there just waiting for a "real man" like you to spend some time with her...so keep speaking out until she hears you! Don’t listen to the idiots out there who tell you that you aren’t a “man.” And parents who read this, teach your sons and daughters the same respect for one another. As for all you other guys who have nothing better to do but itch themselves and drool over cartoon or airbrushed images of females that don’t exist... think about what I am saying when you shut your computer off and have nothing to do but search out more false images in your magazines and tv sets... you will have plenty of time alone to do so.... and if you do have an unlucky female in your life... Then why do you have so much free time to play games? I bet she is out now, trying to avoid being with you, perhaps she is running up the credit card bill out of boredom or with her other man "playing discretely"… while you waste your life dreaming about nothing! I can just imagine all the filthy responses I will get to this comment from the disgusting men who feel this smut is pleasing, unfortunately, I probably won’t have time to read them. I will be off making love, traveling, and living out my fantasies instead of living IN my fantasies like you!
A REAL GIRL! on August 8, 2009 3:22 AMAs a morally sound, beautiful, classy, sexy, intelligent, (and yes, big breasted) female who would make any female cartoon in these ads bubble over with jealousy, I have a few comments. I was asked to play this game by a male friend. I arrived at the login page and was turned off... That is what lead me to this blog. I am happy to see so many intelligent males in here who were turned off to the cheap tactics and misleading ads. Those are the kind of males "real" and desirable, intelligent females like me want to spend time with. Not because we are intimidated, any of us can "sell out" in a heartbeat and earn millions. Smart men realize that this kind of advertising degrades men as much as it degrades women. I am far from being a prude. If you want sex, go out and start a meaningful relationship with the female of your choice and have it! I realize that sex sells... so I say to all those men who insist that these types of ads are harmless and appealing… then let’s start with ads featuring YOUR MOTHERs or your sisters in them! Men to a great degree still have more "power" in the world, both financially and politically.. intelligent men know it's not beneficial to them to take advantage of women... nor is it wise to take advantage of males less intelligent than themselves, who cannot see the big picture...I hope that when females keep stepping up and gaining more power in society this tactic doesn’t "bite many men in the butt." Maybe if women require men to wear form fitting clothing that defines the size and shape of men's sexual organs so they can compare you to each other based on your penis size for just one day, or make a man sit there and view half naked men in ads telling them how old, wrinkled, fat and undesirable they are, that would be enough to snap any guy who doesn’t agree with me out of his breast filled stupor! For any male young or old, who spoke against all this garbage I admire you greatly... and trust me... there’s a beautiful female out there just waiting for a "real man" like you to spend some time with her...so keep speaking out until she hears you! Don’t listen to the idiots out there who tell you that you aren’t a “man.” And parents who read this, teach your sons and daughters the same respect for one another. As for all you other guys who have nothing better to do but itch themselves and drool over cartoon or airbrushed images of females that don’t exist... think about what I am saying when you shut your computer off and have nothing to do but search out more false images in your magazines and tv sets... you will have plenty of time alone to do so.... and if you do have an unlucky female in your life... Then why do you have so much free time to play games? I bet she is out now, trying to avoid being with you, perhaps she is running up the credit card bill out of boredom or with her other man "playing discretely"… while you waste your life dreaming about nothing! I can just imagine all the filthy responses I will get to this comment from the disgusting men who feel this smut is pleasing, unfortunately, I probably won’t have time to read them. I will be off making love, traveling, and living out my fantasies instead of living IN my fantasies like you!
A REAL GIRL! on August 8, 2009 3:23 AM@REALGIRL
"intelligent, (and yes, big breasted) female"
Both your tits hit the send key, sit further back ;)
doc holiday on August 10, 2009 9:14 AMEnglish translation: "Since you're a gamer, we know that you're not man enough for a relationship with a real woman. Here, content yourself with pixels."
Why is it mostly women who find this message offensive?
Jonathan Hayward on August 10, 2009 1:34 PMI like the game. I have been playing for about four weeks now. Sure, the ads have nothing to do with the actual gameplay. The game, however, is fun and addictive.
Bob on August 11, 2009 9:24 AMAnd by the way, REAL GIRL, I am happily married. I am a grad student. During the summer, I work as a research assistant. I have the game running in the background while I sit in front of my computer for hours every day. Playing the game does not make me less intelligent or less of a man. Neither does it automatically mean that I condone the advertising tactics that the company uses.
Bob on August 11, 2009 9:30 AMSigh. The thing about ads is that their goal is to get people to look at what the ad is for, not to ensure people are USING what the ad is for. Sure, the latter's a nice perk, but it's not what the ad folks are doing. Ads used to explain what things were for, how they worked, why they were the best choice for this, that or the other. Now, they're to be as short and "Look at me, investigate me on your own time" as possible.
If Evony is doing its own ads, it's scoring pretty high on "get people to click", but it's probably not doing nearly as well with "get people to play/pay after clicking." I can't really see the boobs tactic being indicative of a successful advertising campaign, but the complete opposite: We've run out of artists and ideas, and we're losing money, so here's some tits.
Could be wrong. Not overly concerned if I am. These ads make me weep.
mremaknu on August 12, 2009 5:50 AMAlso, REAL GIRL is a moron. I'm a chick too, but I'm not gonna use that to back up or justify my opinions.
If you want equality, stop making a point of your gender, dumbass.
mremaknu on August 12, 2009 5:52 AMOut of all of this, I think the fact that they lifted the women's images from catalog sites without their knowledge or consent and without paying them a thing... bothers me more than the rest of it.
Why don't you have an advice column? on August 12, 2009 9:00 AM""Also, REAL GIRL is a moron. I'm a chick too, but I'm not gonna use that to back up or justify my opinions.
If you want equality, stop making a point of your gender, dumbass.
mremaknu on August 12, 2009 4:52 AM ""
YOU JUST MENTIONED YOUR GENDER (WHEN YOU SAID YOU ARE A CHICK TOO) TO ARGUE AGAINST "REAL GIRL." YOU JUST DID THE VERY THING THAT YOU CALLED HER A DUMBASS FOR DOING. I GUESS YOU DID USE THAT TO BACK UP AN OPINION! IN YOUR OWN WORDS, THAT MAKES YOU A MORON!
SILLY RABBIT on August 13, 2009 11:38 AMThey've taken the advertising one step further - now their models don't even have clothes on!!
http://content.yieldmanager.edgesuite.net/atoms/78/a3/20/a7/78a320a78273b1021eafba84d30386da.jpg
Adam on August 15, 2009 10:04 AMI just had an idea!! What if evony and adblocker are in-leage w eachother!! They ake asnnoying adds and people pay ddblocker to stop those adds. Addblocker gives half the money to evony. Meanwhile, the people who do play evony pay money for it and evony gets even more money. I say, "GET OVER IT!!!" And/Or Put up with it!!!
Anonymus on August 15, 2009 1:30 PMThis game sucks. Don't play it.
Ike on August 16, 2009 12:02 PMXKCD really is the worst webcomic ever
Joseph Bastard on August 17, 2009 7:57 AMThe game looks like something from the 80s. And not a good something like The Simpsons or Delorian... a bad something like crack or HIV.
R2K on August 17, 2009 8:23 AMhttp://content.yieldmanager.edgesuite.net/atoms/24/8d/d1/50/248dd150e15ffaa25d882a634502c05c.jpg
There's the full version of the one Adam posted. What's next? Sexually explicit .gif's?
...
Ads on the internet either amuse me or anger me, depending on my mood. Either way, I guess I'm not their target audience, eh?
gerafin on August 17, 2009 10:45 AMHonestly?
As a girl gamer, I clicked on the Evony ad because the ad popped up all over the place and I wanted to see what the deal was (and because I happen to like the graphics). After playing a while, I stayed for the game. As far as I can tell, genders are fairly even; guys don't outstrip ladies in the players department by any large margin.
'Sex sells'- it certainly does, and it's not going to change any time soon, so just go with the flow. Or get yourself worked up every time you turn on the TV, drive down a main road or surf the net. Whichever.
From here I'll err from the topic and follow my moral urge to respond to some comments made above on the game.
You don't need to spend money to be successful in the game. Evony provides plenty of ways to get players the things that they need without having to resort to money.
I notice that a few ex-players have commented that to speak in World Chat, you need to pay. Why on earth do you need to speak in 'World Chat' when no one uses it? Just speak on normal(beginners) chat for heaven's sake- which, may I say, is free.
If you really wish to speak in World Chat, spin the wheel- again, free- once a day, and more often than not, you get speakers, which enable you to chat in world chat. Or just follow the speakers quest and presto- you get speakers.
The only thing that really is a problem is the occasional server meltdowns. Some people also get kicked out of servers on a semi-regular basis, but can't say that from experience as it doesn't happen to me.
The 'play discreetly' refers to the fact that you can change the browser headline so if your boss is looking at your taskbar, you look like you're being productive.
*Steps off soapbox*
Girl Gamer on August 22, 2009 11:45 AMLOL GIRL GAMER
Anonymous on August 22, 2009 12:31 PMThe irony is that THIS post is the ad for the game. This is an example of pure viral marketing - they know exactly what they're doing, trick some silly blogger write about how bad the ads are and get everyone who reads that blog pay attention to it that way.
Tad on August 24, 2009 12:10 PMI've just seen an ad for this that doesn't even mention the name of the game. It just says 'Play now, my lord'
Stephen Tordoff on August 25, 2009 3:34 AMSeriously,they're using PORN to advertise?
I'll say that the game has completely nothing to do with boobs...or sex if that's what they want to attract guys to.
This is an example of pure viral marketing - they know exactly what they're doing, trick some silly blogger write about how bad the ads
links of london on August 25, 2009 12:45 PMsounds like something horrible that world of warcraft would try
oh wait, that's exactly what they already do
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tiffany jewellery on August 28, 2009 3:30 AMi really hate those adds, they're on every freaken website i go to, seriously, at first its a knight, now taking a picture of someones breast and turning THAT into an add to arouse us to get to play. really? just dumb....XD
Travo on August 28, 2009 6:41 AMAbercrombie & Fitch on Sale, Hoodies, Jeans, T-Shirts, Pants, Polos abercrombie and fitch abercrombie fitch abercrombie cheap abercrombie fitch Abercrombie Men Tee abercrombie womens polos Abercrombie & Fitch Men, women, and children's clothing
abercrombie and fitch on August 28, 2009 1:25 PMhahahahaha is that nude advertisement actually real????????????? so sad...
umbrella on August 29, 2009 1:51 PMi just saw another one... http://tinypic.com/r/359xzy9/3
Yeah the ads are getting more and more overt. I saw one today I wish i took a screen cap of it, it was hilarious. It had the "play now, my Lord" caption, with a woman on all fours wearing no top.
2f-games on September 3, 2009 8:14 AMJust wanted to point out for everyone asking about the "Play Discreetly" that every game window on the game (I played it for a while early in this year) has a button you can use to rename the page, so that your tab/window running Evony can be made to say "Annual Finance Report" or whatever would make sense for keeping you out of trouble at work or school.
My opinion has been posted hundreds of times on this thread, so I'll give just the summary: the ads got retarded. I should mention that "in-game" there is never even a mention of a Queen in any way, it's a city-builder with complicated advancement and capture rules, no characters and especially no women, nearly naked or otherwise.
David L on September 4, 2009 7:12 AMFurther developments...
http://content.yieldmanager.edgesuite.net/atoms/24/8d/d1/50/248dd150e15ffaa25d882a634502c05c.jpg
Zack on September 13, 2009 9:17 AMHehe, the Evony ads have been Graph Jammed.
http://graphjam.com/2009/09/11/song-chart-memes-advertisements-cheezburger/
I just found this awesome new game called Evony, click here to play!
(.) (.)
Someone had to do it on September 17, 2009 6:56 AMThe ironic thing about the evony ads is that the ads and any discussion of the ads has been banned in the evony forums. I guess evony doesnt mind polluting the internet with it`s deceptive ads but they sure dont want them or any discussion of them on their own site.
stinkythedog on September 17, 2009 8:41 AMReally? I have seen these stupid ads everywhere. Don't you hate when you are browsing the internet, minding your own business and then BAM!!! HELLO BOOBS! I think this is a disgusting way to advertise. My first thought when I saw this ad was "What is this even for?" My second thought was "I wonder how many husbands/boyfriends, including mine, have seen this?" And then "How many of them have clicked on it thinking it is leading them to porn?" I mean come on. Could the internet get any trashier? Don't answer that. All I know is that I wouldn't want my boyfriend running into this ad. Above all my son! It is things like this that snag kids at an early age and then pull them in deeper and deeper until they are addicted and can't find a way out. So now that stupid little advertisement that was intended for a game that has nothing to do with naked women has ruined them. It would be interesting to see the statistics of how many boys were negatively affected by this ad and how many relationships have been ruined by porn which very well could have started with this disgusting display of online advertising.
annoyed on September 18, 2009 7:13 AMObviously they're going to go with whatever gets them the most hits. Is it the fault of the advertisers, or the consumers who click teh boobiez? What's the big deal, anyway? Not a big fan of tomb raider then?
LordRobert on September 18, 2009 7:24 AMThanks for this stuff.
I didn't play them either, every time I see the ads I just move my eye for other thing. Just bore with this kind of ads affected on men.
haxpor on September 19, 2009 3:24 AMThis picture is the one I get... http://www.bruceongames.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/Evony-tits-advertising.jpg she doesn't even look real.In fact she looks a bit scary...I finally attempted to skip that ad in facebook.
Matt on September 21, 2009 7:33 AMis there a place to report misleading advertisment? i feel like i been fooled a year long with this war system they got in pwi ...
marvinaddams on September 22, 2009 2:29 AMim SICK of these stupid adverts! i play evony myself and its nothing at all like what the adverts are showing!
it actually is a good game, you make great friends and the actual gameplay is kinda fun, but they going overboard with there silly adverts.
i have complained twice and i got nothing back, they chose to ignore me!
anyone care to complain too?
So, I actually play this game. And hate the ads. About a month ago, the land started to be clogged with little starter villages by Lords with names like "Boobie". Many of them didn't find what they came looking for, and just left. Others may have stayed for the game itself. No idea what percent.
Ironically, I've found more female players than male ones who play the game the way it was meant to be played, which may explain why they are trying to improve the balance.
As for the game - LOVE IT! I've had a ton of fun playing it, enjoyed the friends I've made there a lot, and recommend it to anyone who likes this kind of game. The ads are unfortunate.
Donovan on September 24, 2009 3:00 AMOh, and the discreet play option: you now can change the title in your browser so that the closed window *looks* work related.
Donovan on September 24, 2009 3:02 AMlol theres another new add with a woman lying down w/o even a bra on. you can see her all but the tips of her breasts. when i first saw these adds i though they were for some online sex game
someone on September 27, 2009 1:24 PMI actually joined evony at one of the mid-way advertisements (had been seeing enough ads and thought "they can post THAT many ads? Must mean a lot of people joining to fund such advertisement... I should take a look, it might actually be good."
Though, the reason boob advertising works is because of society. Most of modern civilization (especially the U.S.) has so many social sex-oriented-taboos that natural and understandable instinct is strongly repressed. Remember, we aren't born with clothes. In a natural state, we would constantly see breasts, and we'd become desensitized to them, and it wouldn't be a big deal. However, with our social norms, stuff like this is repressed, and thus any boobage is like water to a thirsty man, from an instinct standpoint, because guys aren't getting what they would naturally get almost constantly. (Note: This has also lead to the weird perversion where now nudity is naturally associated with sex. Think about that, due to our society, you can't be your natural self without being a sexual object.)
Long ago, women discovered they could control men to a degree by limiting sexual stimulation, and then only providing when their will was met. Corporations have just now caught the oldest trick in the book (again). If patterns follow past patterns...
Following the trend, sexual advertisement will continue to rise. Eventually, (partially thanks to articles like this one, enforcing the absurd 'sexually-oriented-stuff=bad' viewpoint), indignant mothers (who are having their age-old manipulation trick manipulated) and their crew, under the guise of 'moral superiority' when push in their countries where laws will be passed to limit sexually-oriented content. Then, companies will stop under fear of legal action for a time, and then slowly try to push the boundaries again. All this time, you will get sexually-repressed youth acting out in anyway they can, and thus being forced about by a tide of horomones they can't control.
Alternatively, we admit that the natural tendencies of humanity are nothing to be ashamed of, advertising goes 'out of control', people get desensitized, eventually 'boobage' is seen everwhere but it has no effect, old laws are repealled as people find them silly, people go about their daily lives with a lot less stress, and sexually-oriented stuff slowly moves back naturally to appropriate circles as it's advertising effect becomes effectively nill.
Me a Moi on September 28, 2009 12:17 PMhey,i play this game,and i have to admit its not bad.and i dint click on it because of the pictures,my friend told me about it.yeah,its a wierd advertising idea,but the game is cool.
will on September 30, 2009 4:21 AMGod I hate these campaigns. Just too blatant.
tokyito on October 5, 2009 3:39 AMThese ads are retarded, the old pictures are nothing compared to the ones up now, latest ones include a woman wearing bra and underwear just lying there and we get overhead view, and another one completely topless (using arm to cover). And i'm just here thinking wtf is with this gay company?
World of Warcraft player on October 5, 2009 5:50 AMTheres a worse one!
http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/9424/evonyk.png
Pierre on October 8, 2009 9:48 AMThis is the worse possible advertisement there is, the game has kids that play so it atracts adults looking for more besides playing a browsergame.
I'm still surprised that google didn't ban this ad.
Evony also has copyright infrigment as they use images from well known PC games in their game. Every post related to it on their boards gets instantly deleted and a ban follows.
And no I don't play , I signed up to see what is what and quit after a day.
md
Damn it, get these spammers off your comments!!
Julian on October 11, 2009 5:32 AMi think the ads are funny, and hey it works!
i really dont see what the big fuss is over them, i always laugh because im thinking "what buissnes does this" anyhows, i started playing the game about 2months ago and have spent literally 0dollars.
it does make it harder for promotions in the game but it only take about 1-2days of farming to get the medals/etc you need.
Judas on October 14, 2009 3:40 AMWelcome to messengerfinder.com!
Messengerfinder is a msn contacts directory site, where you are allowed to add people from and create your own profile so that other people can add you.
We also have our own chat! Everyone is welcome to join, and it is 100% free! :)
Urosino on October 14, 2009 11:26 AMWelcome to messengerfinder.com!
Messengerfinder is a msn contacts directory site, where you are allowed to add people from and create your own profile so that other people can add you.
We also have our own chat! Everyone is welcome to join, and it is 100% free! :)
Urosino on October 14, 2009 11:27 AMWelcome to Messengerfinder!
Messengerfinder is a msn contacts directory site, where you are allowed to add people from and create your own profile so that other people can add you.
We also have our own chat! Everyone is welcome to join, and it is 100% free! :)
Urosino on October 14, 2009 11:31 AMWelcome to messengerfinder.com!
Messengerfinder is a msn contacts directory site, where you are allowed to add people from and create your own profile so that other people can add you.
We also have our own chat! Everyone is welcome to join, and it is 100% free! :)
Urosino on October 14, 2009 11:31 AMWelcome to messengerfinder.com!
Messengerfinder is a msn contacts directory site, where you are allowed to add people from and create your own profile so that other people can add you.
We also have our own chat! Everyone is welcome to join, and it is 100% free! :)
Urosino on October 14, 2009 11:32 AMWelcome to Messengerfinder!
Messengerfinder is a msn contacts directory site, where you are allowed to add people from and create your own profile so that other people can add you.
We also have our own chat! Everyone is welcome to join, and it is 100% free! :)
Urosino on October 14, 2009 1:44 PMThis post made me literally laugh out loud. You are right about the dangers of the lowest common denominator though. Look how entertainment in general and politicians and et cetera pander to the lowest common denominator. This path doesn't have a pleasant destination.
Sam on October 19, 2009 6:05 AMLove or hate those Evony adverts, they have allowed the owners (UMGE) to prop evony up quickly - now claiming 8 million accounts. Now, not sure how many have paid for evony coins, but looking at alexa rankings - the evony site is sitting at 450 in the world at present! No mean feat.
Evony Watcher on October 19, 2009 7:23 AMIt is good idea if you are taking the help of bold scene fo advertising your game but please re-think it is better idea to promote the game whose meaning is different as actual it show in front..
kaithy on October 20, 2009 2:42 AM
Did anyone else see this Onion article?
"Nadir Of Western Civilization To Be Reached This Friday At 3:32 P.M."
http://www.theonion.com/content/news/nadir_of_western_civilization_to
It is highly relevant to this discussion.
Steve on October 20, 2009 12:24 PMWow. There's a new one up:
http://tinypic.com/view.php?pic=alome9&s=4
I really, really hate Evony.
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I recently came across your blog and have been reading along.
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Shit Fuck on October 26, 2009 2:49 AMI am a student studying computer games design at uni and decided to investigate Evony.com.
Just to see what some of these games are like etc. etc.
The game is actually kind of cool (found myself addicted and even spent a little money on it).
But I started to notice HUGE bandwidth use by the site as I played.
I am not the only one either, there are comments on the evony forums about this.
This is odd because all of the client info, the animations etc. are all downloaded in one big download at the start.
There is no streaming media so I began to wonder what was going on.
To cut a long story short I decided to break the law and reverse engineer Evony's client.
Not to cheat. Not to rip them off or even to use even a scrap of the code.
But just to poke about a bit and find out what was going on, maybe even offer them some ways to improve things.
Aside from the fact that the whole thing is very poorly constructed (it is really very beginner coder level stuff. Reminds me of a lot of
what the first year students produce for assignments) it contained some very interesting information.
Included with the client are 2 peices of tracking software that monitor your web use and which applications you have open while the client is running.
These do not install independently on the machine though due to the limitations of flash and do not actually damage anything.
But they harvest massive volumes of information. My firewall was blocking a lot of outgoing transmissions and it turns out that these
were the data trying to be sent out. So they know nothing about me. lol.
However there is a LOT of data coming IN over the ports the client uses. In otherwords it is downloading something into my cache for use later.
I have bandiwdth restriction which slows these types of tricks down and I completely clear my cache every couple of hours if I am heavily using the net.
I also noticed that all the varanbles etc. are named Civony still and that there are multiple references to UMGE.
Even a couple of folders are simply called UMGE, one of these folders contains one of the spyware programs.
So I can only guess at where the data would end up if I didnt have a good firewall.
There are also commented out sections in the code which contain references to UMGE and Lam himself, though low on details.
Thank you for reading this.
Lee
Lee on October 29, 2009 9:53 AMThe latest Evony ad is a girl masturbating. Seriously.
Anon on November 3, 2009 6:12 AMLOLZ i SAW A AD FOR EVONY WITH LESBIANS THEY WERE NEARLY NAKED LOOOLZ
WHO EVER IS OWNER OF EVONY GOT NO LIFE HE HAS NO GIRL NO NUTIN HE BE WATCHIN PORN ALL DAY LOLZ
xxxxxxxxxx on November 3, 2009 7:53 AMWhen it comes down to, it's the final product that matters. I don't care about the way they marketed their product. Like somebody said already, they put girls next to cars all the time and people buy the cars anyway. If you're one of those who got into this game looking for boobs then it's your loss - you didn't do enough research on it. You'll be surprised it is a very nicely done massive multiplayer CIV game. I joined knowing this full well, and I hardly miss the boobs. And yes I know you have to pay to get more perks - the programmers have to be paid and the servers have to be maintained with money somehow...
Ruel on November 4, 2009 5:23 AMI'm sure people reading this will appreciate this awesome comix:
http://comixed.com/2009/11/05/comics-comic-strip-yonkoma-false-advertising/
Stefan on November 5, 2009 2:08 AMI'd bet this was some kind of graduate research project.
Anonymous on November 6, 2009 7:43 AMI've noticed these irritating ads for a long time on a different gaming website (the owners of the site kept trying to rid themselves of those ads, but the link for it kept changing). Out of curiosity I actually clicked the ad and was shocked at how crappy the game really was, and I was also shocked at how after I went to the site, my anti-virus program found a trojan. I can't really imagine how pissing off over half the people who use the internet will help these people with their business. I also can't imagine the damage it will do to the company if they successfully sue Jeff Atwood, after all it just shows that they're a bunch of babies that can't handle bad publicity.
Evony is pretty much an annoying presence on the internet that we have to deal with, like swine flu or those AXE commercials.
Well to those don't think that using sex in the media to sell is a problem... I do believe it is. Because you are turning women into sexual objects and therefore property. When are children see these ads they are getting subliminal messages telling them that this is true. That all men are stupid, horndogs (which is not true)and that women are there to serve and are for sexual desire. It's a form of brainwashing. So not only are the adds annoying, it's a huge problem in our society. It's creating steriotypes that are bad for both men and women.
Amanda on November 10, 2009 7:38 AM.... You do realize that it's not the fact that the women look sexual or their breasts are showing. Most women are just as sexual as men, though our society has turned a women's sexuality into a taboo. It's how they are shown as object.... I really hope you all realize that's a huge problem. The sword pointed at her breasts... obvious phallic symbol. All the "play now my lord" it doesn't mean play the game, it means play with me sexually. Save the woman because she can't save herself, rule the woman. Come on it's SO obvious!
Amanda on November 10, 2009 7:54 AM"Come on it's SO obvious!"
Amanda: I disagree. I'm pretty sure that none of these advertisements are INTENDED to be sexual in any way. The fact that the sword seems a little phallic to you says more about you than the ads. These are just increasingly close-up images of a medieval woman, where the closeness indicates the urgency of building a town and having the social clout to save said medieval women. The last image (just the brazier) is the closest, a visual hyperbole of the woman's plight. Her lack of clothing indicates her frightening vulnerability to a world without the town you would build.
These are clearly not aimed at men only--the "Play now My Lord" ad shows the game woman enjoying the social company of one of her friends. I know, I know: you're going to say it's a stereotype that women are more talkative and social than men. Well, I'll give you that. But all this talk of overt sexuality, well, it's just unfounded and silly.
Matt on November 11, 2009 9:38 AMI hate these ads, they're everywhere. Literally. When I'm trying to show my little cousins a nice cute bunny rabbit video on youtube, they always see part of a womens breast, who is just barely half naked, next to the video. And when I check my myspace and facebook, its there too.
World of Warcraft does a better job advertising their game because well, they have pictures related to the game/website, not pornography.
They're just trying to attract "nerds" who spend their time gaming on WoW or runescape and masterbaiting to pornography. Not to be judgmental, stereotypical or anything, but when people act like their stereotype, there's no point of defending yourself.
Shanera on November 17, 2009 5:37 AM
I am playing for fun....
And i can tell you guys its funny to see the newcomers arrive, when you leave the beginners chat window open...!
Lots of times you can see them go: Where are the boobies?
Now im wondering.... could they be sued for false publicity?
Because in the actual game there are no boobs........
I think its stupid to use such ads.
Also by the way... a lot of youngsters are playing this game, like 12 yr olds. So they get offered with these ads..... mmmmmm.... very wise! :o(
Evony ads have actually gotten worse, with giant scrolling ads showing more of the woman's body, as well as many many more women, partially or fully naked in various positions, also some suggestive lesbian photos. All the text is a lie to, there is no queen or lady to save.
I got so fed up with this fucking ads I found this blog searching for people pissed off too.
I would add that godaddy.com is even worse. They spend what probably amounts to tens of millions pretending to show chicks stripping on TV, with a promise to "see more" at their website. Only, if you go there, every one of those videos actually gets progressively less sexy the second it switches to "unrated".
Joshua on November 20, 2009 3:22 AMI didnt really know what to think when I started seeing these adds. I finally decided to google it today, and found several things, including this blog.
Tell me, how do those of you whom have said this method of advertising isnt wrong justify what they've done? Evony probably wont be around much longer, because from what I've seen, they have committed quite a few crimes. Two of which are false advertisment, and copyright infringment(from stealing rights-protected images, editing them and using them in their ads). These are both felony offenses(in the US), and will get them fines and jail time. Their servers will be seized and their game/site taken offline. Nothing justifies that. I violate copyrights all the time, but not in this way. I simply download shit, such as movies/games/music/apps ect.. Taking other people's shit and using it for your personal gain is not only morally wrong and something most net-pirates wouldnt do, but also a much more serious crime than simple/nearly harmless pirating.
Moreover, they are only declining themselves further by using these false ads, because, as has been previously stated, most people who click these ads are expecting sexually explicit content, which is of course not what is offered here. Likely that most would would utter mumbling profanities to themselves and leave the site.
Lich on November 22, 2009 11:20 AMWe only serve one ad, so this is a bit over dramatic :( Our main target audience is male 13-24.
I see no gratuitous imagery, i cant see any over exposure, can you?
I have seen far worse in major supermarket chain brochures!
I only have one word for you "Overkll".
lol yea they lure you with boobies.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LzjdgrfIuq0
I've seen these ads' progressive nature. I think it's plain idiotic and sexist towards women, but also men, as it is attempting to lure men with sex appeal.
I personally hope Evony fails financially, and fails in their lawsuit against Bruce Everiss.
Mr. Bob on November 26, 2009 11:49 AMBrilliant post and movie reference. Your writing makes me want to laugh. Evony makes me want to cry.
Ron on February 6, 2010 11:16 PMI clicked on an Evony ad, and was very disappointed, but not for the reasons most people seem to find.
It was the second-to-last ad listed here, with the prominent text "Play DISCREETLY on your browser NOW!". I've always had an interest in "stealth" games that people play without alerting folks around them - in the workplace, in classrooms or in public, etc. Initially they fascinated me because I liked to play games during class, but eventually the mechanics of such things piqued my curiosity as a hobbyist game designer.
In the old days, many games had "boss keys", which was a specific keyboard shortcut that would pause the game and instantly display something apparently work-related : a spreadsheet or document or something innocuous. Pressing the "boss key" again would resume the game.
Many text-based games can be used in this way around non-technical types because they don't recognize what's going on : MUDs, Zork-likes, and even Roguelike games can function this way.
One thing I haven't seen yet is a rich browser-based game experience that is stealthy enough to be played without observers realizing what's going on. I envision a set of operations that can be performed without graphics, and then a fully graphical version to be enjoyed at "safe" times.
Unfortunately, the Evony website was no more discreet than the ad itself - full page graphics with lots of large "game"-related text etc. I don't know what they meant by "discreet", but it apparently didn't include...well...discretion. I quickly lost interest.
Is driving traffic with breasts really all that different from driving traffic with ambiguous Bayesian probability puzzles? Is Aaron Gleeman on the payroll now?
VoiceOfUnreason on February 6, 2010 11:16 PMI saw those ads as well, annoying as hell. I can't believe they actually used that last one, it's like a pornsite ad my God.
I admit, I clicked on it and played it for awhile, like 5 minutes, and I soon realized that there are no chicks, and you have to PAY to CHAT. Holy fuck....If anyone is tempted to play cause of the boobs, there won't be any in the game LOLOL.
Seriously, I don't get who would play that game at all, it's a total rip of civ and another browser game called Travian.
Johnathon on February 6, 2010 11:16 PMARGH I'm sick of seeing it on EVERY single web page I visit...
I don't even understand what going on...?
Is it a medievil RPG?
Are the graphics cartoony (The ad with the man), 3D (The ad with the woman and a sword pointing at her knockers) or a browser (The rest of the ads)?
Why is everyone in a random field?
Grr
Cameron Edwin Wares on February 6, 2010 11:16 PMI arrived here after being annoyed at all the Evony crap and Googling them out. The new girl in their ads looks like a transsexual.
Dennison Uy on February 6, 2010 11:16 PMIm sad to say, the Advert worked on me, and I even payed 5$ to get some gredits. But Ive scome to the realisation, it is all a load of BS, and the game is a complete waste of time. Yeah I liked it for a bit, but then, it is as I said, a waste of time, and yes Money. What their doing is wrong, with the Spamming and all. False advertising is wrong, and illegal, and Ive have just cancelled my account.
It has amused me, the depth of their lieing in their advertising, that they have become such a large game. I personally think, there are more genuine games out there, that may be struggling because of sites like Evony. Well evony has just lost eanother member.
Keiron on February 6, 2010 11:16 PMhahah imagine doing research in school and at the top of wikipedia there is huge tits. then in fine print: copyright Evony TM
it will one day be normal to have naked chicks having sex on every web page of the internet. no one will mind, whether at school researching or playing Nickelodeon.com games with their 5 year old...
Is sex really selling this game though? I mean, most people leave after they see that its really some bland civ clone. I can't imagine this game making that much money if they're desperate enough to use such blatantly grasping ads.
I really wonder how much further they can go in this vein of advertising... And whether they keep pushing it because it's actually working well, and thus they think going further will work better, or because it's not well, and they think going further will help.
Bobson on February 6, 2010 11:16 PMA person I know works in advertising and manages a small ad campaign for a company selling refurbished PDAs. They found the click thru rate of their ads lower than they wanted so as an experiment they used a bikini clad model next to a PDA (enlarged so it was the same size as the girl) and the click thrus increased rapidly. After a week they discontinued the ad because:
(a) This wasn't how they wanted to sell their products as it didn't seem ethical (ie being sexist and further supporting the theory that sex sells).
(b) Whilst it showed it can increase sales they realised they would loose some of their existing and potential customers.
Basically, sell their products in an open, honest fashion and grow the service gradually thus creating longevity for the business rather than grab a quick buck.
anon on February 6, 2010 11:16 PMEvony isn't the only browser game. How about this one from Heroes of Kung Fu?
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