Google Ads ingame ?

[Pat AfterMoon]

I don't want to be away from the point of the Google Ads thread started by Timbo, so I've created this new thread.

My question is not about "Are you pro or cons ingame advertising", it's a technical and legal question :

If you add HTML capability in an application other than a standard web browser, and if you display, and allow click on google ads, will google accept it. I have never hosted google ads, and I'm not familiar with their contract, but I think they are particularly restrictive with these type of usage.

[Smokey]

I don't want to be away from the point of the Google Ads thread started by Timbo, so I've created this new thread.

My question is not about "Are you pro or cons ingame advertising", it's a technical and legal question :

If you add HTML capability in an application other than a standard web browser, and if you display, and allow click on google ads, will google accept it. I have never hosted google ads, and I'm not familiar with their contract, but I think they are particularly restrictive with these type of usage.

Wow. Just wow.

[Taiyo.uk]

Think. Just think harder.

[Basilisco]

They ARE pretty restrictive. Last month i tried to get google ads on my turtle (people were always poking it, so i though wth free money!) but they didn't allow me.

And i had the turtle-shaped lcd and wireless antenna...

[techhead]

Heh, a client that joins random games, messages a Google ad, then leaves and joins the next server.
How could it not make tons of cash?
Server operators could even keep one always connected to the server that spews something every 5 minutes or so, but never plays.

[TinMan]

I'd have to get the game to block google ads too then, I already have them blocked in firefox using Adblock Plus and Customize Google.

[Yarou]

This thread isn't a serious attempt at a discussion, right?

[DjSonik]

Would ingame ads violate the GPL?

[Pat AfterMoon]

This thread isn't a serious attempt at a discussion, right?

Sorry but yes
But don't care, I've spend the last 2 hours in reading Google AdSense  Terms and Conditions, and browsing their forums. I've learn a lot of things, it was very interesting.
https://www.google.com/adsense/terms
http://groups.google.com/group/adsense-help

Have a nice day

Edit :

Would ingame ads violate the GPL?

The answer is No. There is another thread related to this subject here :
http://tremulous.net/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=2750

[::ThePredator]

If the ads were to be included with the game the code used to display/create them would have to be under a GPL compatable liscense.

[TinMan]

Yeah, it would most likely be cURL  since it has already been successfully built into tremulous.

http://curl.haxx.se/docs/copyright.html

[kevlarman]

Yeah, it would most likely be cURL  since it has already been successfully built into tremulous.

http://curl.haxx.se/docs/copyright.html

wtf are you smoking? since when does a library used for fetching files from the internet know how to render html (and interperet javascript)?

[TinMan]

It's what would be used to obtain the ads...not an html engine, but it can take in file feeds (I've used it with rss feeds, xml) and that would get the files to the client. The maps would need to reference the image, and it would most likely be stored in a .pk3 file? After getting it to the client I have no idea on how you would actually implement it into the game, good luck to anyone who wants to work on that.  =P

[Caveman]

I will not tolerate any Ads on our servers not will I play on a server that has ads, but that is just me.

@OP pse check the other thread with "Adds in game / in maps" to get at least a clue of the legal ramifications you are going to smack into.

[jal]

Well, I think ingame adds can't really be clickable. Maybe only if they are at the opening ui, but they won't be seen very much in there. I think the best candidate for adds is loading screen, and mouse would be freezing for HD loading in there (unless you thread loading, but it's too much of a work for this).
Loading screen is great for not-clickable adds, tho. It's shown each map change, in a moment the player is forced to wait anyway and has nothing to do but reading the (uninteresting) screen. I would even welcome having something different to look at.

Sorry but yes
But don't care, I've spend the last 2 hours in reading Google AdSense  Terms and Conditions, and browsing their forums. I've learn a lot of things, it was very interesting.
https://www.google.com/adsense/terms
http://groups.google.com/group/adsense-help

Have a nice day

What were your conclusions?

[Pat AfterMoon]

What were your conclusions?

Google terms of condition said that AdSense is for website, it is not permitted to make content with ads dedicated to a third party program.

I understand you can display a part of a website in an application, but any content displayed need to also be viewable with a standard browser the same.

Ads need to be displayed strictly like Google define it

So it involve a full standard compliant HTML/javascript engine. Of course this engine need to be GPL compatible (mozilla embedded ?).

Display of ads, or click on ads can't be triggered by any third party program

I understand that you can't display ads directly by launching the game or connecting to a server. The display or click must be triggered by the visitor himself. Like if you add an optional panel in menu with message of the day or community information.

Of course ads need to be click-able, but it is forbidden to launch a separate application when clicking. So, no minimal HTML engine for displaying ads in-game that launch the default browser when clicking.

Google talk a lot about third party program in it's term and conditions. But it doesn't clearly exclude browser embedded in application. What they exclude is "clicker bots" and any application that can bias the intended purpose of their ads program (non intrusive contextual advertising).

The AdSense terms and condition let all power to Google for stopping (and not paying) when they want without any justification. The simple fact to add the message "click ads for support us" on your website and you will be removed without indemnity. So if they discover an unconventional use of their ads, or a poor ratio between ads displayed and clicks, they can stop immediately. Of course, most cancellations are done by some Google robots and verification algorithms

My conclusion is that embed a web browser and display ads in a software is not forbidden by Google but will be very hazardous and could result in a cancellation without any explication. If the content need to be also available to every visitor of the website with a standard browser, so it's probably more simple to create good contents on a website and add some ads.

This website and this forum are an example of good content
A good player account and statistic system viewable from the web could produce interesting content and be a good place for server admin to add some ads.

Excuse me if the start of this thread has choked some Tremulous players, my intent was purely to increase my knowledge on this subject. I am personally hostile to advertising during the game party itself. But if non intrusive ads are placed in pre-game menus...

[Baxter]

aarg not like unregister soldat!

[jal]

Of course ads need to be click-able, but it is forbidden to launch a separate application when clicking. So, no minimal HTML engine for displaying ads in-game that launch the default browser when clicking.

Yeah, when I was talking about non-clickable adds I wasn't refering to google adds, but some different game sponsoring for the ingame part.

@ the scandalised forum readers: Don't worry guys, Pat and I are just making hypothesis

[Smokey]

This is retarded...I'm stunned at the stupidity of so many people...comon tinman!

[Yarou]

This is retarded...I'm stunned at the stupidity of so many people...comon tinman!

Smokey, I doubt you knew what cURL was before this thread...
As for the whole idea of in-game ads, the detriments far outweigh the benefits.
It would be a waste of time to code anything to do with ads, and a loading screen would just bloat the game with unnecessary features.

[Smokey]

This is retarded...I'm stunned at the stupidity of so many people...comon tinman!

Smokey, I doubt you knew what cURL was before this thread...
As for the whole idea of in-game ads, the detriments far outweigh the benefits.
It would be a waste of time to code anything to do with ads, and a loading screen would just bloat the game with unnecessary features.

Yea, because iv totally never spoken to tony about it or anything, you're so right.
Idiot.

[TinMan]

lol, Smokey's a dretchtard.

[Odin]

Shoot the ads for money!

[tuple]

OH, I know!  Marines wearing Nike gear!  Or something from Victoria's Secret!

Um, wait, no...

[Stof]

Would you please stop the name calling and personal attacks please?

[::ThePredator]

Even if I was the one who had to do it, someone would create a parallel fork that doesn't render the adds. That is one of the great things about open source.

[jal]

It would be a waste of time to code anything to do with ads, and a loading screen would just bloat the game with unnecessary features.

The game already has a loading screen, mate.

[TinMan]

The intro video maybe, but loading maps is a snap for me, I think it's my SATA.  

[techhead]

I still like my idea the best.
(~) Pepsi

[n00b pl0x]

we need another ad floods the chat every second, and all ads must be porn ads...and clickable.