SimCity had one of the more disastrous launches in recent video game history. It was inaccessible for numbers of players due to catastrophic server issues for days after its March 5 release. The whole thing led to a whirlwind of negative press surrounding the urban-planning simulator, but that’s not stopping certain brands from purchasing in-game ads.
[aditude-amp id="flyingcarpet" targeting='{"env":"staging","page_type":"article","post_id":710227,"post_type":"story","post_chan":"none","tags":null,"ai":false,"category":"none","all_categories":"games,","session":"B"}']EA released the first free downloadable content for SimCity: a paid advertisement for Nissan’s Leaf electric car. On the SimCity Origin page, gamers can grab the add-on for no charge and begin placing Leaf charging stations in their cities. The more charging stations (up to five), the more citizens will use the electric cars.
The stations have a large Nissan log and a billboard that advertise the Leaf to the virtual citizens (and the player).
In-game advertising in major retail titles has been a contentious issue for years. Some gamers oppose the concept on every level, while others are OK with the commercials in most circumstances.
The Leaf content is optional and fits with the theme of SimCity, so it’s likely that most gamers won’t mind that it exists.