SCS General Discussion Thread

[gaillard]

Oh boy! I never noticed there WAS an online setting in the UI... Just discovered it.
Early in the morning (for a weekend) and I already learned something. Nice.

Until now I thought g_online_billboards was the method.

[xXCARL1992Xx]

they just need fodder again to get their engines running or else their life would be meaningless, they see some words and their one track mind latches to them and start to suck every opportunity to cry about it, see the blog about better soundscape and they were stuck on cicadas, ignored the rest of the blog and what the video showed

[Mohegan13]

Pavel said multiple times that he wouldn't sell the company and everybody knows it

For now.

I mean realistically Pavel is in his 50s, sooner or later retirement may cross his mind and when we get there it's either close the company, sell the company, or appoint someone trusted to keep it going. But the problem there is, there's no guarantee that the new person/team/board won't decide to sell.

At the end of the day business is business. There's no way to know where we will be 5 years from now, 10 years from now.

We don't live in a fairytale world where everyone lives forever and nothing changes.

[Aziz]

People didn't complain because they didn't know it was there until pointed out. Makes it a very good ad.
Unlike TV or the internet, or indeed some sports games where ads are shoved into your face constantly and they aren't even trying to hide it, here you don't even notice unless you specifically look at billboards - which, as a responsible driver, you shouldn't be doing.
As long as it doesn't look like
[ external image ]
I'm fine, the infrequent billboards just kinda skim on the edge of my eyesight but they are doing their job because it's probably subconsciously registered.

[Mohegan13]

I honestly could have sworn they'd already mentioned them back with 1.47, they used them to promote the Texas DLC. I know they mentioned the Trivision Billboards in the change log.

Maybe the main details were just in a beta email.

[JaDaKa]

Yeah there was a mention. I remember as I did disable it due to reading about it. Might enable it now if it has more variety.

[velles]

Edit: Actually, I don't think they're in the game just yet, since in the blog they refered to the billboards as assets (So they may be in the game files but not actually in the playable world).

They are already in the game, I've noticed them few days ago when playing ATS, before that blog post was made.

Some people on the wishlist thread: "SCS should incorporate some real life companies into the game to give it better real life immersion

SCS: "We have the opportunity to work with a real life trucking company for some subtle ads in game, we are sure our players will appreciate it."

The same people 2 seconds later: "OMG! SCS sold out!!!!! The game is ruined now!!!!"

I think it's about optics - if SCS for example paid Coca-Cola some cash to licence paintjobs on trucks and billboards people would be happy. But if Coca-Cola paid SCS money to advertise in the game, the same crowd would probably be furious.
Ultimately real life brands like truck or trailer manufacturers are using these games as a means of advertisment anyway. It's not like SCS added pop-up ads that you need to watch before playing, only some textures on in-game billboards that had to feature some (real or fictional) ads anyway.
Obviously I prefer real life ads, more real life stuff will always benefit the immersion. And if SCS can get some extra money to licence more trucks or hire more mappers/programmers then it is a win-win situation.

[TheTiger]

I don't care, this must be the least obtrusive form of advertising ever.

However, I have my doubts it will work because I cannot see how you could possibly collect the metrics the advertisers want (view, clicks - lol, etc). Most likely will be just a rare 1-on-1 agreement with some client who thinks it would be useful to be in game, like Schneider.

I think that agreement sounds like this: "Look, we have over 20.000+ people playing daily our games, how about give us some money and then we will flood our game with ads. It will reach at least to 10.000 people, and probably at least 5000 will search on the internet"

So yeah, I think it's based just on average statistics...

P.S: I'm not against the dynamic billboards, I don't even care about this and probably will ad some immersion to the game. Smart SCS, really smart.

[Optional Features]

I love how the same people that constantly complain for more realism lose their minds when there's a realistic billboard added. Never mind the fact they've been there since 1.47 launched and they didn't complain then. Or that there's been an option to disable them the whole time in the online settings.

Of all the ways realism could improve in the game (load securement, cargo delivery/pickup points, sliding fifth wheels and trailer axles, tire physics, engine/transmission/air sounds, trailer functionality, ai traffic behavior, vehicle garage utility, and an innumerable list of things in forum threads, on twitter, in fb groups, and many other places), advertisements are probably the lowest thing on the list.

I can understand why SCS would welcome this opportunity, but as a trucksim player hoping for more realism, billboards aren't the first thing that comes to mind.

[JaDaKa]

Petition to get Walmart in the game.