However, there was at least one person who constantly talked about wanting more of her videos so out of curiosity I looked up some of her songs online and found one that I liked a lot, “Illegal”.

The above is perhaps a combination of advertisement and word of mouth from Home forum users.

I ended up buying Shakira’s “Waka Waka” because of the FEVA area although I’m not sure that’s a case of advertising. (Yeah, it is.) So that’s two of her songs I bought. Probably won’t buy anymore but advertising and world of mouth does work sometimes if a peoples likes a product or in this case music.

That’s all.

Internet advertising has become very user-targeted; huge amounts of personal data is captured, stored, and sold for the use of targeting ads to people who would be the most interested. While on the surface this may not seem like too bad a thing, if one looks deeper the loss of privacy is shocking.

I know that every time I use my web browser, every site I visit, every article I view, every purchase I make is compiled somewhere along the line by the business and advertising industry or some government agency. Needless to say, I am somewhat uncomfortable with this level of scrutiny into my daily life. I’m unsure if Home has already started such data collection (I’ve not received any targeted advertising from Home or Sony as of yet), but given the current widespread usage of such technology I fear it almost an inevitability that the same would be used for Home if advertising becomes a larger (or main) source of revenue.

The US military is no stranger to web advertising and the gaming culture and industry. The Pentagon spends a huge amount of advertising dollar on-line (and even has brought games to market – The America’s Army series – as well as budgeted an astonishing 50 million dollars plus, according to Stars and Stripes , for the in-house development of their own FPS they use for training) and has had great success in recruiting via the net. Home (moreso with the upcoming 1.5 update which may allow for full multiplayer gaming experiences) would seem to me to be a perfect place for the Pentagon to set up a public space (complete with games and rewards) to not only recruit, but to plant the seed in younger minds.

I don’t have a problem with the military advertising itself, per se. But I would be against such a space in Home, much as I am against military recruitment in public schools. The realities of war and combat have already become a nebulous, dreamy, and game-like experience in the minds of many; I believe that a Home space would lead to an even greater blurring of this line.

Also of concern would be the sheer amount of ads which would be thrown at a Home user if the amount of advertising went unchecked. Setting up a space or event is a great idea (gives us Home inhabitants something to do even if we decide not to consume the product…I STILL don’t drink Red Bull :>), but how long before we might see ‘pop-up’ type ads as we log-into home or simply mill about a space ?

Obviously, there’s a not-too-fine-line between a tasteful amount of advertising and complete overkill. Let’s hope that those who will shape and form the future of Home don’t make the fiscal bottom line the ONLY line to base their decisions on.

Also, Slurpee has been advertising their frozen sugar water for quite a while with a points system on their site you can use to buy virtual items for your avatar. First one I got from them was a black hoodie with a red SLURPEE across the front. They had items for God of War III (tee shirts for Home and unlockables for the game), and now for Killzone 3 and Little Big Planet 2 as well (counter top Slurpee machines for your Home space, themed for each game).

Also, in recent months we’ve seen items/spaces/promotions for auto makers (Scion, Ford, Toyota) and theatrical releases (Ghostbusters, Star Wars, Indiana Jones, The A-Team). It also permeates the PlayStation Network with content being provided by 5 gum, Toyota Highlander and Crackle, Mountain Dew, etc.

There’s advertising all around us when we pick up our Dual Shock 3 controllers, but how much are we really paying attention to?