In an unusual move that will no doubt be watched closely by many in the industry, Ltd today announced a unique pricing scheme for their recently released handheld device. Selling alongside the standard console will be a new SmartAdds version. This beguilingly titled device will offer exactly the same functionality as its sibling but will for £129, 100 notes cheaper than the regular version. Of course there's a catch and the clue is in the title.

The SmartAdds version will stream high-quality advertisements, sent across the mobile-network, which owners will be obliged to watch three of each day. The ads will be targeted to each user's specific interests, gender and location and will interoperate with the Gizmondo's built-in functions. For example, after watching a trailer you would be able to use the GPS in the Gizmondo to find you the nearest cinema to watch the film at. The ads will also bundle in the occasional promotional code or special offer, so that movie trailer may well come with a discounted ticket price code. The SmartAdds version will also offer 20 free downloads for the first 12 months, films, videos, games and other exclusive content.

The ads will be self deleting and will not intrude on the owner while they are playing a game or viewing some salacious moving images. Ads will only be shown when the user goes back to the home menu screen. Specifically targeted towards the youthful market so fond of advertisers on the SmartAdds Gizmondo will not try to tempt people with detergent or pet insurance advertisements, preferring to concentrate on more meaningful products like soda pop and anodyne chart albums. MTV networks are intrinsically involved in the SmartAdds Gizmondo, offering their expertise in the market and working in conjunction with the company to make the most money possible out of the Smart Adds Gizmondo for all involved.

Peter Lilley, Head of SmartAdds, says: "Imagine the emotional power of combined with the accountability of direct marketing, the accuracy of direct mail and the mobile interactivity of SMS; that's what a Smart Add is. A SmartAdds-enabled Gizmondo is effectively being subsidized by the marketing budgets of major youth and product brands in return for showing the consumer their latest ads." He continued, "The brands will have to be relevant and interesting to our demographic to be allowed on SmartAdds, and we believe they in turn will look forward to receiving them."

The SmartAdds-enabled device will come in two guises; a standard pack, (£129) containing the enabled Gizmondo, battery, charger, earbud headphones, USB lead, and a contract free SIM card with £5 of credit, and a Value pack, (£199) containing all the above and plus an extra £90 worth of accessories and games. These include Hifi stereo headphones instead of the earbuds, a recordable 128MB recordable SD card containing demos of games, films and music, a free copy of Trailblazer, and a voucher for the first ever GPS game, Colours. Full roll-out is planned for the 2nd of May, 2005.

The price drop should encourage a healthier uptake of the Gizmondo than might have otherwise been expected and the advertisements at this point don't sound too intrusive. As long as the terms of three ads a day remains locked in stone and the special offers carry some actual worth this could well become a model that becomes more prevalent in the mobile gaming market. And you were worrying about in-game advertising...

By Sam Gibson

Comments

You can use BBCode

No comments here yet. Be the first and use the form on the left!