Odds are you’ve noticed something different on your favorite websites as of late. Something ... off. I think it’s fair to say that it’s hard to turn a corner on the Internet these days without running into a pile of breasts and a logo for the kingdom-building browser MMO, "Evony." It’s insane, and it’s only gotten “worse” as time has gone on. What began with a fantasy girl popping cleavage is now just photographs of beautiful women. I actually signed up expecting an Elf Boob simulation and was entirely shocked by the sheer lack of it. I’ve since contacted the Better Business Bureau and they’ve informed my of their plans to launch a formal investigation.*

For as much as I’d love to just blast the browser game's developers, it appears that they’ve found the absolute only way to advertise on the Internet these days. Seriously, think about it. Besides viral advertisement, which is becoming overdone thanks to several publishers missing the point, can you name the last ad campaign to generate any buzz? Most of us can’t help it; we’re browsing a blog or checking out an image on TwitPic when BAM! Boobs. Before you have a chance to look away you’re locked on, staring at a commercial for a browser game you’d likely never think of playing if you only read an About page. Odds are you even forgot the name the first time, but now it’s ingrained into our minds. I doubt my ability to look at a pair of breasts anymore without uttering the phrase “Play Now, My Lord.”

Even though the game is attached to Chinese "WoW" gold farmers and has been the subject of criticism by many reviewers for the quality of the game and the accusation of stolen art, Evony's developers are definitely changing the way the advertising game is played for free-to-play browser games. It was always known that “Sex Sells,” but it was usually expected to attach it in some way to the game. Find a single female character, Lara Croft her, find a suggestive camera angle, and it was fine. There’s nothing sexy about "Evony," and they’ve still shoved sex into the ad campaign. It’s sheer, unadulterated brilliance, and the number of new players on "Evony's" servers who sign up and don't even play the game is astounding.

Now, expect an arms race of sorts, with each free-to-play MMO developer trying to out-tit their competition in their ads. In fact, "Dungeons & Dragons Online’s" advertisements were actually tasteful until "Eberron Unlimited" was recently announced. Granted, free-to-play MMO games have had a long history of dressing up their characters in tight clothing for the ad photo shoot. That said, things are definitely going to continue along this path at a greater speed, especially if "Evony's" ads keep progressing as it looks like they're going to.

Thanks to "Evony," it may be only a matter of time before breasts become synonymous with free-to-play.

* not really

Posted by Jonathan Cooper
July 18, 2009

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