Microsoft has plans for Zune-based ad service

Microsoft has plans for Zune-based ad service
Microsoft has announced that it is hoping to build an advertising network into its Zune media players, giving advertisers a direct connection to consumers.

As explained by Yahoo, "the company demonstrated the concept using a phony Doritos mockup. In the example, a user could befriend a musician through the Zune social page on a Doritos’ sponsored concert to view news and updates on the artist’s profile."



Once you are added to that list, users can email said profile to other friends and download select tracks from the website to play on the Zune. "When the recipient receives the email through Microsoft’s Hotmail service through their mobile phone, a brief ad will trigger, followed by a short game similar to Asteroids."

If the user does well playing the game, then they earn a free bag of Doritos chips, and downloadable maps to nearby stores that sell them.

Although it is still in "planning" stages, Microsoft says the program is not “something that is far in the future” and just needs some solid back-end infrastructure.





Written by: Andre Yoskowitz @ 21 May 2008 18:53
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  • 16 comments
  • mspurloc

    Day one that this crap shows up on my player or in the software, I will eBay it and buy a Sansa.

    21.5.2008 22:57 #1

  • drach

    It will be a cold day in hell before i go to that much trouble for a free bag of doritos.

    21.5.2008 23:07 #2

  • lawndog

    this article is very misleading. No offense DVDBack23, I saw the orginal article so I know its not your fault.
    From what I can gather it will not be a commercial sent to your zune. It will be to your phone or email service. Being that the zune only has wi-fi and its abilities are to only comunicate with other zunes I find it hard to figure out how the commercials would be on the zune. Unless when you sync you persoanlly put it on there.
    Thats not to say microsoft will not figure out a way to do it, but hay?!?!?
    None of the zune websites I go to are reporting this yet, so I am not gonna take this one to heart yet.

    22.5.2008 00:22 #3

  • Dunker

    Welcome to the wonderful world of spyware, ad-based tracking, and all the other fun stuff that comes with "personalized service". One reason why I never, EVER buy from online advertisers that use this sort of "viral" marketing: It's called "viral" because it truly is a virus.

    I do not own a Zune, but I can tell you that between this and Microsoft's grandiose DRM schemes, I will never, ever purchase another Microsoft product again (BTW, I already had my mind made up because of Vista, Microsoft's greatest chunk of adware and DRM.)

    22.5.2008 01:24 #4

  • 7thsinger

    I'll dump my Zune in a heartbeat if i start getting commercials on my Zune, in my email, in the software, etc.

    22.5.2008 08:44 #5

  • nobrainer

    phone home, data mining, targeted advertising zunes just what we all want, what with this, and the latest drm news i think the zune has just killed itself.

    WHEN, will these imbeciles realise that when we purchase something its ours & we don't want out habits tracked and details sold.

    Microsoft may implement copyright cops into every Zune Originally posted by afterdawn link: In response to Microsoft's latest dealings with NBC, it appears that the Redmond based company may be implementing a piece of software on their Zune devices that actively searches on whether or not television shows are legally purchased. If said software discovers that the show was downloaded illegally from a torrent or other P2P type network, it will not play in the Zune. its a case of m$ bending over for the entertainment industry again!

    AACS DRM tentacles reach far into operating systems Originally posted by link: "The biggest trick the devil ever pulled was in getting folks to blame someone other than Hollywood for video DRM." —not Keyser Söze

    Microsoft spent way too many resources appeasing Hollywood when it should have been making Windows Vista better.
    with the zune dead in the water now the iPod is the only mp3 player out worth purchasing there and none that even comes close to the styling of either the ipod or zune, the rest all look like 2nd generation personal cassette players!

    The BPI Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
    The RIAA Soundexchange Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
    The IFPI Are: The same anti consumer lot as listed above!
    The MPAA Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, DISNEY, PARAMOUNT, FOX.

    22.5.2008 09:28 #6

  • ammad123

    nobrainer.
    heyy i don't know about that comment of yours
    because i think the new Sony Walkmans are pretty slik.

    22.5.2008 12:07 #7

  • nobrainer

    Originally posted by ammad123: nobrainer.
    heyy i don't know about that comment of yours
    because i think the new Sony Walkmans are pretty slik.
    its better looking than the last one + no ATRAC but it just looks like the sony erricson phone and its £229.00 for just 16gigs. The zune and ipod actually look sort a cool, especially the touch which is cheaper than the sony mp3 player.

    new sony



    old sony



    zune: £226.25 80GB. £90 30GB



    ipod £140.97 80GB.



    ipod touch which is also much more than a mp3 player. £204.99 16GB



    The BPI Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
    The RIAA Soundexchange Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
    The IFPI Are: The same anti consumer lot as listed above!
    The MPAA Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, DISNEY, PARAMOUNT, FOX.

    22.5.2008 12:29 #8

  • georgeluv

    i was semi pissed untill i found out free doritos were involved.

    22.5.2008 15:19 #9

  • iluvendo

    First super DRM, now commercials (which we don't want). Way to go M$ !

    If it wasnt for bad luck, Id have no luck!
    "The flimsier the product,the higher the price"
    Ferengi 82nd rule of aquisition

    22.5.2008 15:55 #10

  • DVDBack23

    Quote:
    with the zune dead in the water now the iPod is the only mp3 player out worth purchasing there and none that even comes close to the styling of either the ipod or zune, the rest all look like 2nd generation personal cassette players!
    Im not sure about that statement man, the Creative Zen is beautiful tbh. (I own that, iPod Touch and Sansa e260) They are nowhere near what I would call "cassette players" lol

    22.5.2008 16:34 #11

  • nobrainer

    Originally posted by DVDBack23 :
    Im not sure about that statement man, the Creative Zen is beautiful tbh. (I own that, iPod Touch and Sansa e260) They are nowhere near what I would call "cassette players" lol
    i meant in comparison to the zune and ipod, most of the others look like they were styled by gok wan.

    the touch , which is basically an iphone without the phone part, i do actually like. the touch and the touch screen interface with net browsing and itunes hook up is all rather cool for the cash but the 16GB is very low when you just like to fill you mp3 up and go.

    i've never seen the sansa e260 before and its looking fairly smart but the clean simple looks of the ipod and zune still win for me.

    The BPI Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
    The RIAA Soundexchange Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, EMI.
    The IFPI Are: The same anti consumer lot as listed above!
    The MPAA Are: SONY, UNIVERSAL, WARNER GROUP, DISNEY, PARAMOUNT, FOX.

    23.5.2008 02:48 #12

  • lawndog

    there were early reports of zune cops or "drm" on zune to watch the NBC programs but since that press release there have been other releases stateing that there will not be any upgrades in the drm to watch the videos coming from nbc.
    I'm hung over and have already given the story, look it up, but M$ said no to the zune cops.

    23.5.2008 08:58 #13

  • 7thsinger

    Quote:i've never seen the sansa e260 before and its looking fairly smart but the clean simple looks of the ipod and zune still win for me.
    In agreement there.

    I like the simple look of my 2nd gen Zune. I like the Zune, hate the software.







    "Sir, i would not harm thee for the world...but thou art standing where i'm about to shoot."

    23.5.2008 09:08 #14

  • atomicxl

    I don't care as long as this ad service is only on like some specific section of the main window (ie Music, Video, Settings, etc). If its some special service thats ad supported ok. If its my ads inserted over or in between my music i'd be pissed.

    Having read the article it seems like something thats totally optional. Also seems like something you'd have to enable on the device.

    23.5.2008 22:28 #15

  • lawndog

    a little insight this was taken from a website specialising in zune....
    This week at Advance 08, Robbie Bach*, who leads the Entertainment and Devices division here at Microsoft, talked about a pilot program to bring advertisers into Zune Social. Before the internets and the conspiracy theorists go too far, let me set some context around this.

    First off, adding sponsored content to your friends list is entirely optional. If you don’t want to be associated with any brands, you don’t have to add any. We think including partners in Zune Social could work because there’s a definite value to the community, with sponsors offering up premium content. You’ll be able to get access to branded content that enhances your Zune experience if you want it -- like a free track, a video, a background image, etc.

    Take the Ryu Hayabusa proof-of-concept as an example. He’s a fictional character from an upcoming Xbox 360 game, one you can add to your friend list, and sync his Zune Card to your Zune. If you visit Ryu’s page, you can also download the Ninja Gaiden 2 video game soundtrack. And as an added benefit to adding Ryu, his page will refresh a few times a week – giving you more fun game-related content to enjoy. But if you hate ninjas, or aren’t an Xbox person, you don’t have to add him. Either way, all good!

    23.5.2008 23:20 #16

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