If you've never been ensnared by an online game like Vivendi's (NYSE: V) World of Warcraft, you might just want to skip this article. It's going to sound -- for lack of a softer phrase -- completely insane.
I've written about how the makers of these massive multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPG) -- of which WoW is only the latest and greatest example -- are experts at addiction. With amazing, immersive plots, graphics, and in-game eBay-style (Nasdaq: EBAY) auction houses, they keep players riveted to the screen for hours at a time, hacking through our Orcish or Elven enemies and selling our plunder until our significant others threaten to cast "Curse of California Divorce" and start their own quests for computer-less companions.
Well, WoW's venerable competitor and precursor, Sony's (NYSE: SNE) Everquest, is the first to take what looks like the next logical step in bridging the two worlds for commercial benefit. According to an interesting item I read today, typing the command "/pizza" will lead gamers to directly to a Yum! Brands (NYSE: YUM) Pizza Hut interface, where hungry nerds will be able to order real-world sustenance without having to step out of their beloved Plate Mail of the Obsessed.
Yes, the jokes are easy from here. Can you imagine the opportunities for InterActiveCorp's (Nasdaq: IACI) Match.com or Expedia if there were linked commands like "/NeedALife" or "/LeaveParentsBasement"?
The truth is, games like this appeal to mature, adult audiences. You want proof? Just check out the Fool's Warcraft board (free trial required) and see for yourself how much we complain about those spelling-impaired teenagers. (Shaking fist and with best geezer voice: Dang kids!) It would be silly for companies to ignore the opportunities for revenue-enhancing product and service placements.
Sure, those of us who love the games don't want to see them loaded with outlandish advertisements at every turn, but there are subtler ways to get things done. How about a quest that rewards players with coupons for that above-mentioned pizza -- or better yet, a Web-enabled database of local take-out restaurants? Free iPods for the first 20 Apple- (Nasdaq: AAPL) enabled players to steal a baby from that level 500 dragon? Why not?
The sky is the limit here, and though it's unfortunate that the talented producers of Everquest and WoW are tiny parts of dinosaur-size corporations, there are plenty of ways that smaller players, like Electronic Arts (Nasdaq: ERTS), could capitalize on these trends and reward shareholders. Step away from the computer and take a new look. That market-beating Rule Breaker may be on your screen already.
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Seth Jayson can be ganked most evenings on Thunderlord. At the time of publication, he had a level 42 Night Elf hunter but no positions in any company mentioned. View his stock holdings and Fool profile here. Fool rules are here.
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