Skip to main content
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+ The Games, Movies, TV & Comics You Love
UK EditionUK US EditionUS CA EditionCanada AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Black Friday
    • Gaming
      • Black Friday PS5 Deals
      • Black Friday Switch Deals
      • Black Friday Xbox Deals
      • Black Friday Retro Deals
    • PC
      • Black Friday Gaming Laptop Deals
      • Black Friday Gaming Monitor Deals
      • Black Friday Graphics Card Deals
      • Black Friday Alienware Deals
    • Tabletop & Merch
      • Black Friday Lego Deals
      • Black Friday Board Game Deals
      • Black Friday Pokémon Card Deals
      • Black Friday Warhammer Deals
      • Gift Guides
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Quizzes
    • Newsletters
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Total Film
  • home
  • Black Friday
    • View Black Friday
      • Black Friday PS5 Deals
      • Black Friday Switch Deals
      • Black Friday Xbox Deals
      • Black Friday Retro Deals
      • Black Friday Gaming Laptop Deals
      • Black Friday Gaming Monitor Deals
      • Black Friday Graphics Card Deals
      • Black Friday Alienware Deals
      • Black Friday Lego Deals
      • Black Friday Board Game Deals
      • Black Friday Pokémon Card Deals
      • Black Friday Warhammer Deals
      • Gift Guides
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • The Big Preview
      • On The Radar
      • Indie Spotlight
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • View Deals
    • Game Deals
    • Tech Deals
    • TV Deals
    • Buying Guides
  • Video
    • Quizzes
    • Newsletters
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Total Film
Gaming Magazines
Gaming Magazines
Why subscribe?
  • Subscribe from just £3
  • Takes you closer to the games, movies and TV you love
  • Try a single issue or save on a subscription
  • Issues delivered straight to your door or device
From$12
Subscribe now
Don't miss these
A stack of board games on a wooden table beside Life in Reterra and Gloomhaven: Jaws of the Lion, all behind a GamesRadar+ logo
Board Games The best board games 2025, with over 25 recommendations tested, reviewed, and rated by experts
Hand holding Anbernic RG Cube with gameplay from Zelda: Oracle of Seasons intro on screen.
Retro Best retro handheld 2025: my portable picks for playing the classics
Hand holding Super Pocket Capcom Edition.
Handhelds I love having quick access to Street Fighter 2 everywhere I go, and the handheld I use for on the go throwdowns is back under $60
Super Pocket Data East Edition with Super Burger Time gameplay on screen.
Retro The best retro gifts 2025 according to experts of all things old-school gaming
Close up of Quarter Arcades Burger Time side art with hands using controls.
Retro I absolutely do not need a mini Burger Time arcade machine for my kitchen, but this discount is a threat to my air fryer
Modretro Chromatic handheld sitting on Game Boy and GBC cartridges
Retro Modretro Chromatic review: "a remarkable modern Game Boy that'll outlive my original"
Asus ROG Flow Z13 running Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on battery power
Mobile Gaming The best gaming tablets in 2025
Ball x Pit
Roguelike Games Clever roguelike Ball x Pit sold 300,000 copies on Steam and consoles in 5 days, forever proving mankind yearns for 1976 Atari icon Breakout
Drop Duchy
Roguelike Games The perfect video game still hasn't reached its final form, and Drop Duchy shows that "Tetris as a Civilization roguelike" is one heck of a twist
Palworld
Survival Games Palworld dev advises players to stop defending games online and play them instead: "Pop open Megabonk or something and just have fun"
Gnomes art of gnome holding a bloody knife
Strategy Games Paying Valve $108,000 just to be on Steam is "totally worth it," says dev of roguelike strategy game made in 10 months which has now earned over $360,000
The Outer Worlds 2 gameplay trailer screenshots
Games Microsoft continues reading anything but the room with a full-page Xbox Game Pass advertisement on console startup a day after hiking prices by 50%
Best PC games: Screenshots of Baldur's Gate 3, Helldivers 2, Split Fiction and the Resident Evil 4 Remake
PC Gaming Best PC games: The 25 greatest PC games to play in 2025
Team Fortress 2 screenshot of the Heavy shouting
Games Valve gave the Steam store a new look, and oh no, I hate it
Idle Pixel Fantasy screenshot of pixel art warrior opening chest
Games Solo dev spends 6 weeks making a short free game, accidentally wins the Steam algorithm and makes $4,200 in 5 days, then rushes to prepare a big update: "Seems the people liked my honesty and that I don't have any hidden costs"
Trending
  • Black Ops 7 release time
  • New Games for 2025
  • Early Black Friday deals
  • Gift Guides
  1. Games
  2. Action
  3. Left 4 Dead

Stop playing and buy stuff! 9 classic games, 'improved' with perfect in-game ads

Features
By Samuel James Riley published 13 January 2015

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Buy or die

Buy or die

Product placement? In-game advertisement? The exchange of goods and services for an agreed upon fee? Pah! You capitalist dogs make me sick - what with your test groups and your pie charts and your fancy, fancy suits. Curse you. Curse you all! Well now, perhaps I'm being a little bit hasty here - advertising does have some redeeming features after all. For one thing, it helps to keeps things free. Sponsored, I'll grant you, but free. Faceless corporation A pays to shellac your eyeballs every 15-and-a-half seconds and you get to keep on playing, or reading or err breathing, for no money down. Everyone's a winner...

Like all forms of media, gaming has endured its fair share of 'unique' advertising ventures - not least of which was the medium's brief love affair with in-game ads. It didn;t work out that well, to be honest. These were the kind of commercials that would just appear, wily-nily, painted on a lamppost or plastered on a billboard. Never mind the fact that you were too busy fending off spider-folk or whizzing through on a proto-cycle. Who has time to think about long-life batteries at a time like that? But what if they'd really tried to cater these things to the player, to the individual game? What if they'd leveraged the situation rather than been hampered by it? Why, they'd have made an absolute killing. Gee, if only they'd just put

Page 1 of 11
Page 1 of 11
Life insurance ads in Dark Souls

Life insurance ads in Dark Souls

"We here at Necro, Mance and Kline believe that death is only the beginning of your family's crippling financial burden. Last year alone over 18 billion families worldwide felt the added ache of an uninsured passing. Don't be like them. Give your special someones a little something extra to remember you by - no, not a bloated corpse, Billy - this clan wants cold hard cash! Order today and receive our premium 'mortal coil coverage', including additional payouts upon death by bludgeoning, quick-time decapitation, implosive putrefaction and one-hit-kill disembowelment. Your foes may brandish your brain stem, but it's your family that deserves real peace of mind."

Page 2 of 11
Page 2 of 11
Dehumidifier ads in Silent Hill 2

Dehumidifier ads in Silent Hill 2

"Hi, I'm TV's Thad Cranchley and I'm here today to tell you all about the positive life benefits of the Thompson 25X803-42391 dehumidifier and moisture denial supersystem. Tested by our experts on the mean streets of Silent Hill, this bad boy chows down on clouds like you wouldn't believe, eating steam, fighting fog and uncovering countless abominations with its built-in moisture detector and X.88 condensation super-collider. Say it with me. This is a great, great deal, and trust me when I tell you that this is 100% absolutely NOT one of those pyramid head schemes youve been reading all about. Thompson is your recognized brand leader in all things atmosphere draining. Call today!

Page 3 of 11
Page 3 of 11
Flu shot PSAs in Left 4 Dead

Flu shot PSAs in Left 4 Dead

"Are you feeling fluey this winter season? Are some fluids flowing more freely than others? Do you find yourself craving the flesh of your friends and neighbours? It could just be the onset of a common cold, OR much more likely the beginning of a global pandemic of vicious skin-eating monster men. You owe it to your family to get protected - visit your local health centre today to receive your free winter vaccine. Simply show up and stand in line with a group of similarly symptomatic individuals. What's the worst that could happen?

Page 4 of 11
Page 4 of 11
Steroid ads in Resident Evil 5

Steroid ads in Resident Evil 5

"'Sup Brah, something wrong? You're just lookin' a little scrawny there is all, you sure you ain't sick, bro? Haa haaaw, naaw I'm jus' playin wit' you man. But seriously though, you need to start hittin' them weights, dog. Oh yeah, my bad, you already hittin' them weights, right? Haa haaaw, naaw but seriously dog, you need the juice, get those big Frankenstein, ruptured testicle lookin' muscles up in here. Yeah, yeeeah. I can hook you up man, but it's gonna cost ya. It's all legit though, right, so don't tell nobody. Gonna get you looking like Chris Redfield up in dis bitch. Haa haaaw, naaw man but seriously though, don't go punching no nasty ass boulders. Ya Dig? Shit'll blow those waterbed biceps wide open.

Page 5 of 11
Page 5 of 11
Veterinary ads in Raving Rabbids

Veterinary ads in Raving Rabbids

"Oh Buster, why can't you be more like other rabbits? Hopping along in the garden, nibbling on grass, producing ungodly amounts of what I can only presume to be delicious Nesquick cereal. No, you just run around screaming all day and insisting on repetitive mini-games. If only there was some affordable way to quell your crazy mojo? Well now there is, with the Pets.Inc 'quick snip spay and neuter action plan'. Simply show up to one of our licensed clinics today and we'll rip out your rabbid's baby making innards for the low low cost of just $18.99. That's just 1899 cents!"

Page 6 of 11
Page 6 of 11
XXX enlargement ads in Snake

XXX enlargement ads in Snake

---**DOCTORS RECOMMEND THIS ALL NATURAL SOLUTION TO SHAMEFUL GIRTH INADEQUACY. XXX ENLARGEMENT PILLS MAKE YOU RESPECTED CAPTAIN OF INDUSTRY, DELIGHT OF FEMALE ADMIRERS EVERYWHERE! ADD 6 INCHES TODAY! 18 TO 30 INCHES IN A WEEK!!*-*- BECOME DISTASTEFULLY WELL ENDOWED - THE ENVY OF ALL YOUR COLLEAGUES. SCORE BIGTIME YES TODAY1!!**---

Page 7 of 11
Page 7 of 11
Crab ointment ads in Tomb Raider

Crab ointment ads in Tomb Raider

"Itchy, flaky intimate area? Unreturned phone calls from former lovers? Pelvic region playing host to a race of diminutive mantis-people? If you've answered 'yes' to any of the above, then you may just be one of millions of Americans currently suffering from crabs. But what are crabs, exactly? Created in 1945, as part of botched shrink-ray experiment, crabs are the microscopic cousins of the seaside's friendly crustaceans. Incensed by their poor treatment, these vindictive beasts are hell bent on achieving complete pubic annihilation. Thankfully, due to the marvels of modern medicine, there is now a cure! Try 'Captain A-Crab's patented good time, all natural pubic lice relief' today, and we guarantee that you'll start to see results within as little as 8 to 10 months. Don't get crabby Sally, try Captain A-Crab, today!"

Page 8 of 11
Page 8 of 11
Adult diaper/ nappy ads in Outlast

Adult diaper/ nappy ads in Outlast

"Violent Bowel Evacuation may seem like an amusing rarity to some, but for hardcore fans of the horror genre - VBE is an everyday concern. That's why we here at RubberBabyBuggyBumpers Incorporated have been working tirelessly to promote greater awareness, compassion and understanding. The days of soiling oneself in abject terror - before scuttling away like a whiffy John Wayne - are well and truly behind us. With our patented 'Adult Diaper/Nappy 9000', you'll never need to break off an all night gaming session, or forego that quick dip in the pool ever again."

Page 9 of 11
Page 9 of 11
Wax polish ads in Hitman

Wax polish ads in Hitman

"Matheson's Wax Polish - the polish that's made of wax. Now with 30% less toxic petroleum by-products! Go ahead Mr. Shoeshine, make mine a Matheson's!"

Page 10 of 11
Page 10 of 11
Sponsored by Umbrella Corporation, 'putting the bite back into your community'

Sponsored by Umbrella Corporation, 'putting the bite back into your community'

Congratulations! The indoctrination is complete! Go forth and spend, my pretties, spend! Or, yanno, just leave your own madcap advertising suggestions in the comments box below. Ciao!

And while you're here, have a look at some of our related features, why the hell don't you? Classic games, 'improved' by microtransactions would be a good bet, and to see how not to do it, check out The 10 weirdest instances of product placement in gaming history.

Page 11 of 11
Page 11 of 11
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming Wii-u Nintendo PlayStation PS4 Xbox Xbox One Platforms
Samuel James Riley
Samuel James Riley
Social Links Navigation
When he's not busy saving small animals from dangerous brush fires, Sam enjoys writing about the weird world of video games. All-time favourites include Half-Life 2, Knights of the Old Republic, GTA: Vice City and Final Fantasy 10. Last year, Sam finally succeeded in besting Rayman 1 for PlayStation, leaving his life utterly without meaning.
Read more
Ball x Pit
Clever roguelike Ball x Pit sold 300,000 copies on Steam and consoles in 5 days, forever proving mankind yearns for 1976 Atari icon Breakout
 
 
Close up of Quarter Arcades Burger Time side art with hands using controls.
I absolutely do not need a mini Burger Time arcade machine for my kitchen, but this discount is a threat to my air fryer
 
 
Drop Duchy
The perfect video game still hasn't reached its final form, and Drop Duchy shows that "Tetris as a Civilization roguelike" is one heck of a twist
 
 
Palworld
Palworld dev advises players to stop defending games online and play them instead: "Pop open Megabonk or something and just have fun"
 
 
Gnomes art of gnome holding a bloody knife
Paying Valve $108,000 just to be on Steam is "totally worth it," says dev of roguelike strategy game made in 10 months which has now earned over $360,000
 
 
The Outer Worlds 2 gameplay trailer screenshots
Microsoft continues reading anything but the room with a full-page Xbox Game Pass advertisement on console startup a day after hiking prices by 50%
 
 
Latest in Action
Zelda in The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild/Link in The Legends of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom
The Legend of Zelda movie leak shows Nintendo's princess in her Breath of the Wild outfit, hinting that the film might be an adaptation of the 2017 Switch game
 
 
GTA 6
"Rockstar delaying GTA 6 is a flex": Analyst says the studio's "most valuable currency" is anticipation, so Take-Two is strategically polishing its $2.7 billion project
 
 
GTA 6
"We really don't see any force that could stop GTA 6": Not even multiple delays and angry employees can prevent Rockstar from making GTA 6 the "gaming event of the decade," experts say
 
 
GTA 6
"Going against GTA 6 for such games would be suicide": GTA 6 delay is bad for everyone except Rockstar, as analysts predict major devs will avoid a 2026 winter release like it's rancid
 
 
Criminals in GTA Online talking over a desk covered in money
Streamer's GTA 5 mod takes you to court when you hit a pedestrian, and the paperwork asks some suspicious questions
 
 
A screenshot from a Red Dead Redemption 2 mod that shows John Marston looking out over Nuevo Paraíso
Red Dead Redemption 2 modders unveil "ambitious recreation of the Mexican territory from RDR1" that "stays true to the canon" of Rockstar's sequel – and it's basically "a full-fledged DLC"
 
 
Latest in Features
Welcome to Derry episode 4
It: Welcome to Derry episode 4 explained – What is the Galloo? How did Pennywise come to Derry?
 
 
Minecraft screenshot with Xbox Series X five year anniversary overlay
Minecraft is a testament to player creativity above all else – and 16 years later, no other game comes close
 
 
Psychonauts 2 image with an Xbox Series X five year anniversary logo over the top
Psychonauts 2 offered a sensitive approach to mental health when we needed it most, and shouldn't be forgotten
 
 
Winter Burrow artwork showing the protagonist mouse looking out over a snowy landscape towards the burrow. The GamesRadar+ Indie Spotlight logo is in the top right-hand corner of the image
Winter Burrow is like a very cozy, laid back Don't Starve with a bittersweet edge that tugs at the heartstrings
 
 
An explorer in Starfield wearing a red leather jacket standing in front of a fireplace
Two years later, Starfield remains the game Bethesda wanted to make all along – and it was never meant to be a crowd-pleaser
 
 
Golshifteh Farahani and Mélissa Boros in Alpha
Titane director Julia Ducournau's new movie is lighter on the body horror, but stays rooted in the same messy, moving family drama
 
 
  1. Key art of Kagan squatting with a gun in Call of Duty: Black Ops 7
    1
    Call of Duty: Black Ops 7 review-in-progress: "I respect Treyarch's attempt to go bonkers and make the weirdest Call of Duty possible"
  2. 2
    Possessor(s) review: "Smart ideas are quickly buried in this demonic Metroidvania that's far too mundane and dull in a sea of sharp competition"
  3. 3
    Lumines Arise review: "Just as effective as Tetris Effect, block matching to a beat becomes a transcendent experience"
  4. 4
    Anno 117: Pax Romana review: "Whether dealing with rivals through warfare or diplomacy, there's a great deal to like in this engrossing city builder"
  5. 5
    Arc Raiders review: "The most memorable multiplayer experiences I've had all year – this shooter is tense but wonderfully approachable"
  1. Glen Powell as Ben Richards in The Running Man
    1
    The Running Man review: "Some fun action and Glen Powell's star power aren't enough to energize this disappointing Stephen King adaptation"
  2. 2
    Predator: Badlands review: "Die-hard fans may be disappointed, but as a blockbuster action-adventure, Badlands kills it"
  3. 3
    Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc review "Storytelling just as compelling as the chainsaws, devils, and visually excessive fight scenes"
  4. 4
    Tron: Ares review: "Misses out by swapping the Grid for the real world"
  5. 5
    One Battle After Another review: "One of the best studio movies in years and an instant classic"
  1. Rhea Seehorn as Carol Sturka, looking scared, in Pluribus.
    1
    Pluribus season 1 review: "Easily one of the year's best dramas"
  2. 2
    The Witcher season 4 review: "The Henry Cavill-less fourth season is the best yet"
  3. 3
    IT: Welcome to Derry review: "A supremely confident step back into the history of Stephen King's cursed town and killer clown"
  4. 4
    Splinter Cell: Deathwatch review: "A pale imitation of the long-dormant stealth franchise"
  5. 5
    Marvel Zombies review: "A fun expansion of the What If episode with delightful MCU Easter eggs and truly gross R-rated kills"

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google
  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...