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
  • 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
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Anime 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
  • Newsletters
    • Total Film
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsarama
Total Film
  • home
  • 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
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Anime 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
  • Newsletters
    • Total Film
    • Retro Gamer
    • Newsarama
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
Trending
  • Pokemon Legends Z-A
  • Golden Joystick Awards 2025
  • New Games for 2025
Don't miss these
Finspan box with a flying fish at the center against a wooden background
Board Games I didn't expect this new board game to become my summer obsession, but now I've dropped everything else
Masc presenting person holding G'AIM'E light gun in front of large screen featuring Time Crisis gameplay.
Retro The upcoming G'AIM'E Time Crisis light gun console is now up for pre-order, and my trigger fingers are twitching with excitement
Asus ROG Flow Z13 running Indiana Jones and the Great Circle on battery power
Mobile Gaming The best gaming tablets in 2025
Evercade Alpha closeup with Ryu from Street Fighter on screen
Retro Best retro game consoles 2025: my favorite ways to play classic capers
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
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
Top down view of The C64 Mini black edition with GamesRadar+ grey backdrop with orange plus symbols.
Retro "The very best produced in recent years" - I can't believe I've got a reason to buy another C64 Mini, and it's not just because it's "back in black"
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%
Team Fortress 2 screenshot of the Heavy shouting
Games Valve gave the Steam store a new look, and oh no, I hate it
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
Hand holding C64 Mini joystick with console connector to monitor in front with Nobby the Aardvark gameplay on screen.
Retro 8 years later, the C64 mini is still my favorite way to play a chunk of retro microcomputer classics you've probably never heard of
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"
Duet Night Abyss characters with white hair
Action RPGs A gacha RPG is cutting all the gacha garbage so it can just be a better game: "We're completely removing all character and weapon banners"
Hand holding Zelda Game & Watch handheld with Link's Awakening on screen and Mario version on woodgrain desk at top left corner.
Retro Five years later, I can't believe Nintendo's Game & Watch tribute handhelds are available to buy new, and I still use one to spontaneously play Link's Awakening
  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.
See more PC Gaming Features
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
 
 
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
 
 
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
 
 
Top down view of The C64 Mini black edition with GamesRadar+ grey backdrop with orange plus symbols.
"The very best produced in recent years" - I can't believe I've got a reason to buy another C64 Mini, and it's not just because it's "back in black"
 
 
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%
 
 
Team Fortress 2 screenshot of the Heavy shouting
Valve gave the Steam store a new look, and oh no, I hate it
 
 
Latest in Action
Castlevania: Symphony of the Night
After 27 years, a new cheat code has been discovered in Castlevania: Symphony of the Night's most controversial port, and it might've just created the dumbest speedrun category in Metroidvania history
 
 
Assassin's Creed 3
Assassin's Creed was supposed to be a "trilogy" and end with Desmond Miles' death in Assassin's Creed 3, but Ubisoft released Brotherhood and Revelations before it released: "The problem with success is it drags it out"
 
 
GTA 6
Take-Two CEO calls generative AI "the future of technology" that "will increase employment," months after saying GTA 6's "creative genius is human"
 
 
Red Dead Redemption 2 Mortal Kombat mod
Get over here and marvel at this unhinged Red Dead Redemption 2 mod that turns it into Mortal Kombat and lets you Fatality Micah by pushing him in front of a train
 
 
Assassin's Creed Shadows screenshot showing female protagonist Naoe
Assassin's Creed Shadows finally hits Switch 2 in December, but you can probably already guess the bad news: Ubisoft is sticking with game-key cards over real physical releases
 
 
Metroid Samus
Metroid Prime developer struggled to find common ground with Nintendo "many" times, leading to one clash that went from morning until "the sun was setting"
 
 
Latest in Features
Amazing Spider-Man #39 art
Spider-Man 4 may be drawing directly on one of Marvel's most recent comic events that brings in Daredevil, Luke Cage, She-Hulk, Shang-Chi, Tombstone, and many more
 
 
Halo: Campaign Evolved screenshot
Halo: Campaign Evolved hands-on: Is this Unreal Engine 5 remake a bizzaro world Combat Evolved or an "opportunity to pave the way for the future of Halo"?
 
 
Chainsaw Man
Demon Slayer and Chainsaw Man has convinced me that anime can never return to the bad old days of non-canon movies
 
 
Spooky Express screenshot showing a small skeleton shaped train carrying a vampire passenger past a scared human
Spooky Express is an adorable puzzle game that has me mapping out tracks in Trainsylvania to help undead passengers, and it's perfect for Halloween
 
 
A Pokemon trainer posing for a photo in front of Lumiose City's tower in Pokemon Legends Z-A
Pokemon Legends: Z-A makes the world feel livelier than ever before, but it's not because of Lumiose's design
 
 
Mel staring head-on with one red eye in Hades 2
I spent 507 days obsessed with playing Hades 2, so I'm revisiting the first roguelike to decide which is my actual favorite
 
 
  1. Iliad box, tokens, and components laid out on a white surface
    1
    It’s hard to imagine there are many gamers who won’t enjoy this quick but tactical board game for 2 players
  2. 2
    The Outer Worlds 2 review: "The Fallout New Vegas creators have crafted a masterful space age RPG that's willing to play game master to my silliest decisions"
  3. 3
    Once Upon a Katamari review: "Time traveling cowboy adventures, ninja thievery, pirate battles, and more make this the most inventive evolution of the series yet"
  4. 4
    Jurassic World Evolution 3 review: "Far from a fossil, this park builder is one you'll keep coming back to, despite its flaws"
  5. 5
    Ninja Gaiden 4 review: "Thrilling action and deep blood powers make this the series' best and a stunning return to form"
  1. Chainsaw Man
    1
    Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc review "Storytelling just as compelling as the chainsaws, devils, and visually excessive fight scenes"
  2. 2
    Tron: Ares review: "Misses out by swapping the Grid for the real world"
  3. 3
    One Battle After Another review: "One of the best studio movies in years and an instant classic"
  4. 4
    The Conjuring: Last Rites review: "Not bold or memorable enough for the Warrens' final chapter"
  5. 5
    Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle review: "Roars past Mugen Train as Demon Slayer's best adventure yet"
  1. Some of the young cast of IT: Welcome to Derry, including Phil (Jack Molloy Legault), Lilly (Clara Stack), and Teddy (Mikkal Karim-Fidler).
    1
    IT: Welcome to Derry review: "A supremely confident step back into the history of Stephen King's cursed town and killer clown"
  2. 2
    Splinter Cell: Deathwatch review: "A pale imitation of the long-dormant stealth franchise"
  3. 3
    Marvel Zombies review: "A fun expansion of the What If episode with delightful MCU Easter eggs and truly gross R-rated kills"
  4. 4
    Gen V season 2 review: "As strong as the first season, if not stronger"
  5. 5
    Wednesday season 2 part 2 review: "Ortega shines, but it's a zombie who steals the entire show"

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...