Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • 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
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • 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
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
    • Total Film
Trending
  • Crimson Desert
  • Pokopia
  • Arc Raiders
  • The Boys S5
  • Starfield
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
Don't miss these
Hello Neighbor 2
Horror Games After selling 100,000 Steam copies in a week, publisher behind 8-year-old horror game says continued investment is key
Raccoin raccoon crying tears of joy
Games "That is an $11,000 gold texture": Steam researcher says "supporter packs" make a lot of free money
Gabe Newell in a white shirt
Games "Gabe cannot buy yachts with wishlists": Steam expert begs devs to make the most of their hit games
We Gotta Go characters holding lanterns
Games Steam's new "golden age" is special because so many genres are popping off at once, expert says
A header image for the Best Games 2026 list with a GamesRadar+ logo, showing Pokemon Pokopia, Romeo is a Dead Man, Demon Tides, and Resident Evil Requiem
Games The best games to play in 2026, so far
Key art for Neopets: Mega Mini-Games Collection - The Neopian Arcade Odyssey showing colorful creatures against a blue background
Action Games This Neopets mini-game collection proves it's actually good to preserve bad games
Ellie in The Last of Us Part 2
Games "GTA 3 cost like $5 million": Ex-TLoU Part 2: Remastered artist says the industry is becoming "less risky and creative"
Dying Light: The Beast
Action Games The 10 best zombie games that will munch your brain
GTA 6
Grand Theft Auto Ahead of GTA 6, Take-Two CEO says "It’s hard for me to imagine" including ads in a $70-$80 game: "It would seem unfair"
Retro Rewind shopkeeper helps a customer in green shirt
Simulation Games The hottest new sim on Steam is a love letter to Blockbuster stores and everyone who remembers VHS
Crimson Desert screenshot of Kliff cooking with a frying pan, with an orange On the Radar overlay
RPGs Crimson Desert is a questionable RPG but an excellent medieval life sim, and I fed Kliff bugs for 5 hours to prove it
A screenshot of the Steam Spring sale 2026 banner, featuring a blue dragon and a cartoon chicken pulling on its tail.
Games Here's the 10 best Steam Spring Sale games I recommend picking up so far
James holds the Alice stuffie in concept art by Jean Walter
Adventure Games Alice Madness Returns creator American McGee is making a spiritual successor, and he's not worried about EA
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
Survival Horror Games "They're not good enough," joke devs behind "self-feeding" horror giant stuck in the Steam Top 50 while others rot
The player looks at their ornate hands gun with a blood-red chamber in Crisol: Theater of Idols
Survival Horror Games Resident Evil meets BioShock in a survival horror FPS that would be cringe if it wasn't so damn metal
  1. Games
  2. Action Games
  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.
  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
Subscribe to our newsletter
Read more
No Rest for the Wicked
Action RPGs No Rest for the Wicked lead says if you ever find microtransactions in the Ori studio's games, "kick me in the balls"
 
 
Resident Evil Requiem Leon Kennedy
Resident Evil Resident Evil Requiem fans are imagining all the quips Leon would say in other games: "'Guess that's The Last of Him'"
 
 
A plane in the air in Delivery Must Complete
Action Games The comically long name of this Steam publisher led me to the discovery of a sick Ace Combat and DMC-inspired roguelike
 
 
Leon Kennedy, wearing a black leather jacket, checks his watch in a hospital waiting room in Resident Evil Requiem
Resident Evil I own 23 Resident Evil figurines, and I'd still rather buy Requiem's amiibos instead of a $300 statue
 
 
Drywall Eating Simulator
Simulation Games Art imitates life, so I'm munching through walls while an AI chatbot tells me to buy a gun in Drywall Eating Simulator
 
 
Leon Kennedy in Resident Evil: Requiem
Resident Evil New Resident Evil Requiem bundle sells out in under 5 hours and includes every gamer's biggest fear: exercise equipment
 
 
Latest in Action Games
Wolverine frowns
Action Games X-Men Origins: Wolverine is "better than the movie," says dev, but "it was harrowing" to make
 
 
GTA 6
Grand Theft Auto GTA 6 parent company Take-Two reportedly lays off its head of AI due to "shifting priorities from upper management"
 
 
How to enter GTA 5 cheats
Grand Theft Auto "My 20-year tenure is no longer good enough": GTA 5, Red Dead Redemption veteran says getting a job is a "toss of a coin"
 
 
GTA 6 Lucia
Grand Theft Auto Red Dead Redemption 2 dev would "be surprised" if GTA 6 doesn't feature any ideas from Rockstar's open-world cowboy hit
 
 
GTA 6 locations?
Grand Theft Auto Rockstar has "probably rebuilt the entirety of the Rage Engine," for GTA 6 former dev says
 
 
The Last of Us 2
The Last of Us The Last of Us 3 hope rages on as former Naughty Dog lead confirms it's been making a secret game for 3 years
 
 
Latest in Features
Warhammer 40K Kravek Morne model facing off against other heroes
Tabletop Gaming Warhammer 40K Eye of Terror reminds me of something the game has been missing for years
 
 
Blighted key art featuring a monstrous creature on the ground in the background
Action RPGs Blighted, the cannibal Soulslike Metroidvania action RPG, is a lot to swallow
 
 
Animal Crossing characters look up at the moon
Animal Crossing Animal Crossing helped me process grief, and I'm not alone: "Visiting her island has brought me a lot of peace"
 
 
The Boys season 5
Superhero Shows The Boys season 5: 5 things to remember ahead of the final season
 
 
Johnny Pemberton as Doug in Mermaid
Comedy Movies Fallout star's new mermaid horror-comedy with 100% Rotten Tomatoes score is an eerie, endearing must-watch
 
 
The Azeron Keyzen and Cyborg II from the top down, comparing their switches
Gaming Controllers You don't have to choose between a controller and a keyboard; there's a secret third option
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream
    1
    Tomodachi Life: Living the Dream's viral soap opera lore expands as Nintendo embraces the "drama" and "silliness" of the life sim: "NOT HUGH FRIENDZONING ANGIE ON LIVE TV"
  2. 2
    After making 2 of the best indie games of all time, Lucas Pope won't even talk about his third because "it's getting slurped up by AI or people are gonna copy it"
  3. 3
    Indie dev inspired by PS1 Resident Evil tells arachnophobes to get bent, creates first-person survival horror where you're trapped in an apartment "infested by giant spiders"
  4. 4
    I'm staring at "Persona 1 Origins" and "Persona 2 Duality" merch from Atlus and willing myself to believe that the OG PS1 JRPGs are finally making a comeback
  5. 5
    The Boys season 5 debuts to a near perfect Rotten Tomatoes score, breaking the series finale curse

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

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

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...