The Big Brother mobile MMO has just launched, and it’s considerably more revolutionary than the casual observer might assume.

It is, of course, based on the iconic and influential reality TV show that first aired in 1999, and it will likely surprise no one that it lets players get a taste of living in the famed Big Brother house. It being an MMO also means that should you decide to spend time with the game, your fellow residents will be the avatars of other real players.

That alone would already be impressive enough. Playing Big Brother: The Game means sharing a space with other real people; just as it is in the TV show.

But the parallels don’t stop there. The players that spend time in developer 9th Impact’s recreation of the Big Brother house are competing to win real money - up to $1 million! What’s more, Big Brother fans can also join the game as spectators via Twitch integration - assuming the role of a television audience fascinated by what happens when people are confined in a space together. 

In fact, it’s entirely reasonable to describe Big Brother: The Game as a piece of ‘reality gaming’. That is to say, it isn’t simply a gaming homage to a TV show, but a platform for a new kind of reality entertainment, where real people spend time together, watched by a real audience.

So when 9th Impact reached out to us to ask how AudioMob could support and monetise such an innovative piece of game design, we were immediately excited by the vast potential. A project that blended concepts from gaming, television, streaming and more instantly captivated us.

A SOUND STRATEGY
9th Impact’s game is framed by the same voting systems as the TV show, and players will have to form fragile alliances and overcome an array of challenges to emerge as victorious. Big Brother: The Game uses its own currency - BB Bucks - which players can spend on customising their look, bribing rival housemates and surmounting the more testing challenges. One way to earn BB Bucks is by listening to an in-game radio that broadcasts real ads.

It is AudioMob technology that made that possible, of course, using their popular rewarded audio ad format. Certainly, the presence of AudioMob in Big Brother: The Game is about providing powerful incremental revenue that makes the title a commercial success. But there’s more to the partnership than bottom line alone.

In being played from an in-game radio, the ads AudioMob serve are immersed in the game world. They come from a source that makes sense in the game world - a radio that sits in the same space as the other everyday objects that make Big Brother as a mobile game all the more convincing. It is all part of the game’s broader effort in pursuit of realism - or rather, reality.

VIRTUALLY REALITY
This is a reality show realised as a game, rather than a game about a reality show. It’s space is occupied by real people, watched by a real audience, and real audio ads are broadcast in the world.

As such, AudioMob also serves to make the game more convincing and more authentic. It is a significant tool in Big Brother: The Game's user experience (UX) arsenal. Smooth, instinctive and elegant UX can be the making of a successful game. In fact, it can be argued that games are entirely defined as user experiences, and as such UX is fundamental to their impact and commercial legacy. So it makes a great deal of sense that ads should contribute to quality UX, rather than interfere with it. In integrating ads at such an immersive level, they are part of the fabric of the game’s ‘universe’. Instead of jarring with the experience or taking the player away from it, as other ad formats might, they add detail and believability to the game’s world.

Additionally, Big Brother: The Game is a spectated - and broadcast - entity. That means that ads served up to contestants over the radio also reach audiences on platforms like Twitch - making it the first game ever to offer audio advertising with pass on listenership, bringing tremendous additional value to advertisers. 

Being part of the Big Brother mobile MMO is something the team at AudioMob are proud of. Certainly, it’s been immensely encouraging to see our technology used to empower a globally iconic brand. But more than that, the integration with 9th Impact’s creation showcases what our technology can be; a powerful way to monetise and profoundly impactful for advertisers - while at the same time helping better the user experience of playing a game. We can’t think of another mobile game ad technology that does that.

Ads detract from games? Not any more. As Big Brother: The Game demonstrates, now ads can bring players and spectators a more authentic, engrossing and enjoyable experience.