Product placements not remembered.

• Position: Violent Video Games - Brief article

When people playing violent video games focus on killing and maiming, they often do not remember the corporate brands they see along the way. That is the conclusion of a study--in the journal Psychology of Popular Media Culture--that Is one of the first to look at whether product placements In video games are an effective form of advertising.

Results showed that gamers who played with nonviolent goals recalled 51% more brands shown Inside the game than did those playing the exact same game with violent goals. "Killing characters in video games may be fun for players, but It appears to be bad for business," says psychologist Brad Bushman, coauthor of the study.

Adds coauthor Robert Lull: "People are hard-wired to pay attention to violence. It has survival value. Violence is an emotional cue that dominates...