jroberts
15 years ago
6 days ago
764
Here's a little background on Bidstack and there relationship with SI. They even share the same building!

Football Manager has 12 billboards in the game, each capable of showing advertising. Each advertisement loop typically runs for 8 seconds and is visible to the player at all times. The advertisers pay bidstack on the basis of the number of impressions, being the number of times an advertisement is seen by a discrete player on the basis of a cost per thousand views (''CPM'' as agreed with the advertiser/brand owner.

On a typical day, around 150,000 people play Football Manager, with an average time in the game of 4 hours per day. Based on evidence gathered during the trial phase, this generates around 25 million potential impressions per day.

The arrangement with Sports Interactive gives bidstack exclusive access to native in-game advertising for six of the 12 available billboards in the 2018 version. The remaining six will continue to display existing advertising that was 'hard wired' into the game at launch in November 2017. bidstack will have exclusive access to 11 of the 12 billboards in the 2019 and 2020 releases
stevemc
13 years ago
1 week ago
95
The arrangement with Sports Interactive gives bidstack exclusive access to native in-game advertising for six of the 12 available billboards in the 2018 version. The remaining six will continue to display existing advertising that was 'hard wired' into the game at launch in November 2017. bidstack will have exclusive access to 11 of the 12 billboards in the 2019 and 2020 releases


They've sold their soul. Ruins the immersion of the game for me, if I'm playing a Champions League game, I want it to feel like the Champions League, not see Nicki Minaj on the pitch side advertisements.
Rivanov
14 years ago
3 months ago
143
Premium
And I don't want to buy Cherny Samba's book.
aragornx17
11 years ago
4 months ago
20
They've sold their soul. Ruins the immersion of the game for me, if I'm playing a Champions League game, I want it to feel like the Champions League, not see Nicki Minaj on the pitch side advertisements.


I agree with you and we already pay for game it must be illegal to show us advertisements in the game without our permission. We can see it on cinemas too. We pay for watch the movie but we have to watch advertisements for 15 minutes before the movie (in Turkey maybe other countries dont have that). I hate that.

Here is a video how can you block a program to access internet in Mac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFO_D9ltUOk
mons
17 years ago
43 minutes ago
85,497
I agree with you and we already pay for game it must be illigal to show us advertisements in the game without our permission. We can see it on cinemas too. We pay for watch the movie but we have to watch advertisements for 15 minutes before the movie (in Turkey maybe other countries dont have that). I hate that.

Here is a video how can you block a program to access internet in Mac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFO_D9ltUOk

Irrespective of whether displaying adverts in this way is justified or not, when you installed the game you agreed to SI's terms and conditions. Nobody reads that stuff, but it will almost certainly have included a section on adverts of this type being included in the game. So to say that adverts are being shown in your game illegally is not entirely correct...
stevemc
13 years ago
1 week ago
95
Here is a video how can you block a program to access internet in Mac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFO_D9ltUOk


Had a go of that too, still no resolution. Ads still show through!
Rivanov
14 years ago
3 months ago
143
Premium
I agree with you and we already pay for game it must be illegal to show us advertisements in the game without our permission. We can see it on cinemas too. We pay for watch the movie but we have to watch advertisements for 15 minutes before the movie (in Turkey maybe other countries dont have that). I hate that.

Here is a video how can you block a program to access internet in Mac https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFO_D9ltUOk

Blocking FM 2019 via the firewall on my Mac doesn't help unfortunately. It did for a couple of games but after a while the Bidstack ads came back. I also got the Cherny Samba book ads..
jroberts
15 years ago
6 days ago
764
Blocking FM 2019 via the firewall on my Mac doesn't help unfortunately. It did for a couple of games but after a while the Bidstack ads came back. I also got the Cherny Samba book ads..

My attempts to block via the firewall on a Windows 10 PC failed as well
stevemc
13 years ago
1 week ago
95
Current workaround is;

• Set everything to "FALSE" in this file: Macintosh HD⁩ ▸ ⁨Users⁩ ▸ ⁨name ▸ ⁨Library⁩ ▸ ⁨Application Support⁩ ▸ ⁨Sports Interactive⁩ ▸ ⁨Football Manager 2019⁩ ▸ ⁨Preferences⁩ ▸ ⁨version 3⁩ ▸ ⁨channels⁩ ▸ ⁨BIDSTACK_CHANNEL.xml
• Put the game in "offline mode" via Steam,
• Turn the WiFi off on your laptop
• Then launch FM19.

Bidstack ads disappear.
lembergman
8 years ago
1 month ago
444
Current workaround is;

• Set everything to "FALSE" in this file: Macintosh HD⁩ ▸ ⁨Users⁩ ▸ ⁨name ▸ ⁨Library⁩ ▸ ⁨Application Support⁩ ▸ ⁨Sports Interactive⁩ ▸ ⁨Football Manager 2019⁩ ▸ ⁨Preferences⁩ ▸ ⁨version 3⁩ ▸ ⁨channels⁩ ▸ ⁨BIDSTACK_CHANNEL.xml
• Put the game in "offline mode" via Steam,
• Turn the WiFi off on your laptop
• Then launch FM19.

Bidstack ads disappear.

what about this line? <string id="log_level" value="all"/>
White Flag
16 years ago
7 hours ago
38
Blocking FM19.exe in the firewall solved my problem but after that in the game first videoadboard rolling 3-5 times so I have a solution for it with adding one black frame video for all first videoadboards.
1-) Copy BIDSTACK_CHANNEL.xml into C:\Users\(USERNAME)\AppData\Local\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2019\Preferences\version 3\channels
2-) A-) Block FM19.exe in Windows Firewall Here is a video how can you do that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpZPKtFFS0Y
B-) Block FM19 in Mac here is a video how can you do that https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFO_D9ltUOk
3-) Copy XML file which one you wanna use (Club or NoClub ) to C:\Users\(USERNAME)\Documents\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2019\ads
4-) Copy data folder to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Football Manager 2019

http://www.mediafire.com/file/7l7y2e0hivmcbyw/FM19SolvingBitstack.zip/file


Just for the info of those still struggling to get this working on a Mac - still no sign of any Bidstack on Windows 10. Half a season in now and after various PC reboots / re-loads. So something in here should surely work on a Mac with a bit of tinkering ?

Good luck to you.
stevemc
13 years ago
1 week ago
95
what about this line? <string id="log_level" value="all"/>


Leave that one as it is, sorry I should have specified that!
Rivanov
14 years ago
3 months ago
143
Premium
Current workaround is;

• Set everything to "FALSE" in this file: Macintosh HD⁩ ▸ ⁨Users⁩ ▸ ⁨name ▸ ⁨Library⁩ ▸ ⁨Application Support⁩ ▸ ⁨Sports Interactive⁩ ▸ ⁨Football Manager 2019⁩ ▸ ⁨Preferences⁩ ▸ ⁨version 3⁩ ▸ ⁨channels⁩ ▸ ⁨BIDSTACK_CHANNEL.xml
• Put the game in "offline mode" via Steam,
• Turn the WiFi off on your laptop
• Then launch FM19.

Bidstack ads disappear.

Turning off WiFi isn't an option because I can't browse the internet during the game. And I like to multitask.
I think I would have to accept the bidstack ads until there is a proper solution.
jroberts
15 years ago
6 days ago
764
I believe I have cracked it.

After 2 days of trying different things I started looking at what files FM18 and FM19 had that were different.

Discovered that in C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2019\Preferences\version 3 there was an .xml file called bidstack_enabled.xml missing from FM19. Copied the file from FM 18 over to FM19 and EUREKA!! it works with no changing of firewalls or disconnecting your internet etc.

All the .xml has in it is:

<record>
<boolean id="value" value="false"/>
</record>

You can create your own if you don't have the FM18 version or use my file that is attached

http://i.imgur.com/atjogIs.jpg
aragornx17
11 years ago
4 months ago
20
I believe I have cracked it.

After 2 days of trying different things I started looking at what files FM18 and FM19 had that were different.

Discovered that in C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2019\Preferences\version 3 there was an .xml file called bidstack_enabled.xml missing from FM19. Copied the file from FM 18 over to FM19 and EUREKA!! it works with no changing of firewalls or disconnecting your internet etc.

All the .xml has in it is:

<record>
<boolean id="value" value="false"/>
</record>

You can create your own if you don't have the FM18 version or use my file that is attached

http://i.imgur.com/atjogIs.jpg


Thanks it works for me too.Interesting there is file in FM19 with name "enable_interest_based_advertising" exactly same codes in it.
Deleted Account #337576
I believe I have cracked it.

After 2 days of trying different things I started looking at what files FM18 and FM19 had that were different.

Discovered that in C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2019\Preferences\version 3 there was an .xml file called bidstack_enabled.xml missing from FM19. Copied the file from FM 18 over to FM19 and EUREKA!! it works with no changing of firewalls or disconnecting your internet etc.

All the .xml has in it is:

<record>
<boolean id="value" value="false"/>
</record>

You can create your own if you don't have the FM18 version or use my file that is attached

http://i.imgur.com/atjogIs.jpg


Good work Mr Roberts
melnibonian
13 years ago
1 month ago
8
I believe I have cracked it.

After 2 days of trying different things I started looking at what files FM18 and FM19 had that were different.

Discovered that in C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2019\Preferences\version 3 there was an .xml file called bidstack_enabled.xml missing from FM19. Copied the file from FM 18 over to FM19 and EUREKA!! it works with no changing of firewalls or disconnecting your internet etc.

All the .xml has in it is:

<record>
<boolean id="value" value="false"/>
</record>

You can create your own if you don't have the FM18 version or use my file that is attached

http://i.imgur.com/atjogIs.jpg

Does that mean that we can watch the custom made video adds or the boards will be black?
White Flag
16 years ago
7 hours ago
38
Does that mean that we can watch the custom made video adds or the boards will be black?


Apply this fix, reload and it works perfectly. Only the correct custom adboards show.
zeus1976
15 years ago
5 hours ago
277
good morning

i can´t discover paste sports interective in my pc

https://imgur.com/a/amyWItY
Onyewu
15 years ago
6 days ago
73
Premium
This does work.....yay!!!.....static ads working.........in a brief test, I haven't seen any of the "force fed" video ads yet.......

Mr. J Roberts deserve a nice cold one (or 10) and a few shots on the side for solving the riddle (until FM finds a way to thwart us again)
gtaylor
11 years ago
1 month ago
3
Premium
I believe I have cracked it.

After 2 days of trying different things I started looking at what files FM18 and FM19 had that were different.

Discovered that in C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Sports Interactive\Football Manager 2019\Preferences\version 3 there was an .xml file called bidstack_enabled.xml missing from FM19. Copied the file from FM 18 over to FM19 and EUREKA!! it works with no changing of firewalls or disconnecting your internet etc.

All the .xml has in it is:

<record>
<boolean id="value" value="false"/>
</record>

You can create your own if you don't have the FM18 version or use my file that is attached

http://i.imgur.com/atjogIs.jpg

hello mate i have steam where abouts in the steam file dose it go thanks
Rivanov
14 years ago
3 months ago
143
Premium
Going to test it right a way on my iMac! Indeed, my folder didn't had the bidstack_enabled.xml so I copied the FM 18 version to this folder.
For other Mac users, the folder you need is: /Users/username/Library/Application Support/Sports Interactive/Football Manager 2019/Preferences/version 3
jroberts
15 years ago
6 days ago
764
This does work.....yay!!!.....static ads working.........in a brief test, I haven't seen any of the "force fed" video ads yet.......

Mr. J Roberts deserve a nice cold one (or 10) and a few shots on the side for solving the riddle (until FM finds a way to thwart us again)

Cheers, lets hope SI don't find out
Rivanov
14 years ago
3 months ago
143
Premium
YES! This works! And finally I see the custom adboards in FM19!!
The only thing I don't see are the static banners at the top of the grand stands. They remain black. Any idea?

https://cl.ly/0157f6d7b609/Screenshot%202018-11-18%20at%2015.05.10.png

Is use the CLUB BANNERS & ADBOARDS from strangerthankindness

custom club banners and fan adboards for fm 18
created by strangerthankindness in oakland california
vol 18.1 released may 9 2018
graphics by strangerthankindness
video adboards by jeffroberts and rabcp and his team
gtaylor
11 years ago
1 month ago
3
Premium
YES! This works! And finally I see the custom adboards in FM19!!
The only thing I don't see are the static banners at the top of the grand stands. They remain black. Any idea?

https://cl.ly/0157f6d7b609/Screenshot%202018-11-18%20at%2015.05.10.png

Is use the CLUB BANNERS & ADBOARDS from strangerthankindness

custom club banners and fan adboards for fm 18
created by strangerthankindness in oakland california
vol 18.1 released may 9 2018
do you know where you put the file on steam cant find mine 
graphics by strangerthankindness
video adboards by jeffroberts and rabcp and his team
Rivanov
14 years ago
3 months ago
143
Premium
Anyone has a solution to get the static club banners working?
stevemc
13 years ago
1 week ago
95
This works for me, great spot
Rivanov
14 years ago
3 months ago
143
Premium
This works for me, great spot

Also the static club banners?
stevemc
13 years ago
1 week ago
95
Also the static club banners?


Yes, they've always worked, never had an issue with them. I use competition ads though, not clubs.
Rivanov
14 years ago
3 months ago
143
Premium
Yes, they've always worked, never had an issue with them. I use competition ads though, not clubs.

So you use the No Club fm.xml file?

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