> But after seeing the first McDonalds or other licensed or paid-placement crap show up in the game I would have never played it again.

You mean the optional "paid-placement crap" that you have to purposely go download and then purposely build within your city?

That isn't at all rational. Tons of games have had sponsored promotional items, World of Warcraft's Mountain Dew thing for one very large scale example.

But just like WoW's Mountain Dew thing this too is entirely optional.