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NEWS

In-Game Ads Coming To New EA, Activision And THQ Titles

Tom Ivan's picture

By Tom Ivan

August 31, 2009

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Microsoft-owned Massive Inc. will deliver in-game adverts to a host of existing and upcoming PC and Xbox 360 titles from major publishers including EA, Activision Blizzard and THQ.

In-game ads will feature in EA’s Madden NFL 10, NHL 10, NBA Live 10 and Need For Speed Shift, in Activision’s Guitar Hero 5, DJ Hero, Band Hero, Tony Hawk: Ride and Blur, and in THQ’s UFC 2009 Undisputed and MX vs. ATVT ReflexT, among others.

Massive will also be the exclusive advertising service provider for Blizzard Entertainment’s redesigned Battle.net online gaming service, which is due to launch alongside StarCraft II in 2010.

According to Massive boss JJ Richards, the firm’s in-game ad delivery service allows its clients to “engage the highly coveted male 18-34 demographic in a more efficient and less interruptive manner than traditional TV ads.”

In May Microsoft announced that a number of jobs had been cut at Massive in a bid to increase operating efficiency.

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SCTakara's picture
On August 31st SCTakara said:

Randy Pitchford (CEO of Gearbox) had a good op/ed piece at Gamasutra a while ago concerning in-game advertising and the benefits it can bring to developers and players.

http://www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=18051

SCTakara's picture
On August 31st SCTakara said:

And Arstechnica has a nice little article on a study done on in-game advertising today:
http://arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2009/08/dont-interrupt-and-fit-in-the...

Alex Walker's picture
On August 31st Alex Walker said:

None of this is new. Guitar Hero has in game advertising in the form of Ernie Ball strings and Gibson guitars. The sports games all have advertising hoardings, and updating those online makes perfect sense. Need for Speed ads will likely come in the form of roadside billboards which has again, been done before.

If it interrupts the game to say 'here is an ad' that thats something to get up in arms about. But it doesn't seem likely given this quote:

"engage the highly coveted male 18-34 demographic in a more efficient and less interruptive manner than traditional TV ads."

toadwarrior's picture
On August 31st toadwarrior said:

So you have to pay to play online with the 360 *and* you have to put up with adverts.

How soon until we're forced to pay MS to physically come over to our house and bend us over?

Jack_'s picture
On August 31st Jack_ said:

I don't play or have any interest in these games, but here's hoping there'll be unofficial mods for the PC versions that take them out. I don't see an unsuccessful game on this list. They're not in any financial strain, it's just bullshit.