Advergaming

Video Game advertising, where is it heading?

Advergaming is the business of placing advertisements in video games to advertise or promote a product, organization or sometimes a viewpoint. There are two types of Advergaming

Static in-game advertising
Dynamic in-game advertising

Static in-game advertising consists primarily with virtual billboards and in-game product placement that can not be altered once placed in the game.

Dynamic in-game advertising can be altered remotely by the advertising agencies and can be product tailored according to geographical location or time of day. This allows the agencies to delivery time-critical advertising campaigns, such as movie launches.

A report by eMarketer is showing a huge increase in spending when it comes to marketing inside of the video game space and analysts expect a minimum of a 22 percent increase by the year 2011. Personaly, I believe the percentage will be much greater than the 22 percent.

Looking at some recent cases of video game advergaming, a successful new marketing trend has developed. Burger King was immensely successful in their advergaming campaign by launching three Xbox and Xbox360 titles -- Gamers actually spent money to play a game created with one purpose in mind: advertising.

1. Pocketbike Racer - Racing game pitting Burger King mascots against one another.
2. Big Bumpin - Bumper car game pitting Burger King mascots against one another.
3. Sneak King – An adaptation of the stealth action genre, but instead of sneaking up and snapping someone's neck, you gives them the gift of food.

Advertising in video games will continue to build heat and produce stacks of profits. What scares me is how far will it develop? The last thing I want and I truly mean this… The very last thing I want to see is Mariah Carey at the glamorous age of 90 in short shorts singing ‘Vision of Love’.

We've all grown used to ads on google, personal blogs, and social networks; video games is just the newest kid on the block. With approximently 50% (or more) of the entertainment hours being spent with a controller in-hand instead of watching TV, how will advertisers market products to you? Advertisers are simply taking the advertising to where your eyeballs are in hopes of re-capturing the demographic of people not watching TV.

I believe gamers do appreciate the presence of in-game advertisements because it makes the game more realistic. However, how much advertising will be considered too much? Where will advertising placement be considered inappropriate?

How will advertisers tap into millions of subscribers of fantasy role playing games?

A Toyota billboards in racing games, a Subway banner behind home plate or a crate of Red Bull in first action shooter games – realistic. But an advertiser trying to blend a product into a medieval or even a fantasy realm setting and keeping it relevant seems impossible. Can you imagine seeing an Elvaan character eating a Burger King Whopper in Final Fantasy?

At the moment, it seems as if everyone is winning with in game advertising. Gaming companies have a promising revenue source. The companies behind the advertising have seen significant increase in product purchases, game developers feel the extra revenue allows them to introduce and experiment with new ideas and gamers appreciate the realism.

But if I start seeing Mariah Carey or any other pop tart ads, I’m going back to television!