Gaming or gambling?

With the global connectivity of video game consoles, such as XBOX Live, PSP and Wii, there are now websites offering a platform to challenge others to a game for financial gain. Three of these websites are, World Gaming, Gamer Saloon and GSpot Gaming.

In-game ads increase brand awareness

MASSIVE STUDY REVEALS IN-GAME ADVERTISING INCREASES AVERAGE BRAND FAMILIARITY BY UP TO 64 PERCENT

Advertising within highly engaging gaming experience shown to have significant positive impact on purchase consideration, ad recall and “coolness” perception of brands.

NEW YORK — Aug. 8, 2007 — Massive Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp. and a leading network for video game advertising, today released research results that provide new insight into the impact of dynamic in-game advertising. Conducted by Nielsen Entertainment, a unit of The Nielsen Company, the research showed that ad campaigns from blue-chip brands that ran in the Massive network significantly improved key brand metrics between control and test groups.

Key results of the study revealed that, from control to test groups:

• Average brand familiarity increased by 64 percent
• Average brand rating increased by 37 percent
• Average purchase consideration increased by 41 percent
• Average ad recall increased by 41 percent
• Average ad rating increased by 69 percent

The study was executed with clients across several major advertising categories, including automotive, consumer packaged goods (CPG), quick service restaurant (QSR) and technology tools. Highlights of findings within these specific advertiser categories include the following:

• Automotive. The automakers included in the study achieved a 69 percent increase in purchase consideration among likely car buyers from control to test groups.

• CPG. The CPG client achieved a 71 percent increase among those who consider the snack food advertised a “cool brand” from control to test groups. Among the key demographic of males ages 18 to 24, brand familiarity rose 63 percent from control to test groups.

• QSR. A QSR ad featured in the Massive network saw its rating (those who “liked it a lot/liked it a little”) rise 39 percent from control to test groups.

• Technology tools. The technology client achieved a 70 percent increase in brand rating from control to test groups.

"The results of this research prove what we’ve seen in more limited studies over the past three years,” said Cory Van Arsdale, CEO of Massive. “As marketers struggle to stand out in cluttered media forms, the Massive network provides both a deeply engaged audience and sophisticated capabilities for creative execution and delivery, resulting in memorable, positive impressions among highly desirable demographics.”

Since the launch of the Massive network in October 2004, advertisers have embraced the ability to uniquely engage and target the growing gaming audience. More than 200 campaigns have run to date across the Massive network from a diverse roster of more than 100 advertising clients. As video games increase in importance as an advertising medium, Massive now offers marketers the same level of partnership and support they expect from traditional media forms, including detailed research on the effectiveness of specific ads and campaigns such as the study released today.

IAB Report - Status of Game Advertising

"The Video Game Interactive Advertising Platform Status Report" provides a detailed overview of the current state of advertising in and around video games. Developed by the IAB Games Committee, the report outlines the myriad opportunities for advertisers to reach and engage consumers in the highly immersive environment of video games.

"The growing number of video game players across multiple demographics coupled with the intrinsically engaging gaming environment offers a unique opportunity for marketers to deliver brand messages to consumers at a moment when they are most involved and attentive," said Dave Madden, EVP Sales, Marketing and Business Development at WildTangent and Chair of the IAB Games Committee. "This report educates the industry on how to best leverage this fast-growing platform.

About the IAB Games Committee:
The IAB Games Committee works to support and expand the use of marketing in conjunction with video games by agencies and marketers. The committee will recommend solutions, standards and educational tools as needed and will deliver these objectives through industry research, case studies and/or stakeholder education.

Games Committee Member Companies:

Advanstar Communications, Inc. Advertising.com Agency.com Akamai AOL Atlas Solutions AtomShockwave Corp. CNET Networks, Inc. Comcast Corporation comScore Deloitte & Touche, LLP Double Fusion, Inc. Dynamic Logic Exent Technologies Ltd. Eyeblaster Google, Inc. IGA Partners Worldwide IGN Entertainment Ignited Internet Broadcasting Systems Leapfrog Online

M:Metrics Massive Incorporated MSN (Microsoft Digital Advertising Solutions) PerfSpot.com PointRoll Range Online Media, Inc. RealNetworks, Inc. Skyworks Technologies The AMC Group Traffic Marketplace True North, Inc. UGO Univision Online Viewpoint Vizi WeatherBug WildTangent World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc. Zango Ziff Davis Media, Inc

War photos lead Halo 3 marketing offensive

An exhibition of fake war photos is being used to promote the UK launch of the record-selling game Halo 3.

The exhibition, titled Shooting a Hero, has, at first look, the appearance of shots taken from a real conflict zone such as Iraq or Vietnam.

In fact, the 21-photograph exhibit uses black-and-white stills of action from the Xbox 360 game Halo 3. Full story on Guardian Unlimited.

Click here to watch the Shooting a Hero documentary.

Gamers respond well to in-game advertising

A study into the in-game advertising sector, conducted by CNET Networks for the IAB, showed that 86% of gamers said that they were happy to see ads placed within games if it brought down the prices they had to pay..

Of the 3,575 UK-based gamers surveyed, 52% said they had seen an in-game ad during the past 12 months. Of these, 33% said they would be either quite likely or very likely to buy a product they had seen advertised while playing, and 64% said that they felt positively towards the brand.

How Hearst Grew Subscriptions 50% With Online Games That Complement Their Brand

SUMMARY: If you’re looking for fun ways to drive traffic to your site, try games that match your brand’s image. Hearst Magazines developed exclusive games for its magazines that engage different demographics of its online readers while staying true to each brand.

They found big hits with the likes of Makeup Mah Jongg, Shopdoku and Boy Toy. Some weeks, the gaming area accounts for 20% of site traffic, and consumers stay on the site much longer. Best of all, they've seen increases in online subscription sales by more than 50%.

coffee-break dueling

Online fantasy videogames like World of Warcraft typically involve spending hours on battles and quests in a virtual universe. But buzz is building online for a Web-based battle game designed to be played in short bouts -- each battle takes about 60 seconds -- in other words, possible to play at work.

The game is called Duels and it is free to play. In it, players build their own character, or avatar, purchase weapons and then can start challenging others who have registered online. The Web program determines the outcome of each duel based on the characters' skill levels, armor and weapons, taking into account a measure of luck; the players simply watch the duel unfold.

Players say the hands-off fights are surprisingly addictive. Though you can't influence the outcome of a duel mid-fight, the anticipation is a bit like watching the screen on a slot machine. The strategy lies in choosing how to build up a character's weapons cache and powers (winners of duels gain virtual coins and "experience points" for this purpose) and picking well-matched opponents for dueling. It's an appealing diversion for those who don't have hours of time for virtual sword-fighting practice.

Soon after the game was launched online last week by the company Oxygen Games, popular sites such as Digg and TechCrunch reviewed it positively, sending thousands of people to the game. As a result, the Duels site has experienced a few outages due to high traffic.

Currently, there are no female avatars available, though Andrew Busey, CEO of Oxygen Games, says they are forthcoming.

Sourced from the Wall Street Journal, written by Jamin Brophy-Warren