Activision, IGA Partner For PS3 In-Game Ads

Activision Publishing and in-game advertising firm IGA Worldwide signed an exclusive multi-year agreement to incorporate dynamic in-game ads into the publisher's future PlayStation 3 titles. Activision's Guitar Hero World Tour, due late October, will be the publisher's first title to feature IGA's integrated ads. The planned dynamic advertisements can be updated in real time and targeted to different demographics. Earlier this year, the agency secured a non-exclusive partnership with Sony for permission to serve ads onto the PlayStation 3, as subsequently did rival firm Double Fusion. Shortly afterwards, IGA confirmed a two-year agreement with Electronic Arts to become the company’s exclusive PlayStation 3 ad partner. Under the agreement, IGA will provide advertising for EA franchises NBA Live, NASCAR, NHL, Need for Speed, and Burnout. However, these series of deals also reveal the fragmented nature of the console in-game ad markets, with the Xbox 360 apparently not permitting deals by companies aside from its own Massive division, and no in-game ad deals yet signed or permitted for Nintendo's Wii. Says Activision Publishing's Business Development head Dave Anderson, "By incorporating dynamic in-game advertising in our titles where it is appropriate, we can increase the realism of our games by presenting consumers with authentic environments in genuine settings, while also expanding a key growth opportunity for the company."