IGA Worldwide Inks Merscom Deal For Casual Games

Independent game advertising company IGA Worldwide has announced an exclusive agreement with casual developer Merscom to place in-game advertisements into its lineup of casual games such as the point-and-click Jewel Craft, among others. IGA's agreement with Merscom represents the advertising company's expansion into the casual gaming market, and the company's focus on targeting the increasingly significant 30+ female gamer demographic. The deal will encompass casual games throughout the U.S. and European market, creating contextually relevant ads specific to each region. These games will be available in both US and European retail stores and online portals worldwide. IGA, whose other clients have included Electronic Arts, Valve, Eidos, Atari and Acclaim, recently received $25 million in Series B funding from GE/NBC Universal’s Peacock Equity and KTB Ventures. Most recently, it announced the extension of its partnership with Codemasters in a three-year agreement. Said IGA CEO Justin Townsend, “This agreement expands our casual game network to further enable our advertisers to reach this growing, engaged and influential audience of female gamers. We continue to strive to create opportunities to offer advertisers new and exciting ways to reach various demographics and this partnership with Merscom allows us to deliver on that promise.”