Survey: 90% Of Casual Gamers Support Ads For Free Play

RealNetworks has announced the results of a recent survey of RealGames casual games consumers, finding that 90 percent of some 1,500 players surveyed are willing to watch video ads before and during gameplay breaks in exchange for free play. RealNetworks also highlighted survey results that showed that 34 percent of respondents click in-game ads to learn more about the product or service advertised. Similarly, 34 percent of the group surveyed prefer ads tailored to their interests, while 55 percent are indifferent to the nature of the ad. Nearly a third of the players surveyed responded that they "like" watching video ads because of relevance to their interests or for a short break from gameplay. The survey also found that 50 percent of respondents were interested in entertainment-oriented ads, such as for movies or music, while 30 percent were interested in viewing ads for skin care products. Other categories of interests were home cleaning products and weight loss products. RealNetworks says that "the vast majority" of those surveyed are in the females-over-30 demographic -- 81 percent of the total group was female, and 65 percent was in the 35-64 age range -- what the company says is the "core" casual games demographic. The vast majority of survey respondents fall in the coveted 30 plus female purchaser range. Eighty-one percent were female and 65 percent were in the 35-64 age range which is in line with the core casual games demographic. RealNetworks says it will increase its offering of ad-enabled downloadable games during 2008, and RealGames also plans to participate in Google's AdSense for Games beta program to introduce in-game ads to web-based titles. This year, RealNetworks plans to greatly expand the number of ad-enabled downloadable games. RealGames will also be participating in Google's AdSense for Games beta program to introduce in-game ads to its Web-based games. RealGames senior director of new media Chris Houtzer said, "We have been evolving our customer sales model based on user's feedback since we created in-game streaming video advertising in the PC casual games space in 2006. The right mix of advertising in our games gives us greater flexibility in providing advanced game-play options for our customers, sharing in incremental revenue with game developers, and delivering a competitive ROI for advertisers."