Videogames advertising: get ready

Do you want to reach young males? Advertise in videogames, that’s the best place to get their attention. The Seattle Post has a good article by Gary Gentile reporting on the recent E3 videogames trade show where it has become clear that the biggest players in the industry have discovered another revenue stream: the money payed by brands to have their logo placed in the games. Advertising is coming to videogames, and research firms are trying to adapt their methodologies and technologies to measure the players behavior. Of course in-game advertising is not for everybody, but big corporations with a lot of money to spend won’t loose the chance to impose their ads even there.

Sorry but I can’t stand product placement in movies, I believe it lowers the quality of the film. Don’t get me wrong, products do have a role in real life, so if you want to be realistic you have to show me a Coke or a Pepsi. The problem is that products most of the times are exhibited, not simply shown in a context. I hope the videogames industry will be smarter in placing the brands’ logos, but I also wonder how receptive to an advertising message is a player who usually is very much concentrated in the game.