Video gaming has had a long, hard road in convincing mainstream press and non-gamers of its own maturity, and while it is still an ongoing process, the industry has made great strides. According to Ed Bartlett, the former European VP of IGA Worldwide, it’s in-game advertising companies that are largely responsible for this.
“Aside from the tens of millions of dollars of new revenue it’s brought into the industry, I think that collectively the in-game advertising companies have done a huge amount, possibly more than anyone else in fact, to challenge media misconceptions about gamers and the games industry,” said Bartlett. “That assertion might cause a few raised eyebrows, but the fact is that the success of the entire in-game advertising industry hinged upon convincing the world’s leading consumer brands that the gaming demographic was no longer made up of 12 year-old boys in their bedrooms.”
“Part of the strategy for that was also educating the press across multiple categories, and getting them to write positively about the industry. Between IGA, Massive and Double Fusion we pretty much turned that perception on its head in a remarkably short space of time, which has ultimately led to much broader and more even-handed coverage of the industry as a whole, he added. Probably my biggest single frustration is how few industry people even know or recognize that.
With the scope of gaming now covering free-to-play, social, and casual games, along with the still viable traditional retail publishing market, Bartlett thinks there’s still a place for in-game ads. “I think there is scope for some interesting stuff around transactions, particularly as game’s transition to a more service-based model. Brands could help subsidize costs and services, which would be received very positively by gamers, said Bartlett. “The industry is much more stable now. There is a standardized common currency for advertisers and agencies, a good understanding from developers and publishers on what is required regarding inventory generation in their games, and the market continues to make headlines and break records which gives brands confidence that they are involved with something which has longevity and reflects positively on their products.”
Source: GamesIndustry.biz
