What the buy buys
How to best reach gamers depends on the creativity of the developer, ad network and ad agency. And whether a brand's name appears on a roadside sign, a pre-game video or as part of a storyline within the game depends on the brand's campaign, audience and message. While the CPM is going to be higher than for a regular internet banner ad, game advertising can guarantee better returns.
"The guarantee is about CPMs: did that gamer see your ad in the time frame you bought. If you bought one million impressions against young men I could guarantee you'd get one million impressions," says Shumaker.
Meanwhile ad-supported, internet games and advergaming can measure how many people played the game, for how long, and how many times, says Arkadium's Rovello. And because the technology is ubiquitous, requiring just a keyboard and mouse, casual games have a bigger potential audience. In January the New York Times quoted a report from game industry researcher DFC Intelligence stating that advertisers spent about $150 million last year buying space in casual games or on casual game sites, up from $74 million in 2002.
Whether PC or console-controlled games, downloadable or bought off a store shelf, in-game advertising is just beginning to exercise its versatility and strength. "There is a compelling range of opportunities for marketers to connect with their audiences through video games -- there is no silver bullet," concludes Lange Engel.
Mira Schwirtz is a San Francisco-based freelance writer covering the culture and business of technology. Read full bio.