What is it?
Product placement in games is similar to the Coca-Cola glass in front of Paula Abdul on "American Idol." Product placement features the product or service integrated into the game experience.

An example is the Nike golf apparel and equipment featured in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 on the Xbox 360.

Pros

• Product placement can have great impact and be well-integrated into a game's experience and story
• Product placement can add to a game's sense of realism; it can also yield many ad impressions

Cons

• A long lead-time can require six months or more in development
• Product placement can be more expensive than other marketing opportunities