I-COM worldmeasurementnews

Massive Inc., comScore Announce Breakthrough In-game Advertising Research Methodology

REDMOND, Wash. and RESTON, Va. — Nov. 12, 2009 — For the first time ever, advertisers will now be able to see the direct impact that in-game advertisements have on consumer online behavior, thanks to a new research partnership between Massive Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp., and comScore, Inc. Through an innovative methodology developed by the two companies, advertisers will get an inside look at the degree to which in-game ads motivate gamers to visit Web sites, conduct brand-related search queries and engage in other online actions, something that previously had gone un-measured.

“We know from 80-plus independently verified post-campaign studies that in-game advertising increases brand engagement,” said JJ Richards, general manager of Massive Inc., the creator of a leading network for dynamic video game advertising. “But what we didn’t know was the correlation between in-game ads and consumer action. Through this partnership with comScore, we will also now be able to measure those consumer actions that result from in-game ads. We think this has the potential to literally ‘change the game’ for both advertisers and publishers who want to improve the effectiveness of their in-game ad efforts.” More...

In US, IAB Standardizes In-Game Advertising Measurement, New Guidelines for Public Comment

SAN FRANCISCO, CA (June 15, 2009) – To establish a common methodology for counting impressions and to simplify the process of buying and selling in-game advertising, the Interactive Advertising Bureau (IAB) today announced the release of In-Game Advertising Measurement Guidelines, the first of their kind. The public comment period for these guidelines was formally opened at the premier IAB Marketplace: Games event, taking place in San Francisco today and focused on educating marketers and agencies about the increasing brand opportunities in PC and console-game advertising.

“This is an important step in clarifying and simplifying the process of buying advertising within the in-game environment,” said David Sturman, IAB Games Committee Co-Chair and Principal Architect for Microsoft’s in-game ad company Massive. “Clear standards and methodologies help to demystify a new and exciting form of advertising which will only bring more marketers into games.” More...

Cracking the mystery of measuring in-game ads

Steven Lili Hu, founder and CEO of Shanghai-based InGameAd Interactive, writes for iMedia: Even though the in-game advertising sector is still in its early stages, a reliable standard of measuring its effectiveness has already been heatedly discussed and avidly requested among industry practitioners. Actually, this was one of the major topics that was covered during the advergaming session of ad:tech Shanghai in November, 2008. Without standard metrics that effectively measure in-game advertising, this sector can't expect to grow in a significant and stable fashion. More...

Will Behavioral Targeting be used in in-game media?

Mediapost writes on Nov 24, 2006 that video gaming is among the hottest topics this year, both for consumers wrestling over PS3s and marketers looking for ways to plug into a media platform that just won't stop expanding. One of the leaders in the nascent field of games marketing, DoubleFusion dynamically serves ads into PC and online game titles, and it also helps games publishers like THQ and 2K Sports sell product placements into retail titles. DoubleFusion CEO, Jon Epstein comments "We're still relatively early in the research curve in terms of in-game media, and a lot of the studies have been campaign-specific. There is excitement behind games as an advertising format, because of all the major media, it's [the one where] you are not media multitasking. You can't be focused on anything else. Games have your complete attention."

Nielsen announces launch of GamePlay Metrics, a new rating service for video games

In-Game Advertising will become a critical part of the Online Media mix. October 18, 2006, "Drawing on its extensive resources in media audience measurement, Nielsen Media Research today announced that it is launching GamePlay Metrics, a new rating service for video games. The all-electronic ratings service will establish new metrics for the buying and selling of advertising in video games, while also tracking the activities of gamers across other media platforms, such as TV and the Internet."