EA picks Microsoft's Massive for in-game advertising

Stephen Withers
Thursday, 26 July 2007 13:11

Your IT - Entertainment

The next versions of several Electronic Arts franchise games will feature advertising delivered by the Microsoft-owned Massive Network.

The games concerned are Madden NFL 08, NASCAR 08, NHL 08, Tiger Woods PGA Tour O8, and Skate. All five will available for Xbox 360, Madden and Tiger Woods will also be offered for PCs.

Skate is an "incredibly realistic" skateboard game, according to EA officials.

"EA is committed to providing both great entertainment experiences for gamers and effective advertising solutions for brands and marketers," said Shelby Cox, EA’s senior director of in-game advertising. "Massive has proven its ability to deliver relevant ads in a seamless, nondisruptive way that enhances the realism of the game environment. We look forward to building on the strong progress we’ve made to date."

"We’re thrilled to be EA's trusted partner for dynamic in-game advertising for these products," said Cory Van Arsdale, CEO of Massive. "The addition of EA’s leading titles to our network represents a tremendous opportunity for brands targeting the youth demographic and sends a clear message that in-game advertising has arrived as a compelling medium for marketers."

Or to put it another way, kids aren't watching TV like they used to, so we'll sneak real ads into their video games. What's more, we'll make them pay to receive the ads by delivering them via an Internet connection, even though they paid serious money for the games in the first place.