In-game advertising – gamers don’t care?

A new study indicates that gamers will not be deterred from playing any particular game by the presence of in-game advertising.

The study, commissioned by research and data firm comScore Networks, claims that 15 percent of heavy gamers are 'unlikely' to play a game that utilises in-game ads, but one-third said they are 'likely' to play games with ads, while 52 percent said it makes no difference. Also among heavy gamers, 17 percent said ads would actually make them consider buying the advertised products, but only 9 percent of light/medium gamers would do the same.

Twenty-one percent of light/medium gamers said they were "unlikely" to play games with in-game ads, whilst twenty-three percent said they would "likely" play such games, and the remaining fifty-three percent said they were indifferent.

Heavy gamers, for the purposes of the study, are those gamers who play in excess of sixteen hours a week.

Erin Hunter, senior VP of comScore Networks, said: "Advertisers are quickly learning that gamers are a highly desirable consumer target. Gamers are networked and vocal about what they like and don't like, and the results of comScore's study reveal that the vast majority of gamers are not bothered by in-game advertising."

Of course, as with all these kinds of studies, SPOnG has to question what was the motivation behind the study and, more importantly, who PAID for the study to be done. So-called private ‘research’ firms are not always to be relied upon for their academic rigour and objectivity.

Another thing to bear in mind is that there is, of course, good and bad in-game advertising. Sponsorship in games such as Gran Turismo, for example, works as an integral part of the game. Billboards for products in-game, which tend to have no part of the game world, only tend to make us a little bit annoyed. But of course, if the game is good, it won’t put us off to the point of boycotting a potentially enjoyable experience.

This whole subject is especially important in light of Microsoft's acquisition of in-game ad company Massive earlier this month – a deal estimated to have set it back somewhere between $200 and $400 million.

You can see the full details and results of the study by going to comScore Networks’ website by clicking right here.

Let us know what you think in the forum. Do you want to buy a game with a one-off purchase and have no in-game advertising as part of the experience? Or do you think in-game advertising and micro-payments for additional content is the inevitable direction the industry is moving towards?