inGame Makes Inroads Into Game Advertising

Videogame advertising firm inGamePartners, another entrant into the 'ads inserted into games' market which includes rival, higher-profile ad provider Massive Inc., recently announced a deal with PC FPS server companies PHXX and GriffinRun, to include adverts in Counter-Strike matches played on their servers. The deal, presumably done independently of Counter-Strike creator Valve Software by using modding tools, creates a claimed 100 to 150 million ad impressions per month, and inGame CMO Mark Nathanson claims: 'We now hold the keys to the kingdom for every advertiser who wants to reach that elusive male 15-35 target audience.' Recent campaigns running on the ad platform include Viacom's Spike TV, showing a promotional campaign for the television show, 52 Favorite Cars, and an audience demographic survey for the Counter-Strike gamer on inGame's official site shows that 48.8% of respondents are planning to buy a PC in the next six months, and 92.4% are planning to buy Half-Life 2.