THQ Signs In-Game Ad Deal With Massive

Following the announcement on Friday of a long-term partnership with Call of Duty developer Spark Unlimited, to include real world advertising in future titles, officials from Massive Incorporated have also announced a similar deal with publisher THQ. The company’s Massive Network originally rose to prominence as a means of introducing real world advertising into massively multiplayer online titles such as the currently free-to-play Anarchy Online and Sony Online Entertainment titles Planetside and The Matrix Online. The company has also worked with publishers to include advertising in offline titles, most notably Ubisoft’s Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. The new deal with THQ is not described in detail, but it is implied to include a variety of different titles. "Dynamic, in-game advertising not only offers publishers new revenue opportunities, but when done properly creates added realism that can actually enhance gameplay," said Kelly Flock, THQ’s executive vice president of worldwide publishing. "We are excited to team with Massive because we believe their network strategy and sensitivity to game play will deliver value to publishers, advertisers and gamers. We look forward to exploring together what we see as a world of new possibilities for delivering advertising to the medium of interactive entertainment." "As a leading, global video game publisher with world class content, THQ's inclusion in the Massive Network significantly expands the reach of the new media we are working with our partners to create," said Mitchell Davis, chief executive officer, Massive. "THQ is already working on ways to incorporate a range of dynamic advertising into future games, which makes this relationship ideal for Massive both from a strategic and technical standpoint."