Product placement in interactive games

Abstract

Modern computer and video games offer a dynamic means of interactive advertising for a wide range of commercial products. This article details an exploratory study in the area of interactive, in-game advertising. Various key forms of interactive advertising are outlined, and a survey conducted to elicit the views from gamers and industry experts on their attitudes towards the use of such advertising in modern games. The results draw attention to issues of effectiveness, current and future usage, impediments, and financial concerns concerning the use of interactive advertising. Amongst the key findings, industry experts expressed unfairness in the lack, and even complete absence, of royalties paid by advertisers to games developers, despite evidence to indicate that in-game advertising is effective in creating extra awareness for certain brands. A balanced financial arrangement is strongly advised, particularly in view of spiraling game development costs.