Study says in-game ads are effective

Ever wondered if in-game ads are viable? There’s a new study that shows us that it is. Double Fusion, an in-game ad company, boasts proof of the efficacy of video game advertising.

The research tested and determined the most significant factors which influence how gamers notice ads in games, including the type and depth of the ad placement, the type of the game, ad size, ad placement relative to the game camera, screen clutter, brand relevance to the audience, and other variables.

Key findings included the following:

• 75% of gamers engage with at least one ad per minute across most, but not all, game types; 81% of gamers engage at least every other minute.
• Less-cluttered ads are three times as effective at getting attention compared to ads that are either cluttered or within cluttered environments.
• While both contribute positively to ad engagement, placement of the ad in the primary camera plane (eye-level) is more important than large size ads.
• Not all ads are created equal. Dynamic billboards, around-game interstitials, sponsorships, and interactive product placements all offer different levels of user engagement and pervasiveness in the game.

The data obtained from the study forms the basis for a new view on gaming measurement, which will allow gaming media plans to be constructed in a way that is both comparable and additive to other media plans.

While it’s nice to know what ads work, mindlessly translating these results in game design might prove disastrous. The main benefit given by in-game ads to gamers is the immersion. When implemented correctly, game worlds would definitely be more “realistic” because of the ads’ presence.

However, you can’t just put ads in games without impunity. Can you imagine a McDonald’s sign on the backside of your mount? In the boundaries of first-person shooters, you can’t always put billboards at eye-level because that won’t be believable.

In addition, the graphics today has become so advanced that it’s imperative to make environments cluttered (Half-Life 2 anyone?). It makes the world seem more lived-in and authentic. This may make ads less potent (at least according to the study), but I simply can’t accept having a bare environment just to make ads more effective.

Developers should know where gamers stand on this one.