Getting into the Game
When it comes to video games, digital downloads still lag far behind brick-and-mortar sales. Some 85 percent of purchasers bought more than three-quarters of their games in physical format, while only 5 percent acquired three-quarters of their games in digital format bought three-quarters of their games in digital format, according to the NDP Group.
But there are signs digital distribution is picking up. Steam, a game download platform created by Valve, maker of Half-Life 2, has logged more than 13 million users. On the Nintendo Wii's Virtual Console, over 100 titles are now available for download, with more than 4.7 million games already sold. Akamai, whose technology enables downloads on the Wii and PS3, says the growth rate for game downloads is now twice that of traditional media downloads.
Marketers and advertisers stand to benefit from the shift. Besides the potential for displaying ads during the download process, marketers could create branded games for download similar to those developed by Burger King for the Xbox and sold through its restaurants. The technology would also allow publishers to sell in-game ad slots on an ongoing basis, rather than selling it all upfront.
In-game advertising got a boost in July when Nielsen announced it would develop a measurement system for Web-linked console game advertising with Sony Computer Entertainment America. The ad data will be combined with game usage info from Nielsen's GamePlay Metrics panels, with the first joint report expected this fall.
Recent OMMA Magazine Articles
-
Agency of the Year: Gold -- Digitas Dec. 28, 4:43 p.m.
With its newsroom approach to real-time brand storytelling, Digitas continues to create campaigns with Page-One punch ...
-
Agency of the Year: Bronze, Design -- Digitaria Dec. 5, 4:44 p.m.
By tuning out East Coast chatter and conventional thinking, Digitaria creates digital designs that are as ...
-
Agency of the Year: Silver -- AKQA Dec. 5, 4:42 p.m.
The reason this company keeps winning, year after year? It’s taken its magic far beyond traditional ...
-
Agency of the Year: Bronze, Mobile -- PHD Dec. 5, 4:41 p.m.
To reach the fast-growing audience of smartphone owners, Omnicom's PHD isn't afraid to pump up the ...
-
Agency of the Year: Bronze, Search -- Covario Dec. 5, 4:41 p.m.
San Diego-based Covario’s commitment to clients results in increases in traffic, conversion rates and sales. But ...
-
Agency of the Year: Bronze, Media Planning -- mediahub/Mullen Dec. 5, 4:40 p.m.
For its strategic breakthroughs, mediahub/Mullen goes beyond asking what to buy. Instead, it creates an enduring ...
-
Agency of the Year: Bronze, Creative -- Wieden + Kennedy Dec. 5, 4:39 p.m.
From making moms the star of the Olympics to its Southern Comfort everyman, Wieden + Kennedy ...
-
Ed:Blog Dec. 5, 4:38 p.m.
While choosing OMMA Agency of the Year winners is never easy, making the final cuts this ...
-
Agency of the Year: Bronze, Small Agency -- 72andSunny Dec. 5, 4:36 p.m.
With its choregraphed percussion of brilliant ideas and precise execution, 72andSunny gets more attention than agencies ...
-
Agency of the Year: Bronze, Social -- Pereira & O'Dell Dec. 5, 4:35 p.m.
Thinking far beyond Facebook and branded content, Pereira & O’Dell knows how to put on a ...
Be the first to comment on "Getting into the Game"
Leave a Comment