• by Shankar Gupta , November 14, 2005

In-game advertising firm Massive Incorporated today will release the third version of its technology platform that dynamically inserts ads into video games in the place of billboards, posters, and other outdoor-type placements within the game world.

The two key features of the new version of the platform are a streamlined integration process--making it easier and faster for game developers to incorporate Massive's in-game ads into their designs--and an improved security system that encrypts communications between the gamers' system and the ad servers.

Nicholas Longano, chief marketing officer at Massive, said the embrace of the technology by major publishers like Eidos, Atari, Take Two Interactive, and Sony Online Entertainment shows that in-game advertising is here to stay. "This is significant. It's no longer about testing. This is real--it's live, it's happening, and the gamers give it the thumbs-up pretty much across the board," he said. "This is what we do--we're about promoting the industry as a whole so we can continue to increase the yield to publishers and developers."

In addition to the new platform's release, Massive also announced an expansion into Europe--hiring Eric Clemenceau, previously the CEO of Turner Broadcasting for French-speaking countries, as vice president of sales for continental Europe.