In what is likely to be a boon for video game advertising, a new study from Nielsen Entertainment says that gamers actually like product placements in video games because such ads make the games seem
more real. This will surely come as a relief to game publishers weary of upsetting gamers, who have long been known to be sensitive to anything that could detract from the game experience. The study,
which was funded by video game publisher Activision, also found high recall rates for video game ads among the 1,350 male respondents between the ages of 13 and 44; it is said to be the most extensive
study yet analyzing the effectiveness of advertising in video games. The new research is also likely to heighten the interest of advertisers keen to enter the $25 billion video game market. Because
games are highly engaging and attract large numbers of the coveted male 18-34 demo, advertisers have always been interested though many have balked at the opportunity due to uncertainty. This could
give them the green light--and at a particularly good time too, as the next generation consoles from Microsoft and Sony are just beginning to hit the market.
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