Real Networks will start selling streaming-video ads on its popular online gaming platform RealArcade, the company said Tuesday. The site gets about 750,000 downloads a day; users will soon have to
sit through 10- to 15-second ads while games download or between levels. According to
The Washington Post, RealNetworks is the first major online game service to feature streaming video ads.
That's a little hard to believe, actually. I thought WildTangent and Atom Shockwave already sold streaming video ads. In any event, Real's first advertisers will be Honda Motor Corp. and Hasbro.
RealArcade is one of dozens of so-called casual game sites, focusing specifically on easy-to-learn, quick-to-play puzzle and card games. The key demographic for casual game sites is women over 30; DFC
Intelligence estimates the casual market will reach $281 million in sales this year and $1.15 billion by 2011. Real makes users try before they buy, giving them a free hour to test games. The free
hour has become something of a standard in recent years, but just 2 percent of users convert after trying. How do you monetize the other 98 percent of your traffic? Can't believe it took so long to
figure it out, but Real will now let users play forever as long as they're willing to view ads. WildTangent, Atom Shockwave, and others have offered ad-supported versions of their games, a model that
has been successful for them.
Read the whole story at Washington Post »
