Archive notice: This article was originally published on June 4, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
Under the agreement, IGA Worldwide becomes the exclusive partner for dynamic in-game advertising in Electronic Arts games for Sony’s PlayStation® 3. Sony had only recently started permitting advertising in games on the PS3 platform, which had sold 13 million units worldwide at the time and was projected to reach total sales of 58.1 million units by 2012.
The partnership gives advertisers direct and flexible access to the otherwise difficult-to-reach audience of men aged 18 to 34 through long-running campaigns across EA blockbuster games. Integrating advertisements during the game-development cycle is intended to fit them more closely into the game environment and create a seamless, more authentic experience. EA and IGA Worldwide had already completed several projects together, and the agreement reinforced that partnership.
For the duration of the contract, IGA Worldwide is exclusively responsible for dynamic in-game advertising in Electronic Arts games for PlayStation 3. These include EA SPORTS™ franchises such as Madden NFL football, NBA LIVE basketball, NASCAR racing and NHL Hockey. IGA Worldwide also gains access to the Need for Speed and Burnout racing series.
“We are delighted to expand our strong partnership with Electronic Arts through this agreement and are proud that Sony and Electronic Arts selected us for this new project,” said IGA Worldwide CEO Justin Townsend. “It is exciting for the market to see that the PS3 is now open to advertising. The platform gives brand advertisers excellent opportunities to reach a valuable audience that is otherwise difficult to access. The agreement also sends a clear message: dynamic in-game advertising has become a compelling medium for advertisers.”
IGA Worldwide’s dynamic in-game advertising platform allows advertising elements inside games to be updated in real time. This keeps advertisements current and relevant to each player. Electronic Arts development teams work closely with IGA Worldwide to ensure that advertising is placed appropriately within the game environment while maintaining an authentic playing experience.
“Electronic Arts wants to deliver both great game experiences and effective advertising placements for brands,” said Elizabeth Harz, EA Senior Vice President of Global Advertising Sales. “Dynamic in-game advertising is an important growth market for our company, and we are pleased to work with IGA Worldwide to provide industry-leading in-game marketing solutions.”
IGA Worldwide delivers hundreds of millions of dynamic advertising impressions each week to more than 10 million highly active online players across different game genres. The company’s proprietary technology gives media planners comparative performance metrics, including the degree of consumer interaction, the advertisement’s size and duration on screen, and the angle from which it was viewed.
