The PC Gaming Alliance has released the stats for the 2007 PC Gaming market, and last year the PC sector hit $10.7 Billion in revenue. In-game ads contributed to the $800 million in advertising revenue which was factored into the total yearly revenue.

Via Gamasutra

WPP Group has acquired a reported 12.82% stake in a Chinese in-game agency “InGame Ad Interactive Technology Limited“

From the WPP Group press release:

WPP acquires minority stake in InGame Ad Interactive in China

21 August, 2008

WPP announces that it has acquired a minority stake of 12.82% of the issued share capital of IGA Limited, the Cayman Island parent company of InGame Ad Interactive Technology Limited in China.

WPP holds 55% of Series A Preferred Stock of IGA Limited. Revolution Ventures holds the remaining 45% of the Series A Preferred Stock, with founder shareholders holding the remaining common stock in the company.

InGame Ad, based in Shanghai, is a leading independent dynamic in-game advertising network in China providing consumer reach through a portfolio of premium quality online games, including mobile games.

This investment continues WPP’s strategy of developing its networks in important markets and sectors and demonstrates its commitment to developing its business in China.

Gamers. Do you hate in-game ads?

If so you should probably plan on purchasing Mercenaries 2. Complete with destructible environment, Mercenaries 2 allows gamers to blow up in-game advertising at will.

Marketing and advertising professionals need not worry however. Not only do the ads come back, but destruction of ads in-game is the equivalent to direct engagement with your target audience.

Get the full scoop on the issues surrounding the destruction of in-game ads from GameDaily.

Nestlé is going to be running an in-game advertising campaign for its Nescafé products. The campaign will be featured in Perfect World, a fantasy-based MMORPG. Nestlé’s efforts are focussed on bringing more attention to their brand with youth in the Phillipines. Perfect World is developed by Beijing Perfect World Co.,Ltd. and published by Cubinet Interactive Sdn. Bhd

The in-game campaign is being executed simultaneously with other efforts on the social networking site Friendster.

More details via BrandRepublic

Quattro Wireless, a North American mobile ad network, has partnered with mobile in-game advertising company Greystripe, to provide online gaming and in-game advertising across select publisher sites developed and hosted by Quattro Wireless.

It looks like the first destination for Greystripe’s mobile gaming products will be CollegeHumor.com which relies on Quattro for publishing, hosting and managing advertising sales on its site.

Press Release

“Cellufun is a community-driven mobile gaming portal providing free games that encourage social interaction between players. People from all over the world on all mobile networks access the site in their own language to compete, collaborate, chat and share game hints in their pursuit of real and virtual prizes. In addition to producing award-winning original games, Cellufun works with agencies and advertisers to design customized mobile marketing solutions that provide an unprecedented level of brand interaction and immersion.”

Advertisers and Marketers check out the listing here: CELLUFUN

Escapist Magazine is reporting that Google and the remnants of Adscape may be testing its game advertising solution with its partner Bunchball.

“Recent reports are now confirming that the search giant has been testing video ads for over a month, likely with its partner Bunchball. Bunchball is a member of Google’s OpenSocial social networking effort and a Flash games developer with a few Facebook applications.”

Ah yes, the always enjoyable battle for the “hearts and minds” of gamers continues. This time around the efforts are on the behalf of IGA Worldwide.

European publisher relations VP and co-founder Ed Bartlett was in attendance at the Edinburgh International Festival this past week, and made some very pointed remarks about IGA stating that “We are not spyware” and that “We’re not evil”. He also said that “I used to be a game developer, so I’m not a big evil corporate guy”.

Will gamers listen? We certainly hope so, and IGA probably does too.

Via Gamasutra.

At the Edinburgh Interactive Festival this week former Sony CEO Chris Deering revealed a troubling statistic that only 3 out of 10 games published ever recoup the production costs associated with launching them This adds yet more importance to finding additional revenue streams and promotional methods for games in today’s market. Deering was quoted by Michael French of Developmag.com stating that “Something is going to have to be there to make up the difference”

Chris happens to be a board member of IGA Worldwide, which would most likely lead to the logical suggestion of in-game advertising as a way to burgeon the revenue deficits faced by today’s game publishers.

Paramount is running an in-game promotion for the upcoming movie “Tropic Thunder“. They have partnered with Massive Inc to run an in-game scavenger hunt within Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas 2. Apparently each ad in the game will serve as a clue to gamers and lead them towards an eventual reward consisting of an invitation to Ubisoft’s VIP club, and an exclusive VIP map for Rainbow Six: Vegas 2. Several prizes are also on tap including some Tropic Thunder schwag, tickets, etc. And for one lucky winner a grand prize of an Xbox 360 system with a Live Subscription and some Ubisoft games.

This is a nice way to get players involved and actually have something to reward them at the end for their participation. A new map and being granted access to a VIP club doesn’t come with a huge amount of overhead for Ubisoft or Massive. The three interest groups here (Paramount, Massive, and Ubisoft) appear to have pulled off a great cross promotion that puts all of them in a positive light. It would be nice to see some metrics from this campaign down the road to see just what kind of impact it had on gamers’ awareness of Tropic Thunder.

Press release can be found here.