Gamers and Videogame Advertising

Consumer attitudes toward videogame advertising are promising for gaming's growth as an ad medium. Gamers are receptive to videogame advertising and feel it contributes to immersion and realism. The high engagement of videogames means gamers not only notice ads in games but are impacted by them positively, increasing their intent to buy.

Videogame advertising, both in and around game, is effective in driving attention and recall.

• Three-quarters of gamers notice ads while playing video games
• 75% of gamers engage with at least one ad per minute
• 81% of gamers engage at least every other minute
• ½ second ad exposure is sufficient for a gamer to notice an in-game ad

Most gamers believe that ads in games add to the realism and overall experience of playing video games and can have a positive impact.

• "It's fun to see things in games that are real."
• "You'd notice a brand if it wasn't there... like they'll put a false brand and I'll be like, what's that?"
• "Like in Ghost Recon, you have the Dodge billboards in the urban areas, and I think that is pretty effective... it adds realism because, you know, you see ads in the real world."
• "I think being in a game is way better because in TV it can sometimes annoy you and stuff and can have a negative effect on a product. But in a game, I think it has a positive effect."
• "I have no problem with it. I like it actually."

Relevance is important, but exists on multiple levels, extending beyond genre or theme.

• Brand relevance - products that the gamer consumes or aspires to consume
• Ad relevance – creative execution and messaging that is relevant to the gamer
• Location/occasion relevance – execution that mirrors the real world
• "If products help make your character better, it can have a positive impact on your opinion of the brand."
• "You're not going to buy any product if you can't relate to it... I watch a game like Tony Hawk and he's wearing sneakers, I can relate, I need sneakers and those look nice, why not buy them?"

Videogames are an influential and trusted source for product information and recommendations, leading directly to purchase intent.

• "It says that this is a good thing to use... it was good enough to be put in videogames."
• "Like in Def Jam Fight for New York, we had to use the Sidekick to check our messages and listen to our voicemails, I like that, that's why I went and got myself a Sidekick 1."
• "I bought the new Jordan's I saw in the game once... they were sweet!"

Source: Videogame Advertising Engagement Study, July 2007