CNET Study of In-Game Advertising Habits

A study conducted by CNET Networks for the Internet Advertising Bureau (IAB) finds that gamers don't notice the difference between in-game advertising and branding that is placed to make a scene more realistic.

That's good news for marketers in the booming world of in-game advertising who are looking to target young men who shy away from traditional forms of media advertising.

Research found that 86% of gamers polled said that they were happy to see ads placed within games if it brought down the prices they had to pay.

From Brand Republic:

Of the 3,575 UK-based gamers surveyed, 52% said they had seen an in-game ad during the past 12 months. Of these, 33% said they would be either quite likely or very likely to buy a product they had seen advertised while playing, and 64% said that they felt positively towards the brand.

It also revealed that the majority of gamers do not see in-game ads as intrusive, although 14% said that ads ruined the gaming experience.

Jill Orr, managing director at CNET Networks UK, said: "We got a clear message from gamers, if in-game advertising is realistic, contextual and non-intrusive, there is great potential for advertisers, especially given that gaming is increasing at the expense of other leisure activities."

Forty per cent said that ads in games made them more realistic while 27% said that interacting with a brand during the game, such as gaining more energy by drinking a can of Red Bull, did not constitute advertising.