IGA, Activision partner for PS3 ads

Love it or hate it, dynamically served in-game advertisement is a business model that isn't likely to become less pervasive in the coming future. Far from it, in fact, as in June, Sony added its PlayStation 3 to Microsoft's Xbox 360 and PC platforms as a venue open to updatable in-game adverts. The first to strike a deal with Sony on this front was IGA Worldwide, who reached an agreement to serve dynamic ads in games published by Electronic Arts for the PS3 over the next two years.

Today, IGA Worldwide announced its second major deal tied to dynamic ads on the PS3. The marketing firm has entered into a multiyear agreement with EA archrival Activision Publishing to deliver dynamic ads for an unspecified number of games appearing on the PS3. The first game to be party to this deal will be Activision's megahit-in-waiting rhythm game Guitar Hero World Tour.

Putting a consumer-first spin on the deal, Activision Publishing head of business development Dave Anderson said in a statement, "By incorporating dynamic in-game advertising in our titles where it is appropriate, we can increase the realism of our games by presenting consumers with authentic environments in genuine settings, while also expanding a key growth opportunity for the company."

IGA and Activision Publishing emphasized that ads served through the deal will be implemented in a "contextually relevant way." Putting the "dynamic" in the advertisements, the marketing campaigns are updated in real time, to schedule ads as time-sensitively as television spots.