Under Armour in Ghost Recon, Tiger Woods games

Under Armour, maker of wicking athletic undergarments and perhaps best known for screaming the not-so-musical declaration "We Must Protect This House!!!!" today announced its entry into the world of games. The fashionable workout gear appears in Ubisoft's Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon 2: Summit Strike and EA Sports' Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06.

"Many athletes and military men and women have recognized the advantage that Under Armour products provides them under extreme physical conditions," said Steve Battista, Under Armour vice president of marketing. "The virtual characters in these games truly represent men and women that require high-performance equipment, and this is a great opportunity to equip them with the same gear that their real-life counterparts demand, giving them a competitive performance advantage."

Summit Strike players can outfit their soldiers with the company's temperature-controlling, moisture-wicking product line to get the edge on the opposition, who presumably will be wet and too hot or too cold. Meanwhile, players creating their own golfer in Tiger Woods PGA Tour 06 can outfit their creation with the company's products to keep him dry and comfortable.

According to the company, its partnerships with Ubisoft and EA Sports "allows gamers to truly recognize the competitive advantage Under Armour products provide its core consumers."

This is only the latest example of in-game advertising, a $200 million business that analysts predict will reach $1 billion by 2010.