Gaming

Tim's Pick: Memo to Steve Jobs: the IAd Is No Miracle Worker

Summary: A veil of silence hangs over the advertising industry, as thick and unattractive as Scarlett O'Hara's post-war recycled drape dress. At a mobile conference last week, the hot NON-topic was the iAd. Agency execs one after another deflected questions about Apple's iAd platform and one after another began admitting it was all due to non-disclosure agreements. We're talking about an ad unit here, not the plans to a stealth bomber and it's just odd when an industry that focuses on communication goes silent due to Apple's power in the market.

Tim's Pick: Why The Future Of Game-Related Advertising Looks Like EA’s Dr. Pepper Deal

Summary:

By many accounts, 2009 was the first year that interactive advertising budgets actually shrank. Stats for display were dismal, and even search struggled to show the kind of growth the industry has become accustomed to. Then there’s in-game advertising. Judging from the layoffs at Microsoft’s Massive and the pending sale of IGA Worldwide, you’d think that the whole industry died last year.

 

Tim's Pick: Report: Video games possibly coming to Redbox

Summary:

Redbox has made some major strides in the movie-rental business, offering consumers the opportunity to pick up newly released films from a kiosk around town for just $1 per day. It has even forced Blockbuster to try a similar strategy.

But according to a report, Redbox isn't content to stick with movies.

 

Tim's Pick: LinkedIn Joins ESPN, Skype in Shifting From Free to ‘Freemium’

Summary:

LinkedIn Corp., Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN, Skype Ltd. and other Web sites, which reeled in users with free content, are now boosting sales by adding features that customers have to pay for.

 

Tim's Pick: The positives and negatives of virtual goods

Summary:

While still a new concept, virtual goods–the sale of non-existent goods online–are increasing and even shaping social networks and online communities.  Social gaming companies were the first adopters of virtual goods, by offering users the ability to upgrade their game characters and tools with shiny, new features for nominal fees. Many generate most of their revenue using a virtual goods model.

 

Tim's Pick: Microsoft's Massive Teams With ComScore To Measure Gaming Ads' Effectiveness

Summary:

Microsoft's Massive in-game ad business has tapped comScore to gain greater insight into clients' in-game advertising efforts.

According to Massive General Manager JJ Richards, the big question is exactly what actions gamers take after encountering ads during game play.

Tim's Pick: Women Watch Ads In Exchange For Virtual Currency

Summary: Spending virtual currency in social network games has become a habit for some women and a possible lead-generation tool for advertisers, according to a study released Tuesday.

Tim's Pick: 12% of Americans Bought Virtual Goods in Past 12 Months: Survey

Summary:

Roughly 12 percent of Americans, or more than one in 10, have bought a virtual item at some point in the last 12 months, according to a new study by analyst firm Frank N. Magid Associates and commissioned by virtual currency provider PlaySpan. With the virtual goods and currency market estimated to reach $1.8 billion this year, the Magid study offers some insight into exactly who's doing the buying, and where.