Gaming

Funny how many engagement debates settle themselves with bribery. The Guinness adult beverage site has rolled out an advergame called "The Legend of the Golden Domino." You watch video clips to find clues, which you use to find codes, which in turn unlock dominoes that release video clips -- which you can ultimately assemble into a finished Guinness ad. If you succeed you can win a solid gold domino.

Microsoft has gone Hollywood. Or to be more specific, it has hired veteran producer Peter Safran to create video content for the download section of its Xbox Live platform. The goal is to jump-start sluggish video consumption among Xbox Live subscribers, so don't be surprised if the content mirrors the games' themes -- gun play, competition, mayhem. You know, all a young man's favorites.

On a tip from Adrants, I took a look at a flash game presented by PETA. While I'm certainly for the ethical treatment of animals, it's prudent to remember that people are animals also. The game gives you some spray paint, which you use to vandalize fur coats while avoiding store security. Hmmm. In a gaming environment where crashing into police cars and shooting up entire city populations is routine entertainment, perhaps a little property damage isn't so bad. But that ethical claim seems a bit dubious.

Paramount recently became the second studio (after Warner Brothers) to pursue video game publisher ambitions. Initially, Paramount will focus on casual and mobile games, which will be titles with lower development costs and shorter development cycles. The studio will be well-positioned to take advantage of its stock of intellectual property and access to star talent.

Advergames inspire millions to engage with your brands for hours online. The trick is luring gamers to come to your game. USA Network believes the answer is making its characters a part of the action in games like Malibuland and Monk Shui. In addition to the game play promoting the programs, the games include product integration, site sponsorships, and in-game interstitials.

Advertisers are eager to embrace mobile initiatives. They're excited about gaming, they like social networking, and they're crazy about interactivity. AOL's new mobile-web gaming site may help bring these all together. The site will provide Cellufun games that require no payment or download, and AOL's newly acquired Third Screen Media will make a little money by placing and providing mobile banners.

Fusing user-friendly ads with interactive entertainment has been a consistent challenge in the gaming world. Double Fusion and Gearbox Software have entered an interactive advertising partnership. Double Fusion, a game advertising network, will provide Gearbox, a gaming company, with the technology it needs to support interactive ads in soon-to-be released Gearbox games.