Microsoft Scores Video Game Ad Deal With EA

Microsoft, EA sign sports game ad deal from Reuters reports Microsoft signed a video game ad deal with Electronic Arts. Microsoft will feed EA’s games, such as Madden, NASCAR, Tiger Woods, NHL and Skate, with advertisements. Cory Van Arsdale, chief executive of Massive, a game ad company Microsoft bought last year, said, “The real issue […]

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Microsoft, EA sign sports game ad deal from Reuters reports Microsoft signed a video game ad deal with Electronic Arts.

Microsoft will feed EA’s games, such as Madden, NASCAR, Tiger Woods, NHL and Skate, with advertisements. Cory Van Arsdale, chief executive of Massive, a game ad company Microsoft bought last year, said, “The real issue here is that we’re making a network play. If I just had ‘Madden,’ while great, it would be of limited value to advertisers.”


EA is the number one independent video game maker. The video game ad market in 2005 was only $50 million but is expected to grow to $1 billion over the next few years.

Google is also working towards placing ads within video games, with their acquisition of Adscape for $23 million.


About the author

Barry Schwartz
Staff
Barry Schwartz is a Contributing Editor to Search Engine Land and a member of the programming team for SMX events. He owns RustyBrick, a NY based web consulting firm. He also runs Search Engine Roundtable, a popular search blog on very advanced SEM topics. Barry can be followed on Twitter here.

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