Google brings AdSense to games

Online search giant Google aims to put adverts inside online games using its new AdSense for Games system. The beta version of the advertisement program has been announced on Google’ official AdSense blog. With big publishers like Konami on board already,  this may be paving the way for an explosion of invasive advertising in online gaming.

Although the games industry has been going from strength to strength and now has a greater online presence than ever, the market for advertising in game-space is still very small. So AdSense for Games is designed to let advertisers direct video, image and text ads directly into the game. It will also make it easier for game makers to earn money from users clicking those ads.

This will be good news for small indie developers and publishers trying to get up the ladder, but the fear is that someday the in-game advertising movement will lead to garish virtual billboards littering game environments. And it’s hard to feel like an arse-kicking super agent when there’s a massive Coke advert in your face. Fortunately, Google is concentrating its efforts on Flash games which normally run in a browser and are generally free to play.

Publishers will be allowed some freedom to choose when and where an ad appears, such as before the game starts, during level changes or after the game is over. Who knows - this may even lead to a whole new gameplay mechanic whereby you can earn Continues by following links to certain advertisement websites. Beats pumping pound coins into a cabinet anyway.

So far, Konami, Playfish, Zynga, Demand Media and Mochi Media have signed up to trial the system on the games end. More game publishers are being invited on board to join the beta.

(via PocketGamer)

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