Heavy Gamers Feel In-Game Ads 'Inevitable'

Consumers who play video-games at least 16 hours a week embrace in-game advertising more than those who play less, a study released on Wednesday shows, with some believing advertisements will become a mainstay in games in the future.

Heavy games comprised over a quarter of the gamers who participated in a study conducted by market research firm, comScore Networks. The firm finds that those gamers are more likely to embrace in-game ads, and of them, four out of ten agreed that featuring actual products or companies in games make the games feel more realistic. Comparatively, only 27 percent of gamers who play less than 16 hours a week felt ads enhanced realism.

From the advertiser's standpoint, gaming is a potentially powerful medium for reaching consumers who may not be reachable via more traditional means, said Erin Hunter, executive vice president of comScore's Media.

The study also found half of heavy gamers believe that advertisements in games is inevitable and will be in all or most games in the future, compared to 42 percent of light/medium gamers, the report said.