Advertising in and Around Games

As games have moved from dedicated systems to mobile phones and web browsers, advertising has increased as an important revenue stream. The profusion of means by which games have integrated advertising into their products is remarkable. Examples range from in-game advertising, where advertisements are designed into the background of games; to around-game advertising, where promotions interrupt or surround gameplay; to advertisements that net specific user rewards in the game. Marketing campaigns, sometimes designed in collaboration with advertisers, even give games away as part of promotional tactics. Significant are the sophisticated analytics, based on thousands of clicks, views, and acquisition of new players, which game designers and publishers use to establish fees. Each advertising model affects the specific way a game is designed.