Blizzard Entertainment and Massive Inc today announced a multi-year advertising deal which will see Massive, a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft, deliver advertising on Blizzard Entertainements websites and Battle.net.
Blizzard"s websites include the popular World of Warcraft game"s official website, and titles using the Battle.net system include the StarCraft series, Diablo series and original Warcraft titles. If you play World of Warcraft, no need to worry just yet. You"ll still be drinking Melon Juice from vendors, as the deal explicitly removes any potential for in-game advertising. No Coca-cola in game just yet!
Massive"s network of advertising has been used on consoles in the past, and does include the ability to integrate adverts into the game environment if needed. It has worked with over 300 blue-chip advertisers in the past, and should deliver yet another big revenue stream to Blizzard. Being a subsidiary of Microsoft, it could also be seen as a bit of a kick in the teeth to Google, who have traditionally controlled the advertising world.