It seems these days you can't do anything without being subjected to some sort of advertising. Whether you turn on the TV, browse the Internet, catch a bus to uni, work or school, you're likely to see at least some form of advertising. I remember a little while ago with there being some pretty fiery discussions on these very forums about the inclusion of advertising in game titles. Titles such as Battlefield 2142 and Enemy Territory: Quake Wars are recent tiles which have included advertising.

EA have just signed an agreement with Massive Incorporated, a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft Corp. Massive Incorporated are a company which provides opportunities for in-game advertising to other companies. This new agreement extends upon the previous agreement between EA and Massive Incorporated, with greater scope for advertising, and another two years added to the deal.

The global agreement will see advertising placed in several of EA's upcoming Xbox 360 and PC games.


NHL Hockey, NBA Live, Madden NFL, all set to receive further in-game advertising
With this new agreement, real-world advertising will be placed in the next bunch of the EA Sports games, including Madden NFL, NBA Live, NASCAR Racing, and NHL Hockey, with other titles such as the Need For Speed series and Burnout Paradise also set to receive advertising.

Massive Incorporated will be able to work with advertisers to spearhead advertising campaigns across multiple mediums, using in-game advertising as a supplement to conventional media. The in-game advertising to be featured will be dynamic, allowing advertisers to market different products at different times to maximise the efficiency of the advertising.

Not sure about you guys, but I didn't really notice the advertising in Need for Speed: Pro Street until afterwards, looking back at some screenshots. Is in-game advertising effective? Have you felt suddenly compelled to run out and buy something you've seen advertised in a game, or does it just blend into the background?