GRID Gets In-Game Advertising
eBay in your games.
Published: April 23, 2008
In-game advertising just took one more step towards relevancy. Codemasters, along with Engage In-Game Advertising, an independent video game advertising company, has designed a contextually relevant way to incorporate the eBay Motors marketplace in their new game GRID, the PlayStation 3 auto racing game set to hit in June.
Allowing players to buy and sell performance vehicles in a more integrated setting, the eBay Motors marketplace is essential if players want to make the most of their upgrades. According to Codemasters, it's the first game to ever incorporate a real world application at this level.
"This is an exciting and creative way to reinforce our brand among core auto enthusiasts," said Curtis Kroeker, director of vehicles for eBay Motors. "Engage In-Game Advertising brought the video game channel and opportunity into view. GRID was the logical platform to reinforce eBay Motors as the leading online destination for buying and selling all things automotive.”
GRID is all about putting the player in the most beautiful racing locales on three different continents. Lots of new and classic race cars fill out the stable and players will get the chance to show off their chops in both street and official races. During all of this, players will jump onto the in-game eBay Motors application and upgrade their vehicles on the fly.
eBay Motors is even sponsoring its own race series in the game. “The eBay Motor Muscle Series” lets players compete on tracks in downtown San Francisco, Long Beach, Washington D.C. and Detroit, and features the eBay Motors Mustang GTR concept race car.
"It's not often a brand, a game publisher and a common element align perfectly in a video game environment," said David Smith, president and co-founder of Engage. "eBay Motors involvement within the game play of GRID is 100% relevant to the game plot and offers players a functional benefit."
"The eBay Motors in-game strategy goes beyond simple ad placements in video games and delivers a whole new level of realistic game functionality for players," said Peter Chan, director of business development at Codemasters.
We won't know what affect this has on in-game advertising until after GRID releases, but we're sure eBay Motors is just happy for the placement, regardless of anything else said.
Allowing players to buy and sell performance vehicles in a more integrated setting, the eBay Motors marketplace is essential if players want to make the most of their upgrades. According to Codemasters, it's the first game to ever incorporate a real world application at this level.
"This is an exciting and creative way to reinforce our brand among core auto enthusiasts," said Curtis Kroeker, director of vehicles for eBay Motors. "Engage In-Game Advertising brought the video game channel and opportunity into view. GRID was the logical platform to reinforce eBay Motors as the leading online destination for buying and selling all things automotive.”
GRID is all about putting the player in the most beautiful racing locales on three different continents. Lots of new and classic race cars fill out the stable and players will get the chance to show off their chops in both street and official races. During all of this, players will jump onto the in-game eBay Motors application and upgrade their vehicles on the fly.
eBay Motors is even sponsoring its own race series in the game. “The eBay Motor Muscle Series” lets players compete on tracks in downtown San Francisco, Long Beach, Washington D.C. and Detroit, and features the eBay Motors Mustang GTR concept race car.
"It's not often a brand, a game publisher and a common element align perfectly in a video game environment," said David Smith, president and co-founder of Engage. "eBay Motors involvement within the game play of GRID is 100% relevant to the game plot and offers players a functional benefit."
"The eBay Motors in-game strategy goes beyond simple ad placements in video games and delivers a whole new level of realistic game functionality for players," said Peter Chan, director of business development at Codemasters.
We won't know what affect this has on in-game advertising until after GRID releases, but we're sure eBay Motors is just happy for the placement, regardless of anything else said.