Back in November (Ingame Advertising Platform) I talked about empty billboards in popular games such as City of Heroes. Well it seems that Microsoft has just picked up Massive Inc., founded by Aussie Mitch Davis. Good for him:

He figured he could make money selling advertising space in the background features of video games, such as roadside billboards in car racing games. The advertising, designed to be incidental to the main action, has been placed in games on pizza boxes, TV screens and soft-drink cans.
He set about convincing video game companies of the value of the software and in the past two years has secured contracts to include advertisements, that are downloaded from the internet, in dozens of games.

I dont’ have a problem with it as long as it is immersive or funny. There’s a bunch of paladins that run around the Australian World of Warcraft server with Centrelink as their guild name. I wonder what the gov would think of that sponsorship? Ah well, at least the tax payer is doing something right with their money. heh!

Michael Evans over at SMH has the scoop.

Technorati Tags: Online Communities, Michael Evans, Mitch Davis, Massive Inc, Microsoft, Sydney Morning Herald, World of Warcraft, Ingame Advertising