Google Goes Videogaming (with Ads)

Google seems to be serving ads everywhere these days. Its latest advertising service targets all those people who waste their workdays playing casual games. (You know who you are.) Advertising: Coming soon to a game near you Google on Wednesday announced the launch of its AdSense for Games, which delivers advertising to Web-based flash games online. Google will be partnering directly with Web sites that aggregate Web games and independent game developers looking to make a little money off their creations. Google says brand advertisers will be able to run contextual ads, or put video, flash and image ads within an actual game using Google’s platform. The service builds from Google’s acquisition last year of Adscape Media, a company that made technology to place advertising over the Internet within videogames. Christian Oestlien, a Google senior product manager, says the goal for the search advertising giant is to give advertisers another place they can display ads. Oestlien adds ... (link)