Ad-supported casual games see clicks

Some 90 percentage of people polled on RealNetworks' RealGames casual gaming site said they're willing to watch in-game, streaming video ads when it means free game play.

The addition in ad gross seen by RealGames and other sites is not only due to casual gamers trying to get amusement for free, but also an apparent openness to ads. While 90 percentage say they will watch :15 or :30 video ads earlier a game or in betwixt levels when it means free game play, 34 percentage say they will often click on the in-game ads to learn more about the merchandise advertised, the study found.

The study suggests demand for more targeted advertising is crucial; 34 percent of study respondents prefer to watch ads relevant to their needs. For a site helping an audience that's 81 percentage female, and 65 percentage between the ages 35 to 64, half expressed a penchant for ads for amusement activities such as film and music; 30 percentage would accept ads for hair care and skin care merchandise; and home cleansing and weight loss merchandise come close buttocks.

RealGames doesn't use behavioral targeting at this point, "But we are look at this and this extensive survey we did is furthering those enterprise. As we saw [the audience was] interested in those particular types of ad," said Houtzer, senior manager of new media at RealGames.

Of the 550 titles downloadable games in RealGames' catalog, 40 are ad-enabled and the figure is growth. RealGames said it will also participate in Google's AdSense for Games beta for Web-based games on its web of sites including RealArcade.com, Zylom.com, GameHouse.com, Atrativa.com, GameTrust.com, and MrGoodLiving.com.

Older titles are more probably to tax return higher feeling, contrary to what's observed in retail video games. "When a user downloads an ad-enabled game with unlimited time, she plays the game over and over," said Houtzer. "These games created months ago are often creating impressions today. These games grow over time, the games enabled the longest are generating the most impressions."

The survey was given to 1,500 RealGames players who clicked on an ad asking them to take the questionnaire.