[Infowarrior] - Google buys video game ad firm Adscape

[Richard Forno]

Google buys video game ad firm Adscape
Sunday March 18, 5:36 pm ET
http://biz.yahoo.com/rb/070318/google_adscape.html?.v=1

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Google Inc. purchased video game advertising firm
Adscape to expand into in-game advertising, the Internet search leader said
on its Web site on Friday.

Financial details were not furnished. In February, technology site Red
Herring reported the value of the expected deal at around $23 million,
citing unnamed sources.

Video game analysts in February said Google's entrance into the nascent
field of advertising inside ever more elaborate video games could give the
field a big boost.

"As more and more people spend time playing video games, we think we can
create opportunities for advertisers to reach their target audiences while
maintaining a high quality, engaging user experience," Google said on its
site.

Microsoft last year paid $200 million to buy in-game ad company Massive
Inc., which has secured deals with game publishers UbiSoft Entertainment SA,
THQ Inc. and Take-Two Interactive Software Inc.

"We think this rich environment is a perfect medium to deliver relevant,
targeted advertising that ultimately benefits the user, the video game
publisher and the advertiser," Google said.