Study: 82% of PC Gamers Don't Mind In-Game Ads; In-Game Ads Found At Least 61% Effective

82% of PC gamers feel that games are "just as enjoyable with ads as without," according to a new study from research group Nielsen. After viewing an in-game ad, an average of 61% of consumer opinions regarding the brand were favorably increased.

Commissioned by in-game advertising firm IGA Worldwide, which just recently partnered with Sony for in-game PlayStation 3 ads, the study was performed across 1,300 PC gamers. Surprisingly, those "most opinionated about in-game ads" reported that the ads had a higher-than-average positive effect on brand opinion.

Those 1,300 were provided with games from Electronic Arts and Activision. While specifics were not revealed, it is likely that these games included Enemy Territory: Quake Wars and Battlefield 2142, both first-person shooters that feature in-game ads. Advertisers included Taco Bell, Jeep and Wrigley.

"The consumer insights we've gleaned from this data will help drive the industry's first research-based in-game advertising measurement standards as well as strengthen IGA's position as an effective in-game ad network brands can trust to efficiently deliver their message to target audiences," noted IGA CEO Justin Townsend.

Other bullet points from the accompanying press release follow.

• There is an average 44 percent increase in post-game aided recall from pre-awareness;

• Positive brand attribute association increased 33 percent across all brands;

• Over 70 percent of consumers who were most opinionated about in-game ads, felt the ads made them feel better about the brand, feel more favorable toward the brand, make them more interested in the brand, and believe the ads are for innovative/cutting edge brands;

• Over 60 percent of the most opinionated consumers feel the ads catch their attention, make games more realistic, do not interrupt the game experience, and are promoting relevant products;

• In-game ad exposures with a duration over 2 seconds, as they are measured in IGA's in-game ad methodology, generates on average an almost 30% increase in key ad metrics, including ad noticeability +100%, recall +42%, and fit +27%, vs. ad exposures with a duration of less than 1 second