Biblio

The following is an annotated bibliography for the white paper James and I are working on.

Chambers, J. (2005). The Sponsored Avatar: Examining the Present Reality and Future Possibilities of Advertising in Digital Games. Retrieved on October 26, 2007. http://www.digra.org:8080/Plone/dl/db/06278.01541.pdf

Abstract
This paper examines the practice of advertising within the space of digital games. Additionally it anticipates the future development of advertising within the interactive entertainment spaces. A future that holds possibilities as varied as actual game sponsorship, product placement and brand integration within games, or cross promotional opportunities between digital games and other forms of entertainment media. The author seeks neither to neither bury nor praise the practice, but to offer a careful and reasoned examination. Given the similarity between videogames and movies this research synthesis incorporates analysis of advertising placement within those genres with limited processing theory to propose a placement model for digital games. The analysis includes the perspective of advertisers, game publishers and designers, and end user consumers. This work finds that currently there are multiple approaches to in-game advertising, but that it is an accepted practice by end user consumers. An agenda for future approaches is also offered.


Svahn, M. (2005). Futur-proofing advergaming: a systematization for the media buyer. Retrieved on October 26, 2007. http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1109210

Abstract
The idea of using games as carriers for goal-oriented strategically shaped rhetorical messages, i.e. advertising and propaganda, has been much talked about. Those who produce games take an interest in such messages as a way to find new revenue streams and new customers. Media strategists are interested in finding the audiences that are leaving traditional media and turning to games. It could be fruitful for media strategists and game producers to meet, but as the meaning of the term advergaming is becoming diluted, that meeting is becoming difficult. This paper is an attempt to facilitate such a meeting by giving an overview of the planned rhetorical functions of ludic activities. This will hopefully lead to a structure of concepts useful to the scientist as well as to the practicing communications strategy planner.


Chaney, J. (2004). The Effect of Billboards within the Gaming Environment. Retrieved on October 26, 2007. http://www.websm.org/uploadi/editor/Chaney_Lin_2004_Billboards.doc

Abstract
Players from all demographic groups are spending more and more of their leisure time playing multiplayer online games. As such, the gaming environment may be a more suitable vehicle to reach target markets. This study assessed whether advertising in the form of embedded billboards has an impact on the online gamer. Even though they could recall passing the billboards many of the players could not recall the names of either the products or the brands after the gaming session. This was possibly due to the immersive nature of the game with peripheral details not fully registering. The embedded billboards within the game had very limited impact on either the enhancement of the game experience or on product purchase intentions.


Han, S., Cho, M. M, Choi. (2005). Ubitem: A Framework for Interactive Marketing in Location-Based Gaming Environment. Retrieved on October 26, 2007. http://csdl2.computer.org/persagen/DLAbsToc.jsp?resourcePath=/dl/proceedings/&toc=comp/proceedings/icmb/2005/2367/00/2367toc.xml&DOI=10.1109/ICMB.2005.108
Abstract
Mobile game and advertising are evolving rapidly and becoming the key of mobile contents market. More powerful mobile devices have enabled the creation of better and richer mobile games and advertising. This paper proposes a framework, called Ubitem, which addresses many of the issues that are characteristic of mobile gaming and advertising. Ubitem facilitates time and location-sensitive, interactive marketing by enabling users with the location-aware technology capability to collect nearby items such as m-coupons and redeem the items in the close participating stores. We believe that mobile advertising within location-based gaming will most likely enable much richer entertaining experiences as well as the advertisers get superior responses from the users by linking a virtual game play and real-life action.


Wolf, M. (2002). The Medium of the Video Game. Retrieved on November 1, 2007. http://books.google.com/books?id=lKZriBxbcwQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=The+Medium+of+the+Video+Game&sig=KyOMPdvC_3-z58pMR2G35ikPOQ8


Duke, M. (2006). In Game Advertising: Touching the Elusive Consume. Retrieved on October 26th, 2007. http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=1178863

Abstract
Consumers are bombarded with more and more advertising, while traditional media such as TV and radio become more and more fragmented, the challenge of reaching the consumer gets harder and harder. Consol and video games are a media that does not suffer from user 'switch off' or channel hopping and if carefully integrated advertisers can link in with games that match a brand and connect to other channels such as billboards, mobile phones and even retail locations. The process of in game advertising is a sophisticated one that offers advertisers a clear segment to advertise to and a water tight mechanism of measurement and return (two elusive items in the fast changing world of advertising). The session will look at In Game Advertising - Touching The Elusive Consumer -- with examples from across the globe.


Shankar, V. Bayus, B. (2002). Networked ETWORK EFFECTS AND COMPETITION:
An Empirical Analysis of the Home Video Game Industry. Retrieved on November 1, 2007. http://public.kenan-flagler.unc.edu/faculty/bayusb/webpage/papers/vgames-e.pdf

Abstract
Building on the Resource-Based View of the firm, we advance the idea that a firm’s customer network can be a strategic asset. We suggest that network effects are a function of network size (i.e., installed customer base) and network strength (i.e., the marginal impact of a unit increase in network size on demand). We empirically study these network effects in the 16-bit home video game industry in which the dominant competitors were Nintendo and Sega. In the spirit of the new empirical IO framework, we estimate a structural econometric model assuming the data are equilibrium outcomes of the best fitting non-cooperative game in price and advertising. After controlling for other effects, we find strong evidence that network effects are asymmetric between the competitors in the home video game industry. Specifically, we find that the firm with a smaller customer network (Nintendo) has higher network strength than the firm with the larger customer base (Sega). Thus, our results provide a possible explanation for this situation in which the firm with a smaller customer network (Nintendo) was able to overtake the sales of a firm with a larger network size (Sega). These empirical results suggest that the ultimate outcome in a competitive market with network effects is more complex than simply accepting that the firm with the largest installed customer base will always be the winner.


The following are sources that may be helpful in our research along with the above mentioned texts.
http://www.abiresearch.com/products/market_research/Video_Game_Hardware_Software_and_Services
http://credibility.stanford.edu/captology/notebook/archives.new/2005/02/recent_developm.html
http://advergamez.blogspot.com/
http://www.dfcint.com/game_report/onlinegames2004toc.pdf
http://www.freepatentsonline.com/20060135235.html