Online gamers happy to watch video ads

Many internet users who play free online games have expressed an "openness" to advertising, ClickZ has reported.

A survey conducted on RealNetworks´ RealGames site discovered that online gamers are quite willing to trade free gameplay for exposure to streaming video ads.

Around nine in ten users of the website said that they would watch 15-30 second in-game video ads.

Even more encouraging for advertisers, 34 per cent of those polled indicated that they would frequently click on the ads if they were interested in the product on offer.

The same proportion of gamers said that they would be more responsive to ads that were relevant to their personal needs and interest.

According to Click Z, this suggests that "demand for more targeted advertising is crucial".

Chris Houtzer, senior director of new media at RealGames, said that, although the company did not currently use behavioural targeting, it was considering future initiatives.

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