IGA Worldwide's agreement with Merscom will broaden IGA's consumer reach into the popular casual gaming market which is expected to reach $2 billion by 2008 according to the Casual Games Association. IGA Worldwide will further extend its position as the leading independent in-game advertising network by targeting this highly untapped audience of 30+ female gamers, an increasingly crucial demographic to advertisers.
"This agreement expands our casual game network to further enable our advertisers to reach this growing, engaged and influential audience of female gamers" says Justin Townsend, CEO of IGA Worldwide. "We continue to strive to create opportunities to offer advertisers new and exciting ways to reach various demographics and this partnership with Merscom allows us to deliver on that promise."
The deal will provide advertising in casual games throughout the United States and European markets, creating contextually relevant ads specific to each region. These games will be available in both US and European retail stores and online portals worldwide.
Casual games can be defined by their mass appeal and relative ease and directional simplicity. Average game playing times vary, being simple enough to pick up for a short time but challenging enough to play for hours. Unlike typical console video games that target men ages 18-35, casual games target audience is women ages 30+ and are available on a variety of platforms including consoles, PCs, handhelds and mobile phones.
"In-game advertising is being talked about a lot but very little has been done within the casual gaming space," says Lloyd S.Melnick, Chief Customer Officer at Merscom. "We are excited to partner with IGA, a leader in in-game advertising, to open up casual games to advertisers throughout the world for one of the first times."