Activision, Nielsen and Massive Present State of In-Game Advertising Session at Advertising Week 2007
SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sep 28, 2007 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Today at Advertising Week 2007, Activision, Inc. (Nasdaq:ATVI) hosted an exclusive session with The Nielsen Company and Massive Inc. illustrating why video games are an important medium for reaching the elusive 13-34 male audience. The discussion outlined the reach and frequency that video games deliver, research that validates video games as an effective advertising medium and the methods that gaming companies are using to help marketers get their brands into games.
During the session, Nielsen Games showcased its new GamePlay Metrics(TM), which provides an ongoing measurement of the market, gaming usage as compared to other entertainment vehicles and the reach of video games as an advertising medium.
Massive discussed how its dynamic ad-serving technology gives marketers the flexibility to plan in-game advertising spends in line with other media investments and illustrated how in-game campaigns can be delivered across a network of games - spanning all genres.
Activision demonstrated that in-game product integration helps to drive brand awareness and recall, and that video games drive persuasion -- the willingness of consumers to change their opinions of a brand and/or recommend it to others -- through the combination of product integration and pervasiveness.
"Traditional advertising approaches don't engage audiences and don't ensure the consumer pays attention. They don't really connect with the target 13-34 year olds or what matters to them. That connection and real relevance is what leads to brand persuasion and purchase," said Robin Kaminsky, executive vice president of publishing at Activision. "From the research we have conducted with Nielsen over the past few years, we know that video game advertising and partnerships do connect with people in a way that demands their attention, especially the elusive 13-34 year old male, and that video games are highly engaging in a way that no other advertising medium is."
Activision Broadcast Media Center
Members of the media can visit Activision's new Broadcast Media Center to download broadcast quality video, web-ready video and high-resolution images. Members of the media using Pathfire can take advantage of a Pathfire enabled video download.
Sound bites and b-roll footage of today's discussion will be made available after the event. Broadcast quality video of many of Activision's leading game titles is available for download as well.
Broadcast Media Center: http://activision.pondeserver.com
About Microsoft
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (Nasdaq "MSFT") is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.
About Activision
Headquartered in Santa Monica, California, Activision, Inc. is a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and leisure products. Founded in 1979, Activision posted net revenues of $1.5 billion for the fiscal year ended March 31, 2007.
Activision maintains operations in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Scandinavia, Spain, the Netherlands, Australia, Japan and South Korea. More information about Activision and its products can be found on the company's World Wide Web site, which is located at www.activision.com.
About Nielsen
The Nielsen Company is a global information and media company with leading market positions and recognized brands in marketing information (ACNielsen), media information (Nielsen Media Research), online intelligence (NetRatings and BuzzMetrics), trade shows and business publications (Billboard, The Hollywood Reporter, Adweek). The privately held company is active in more than 100 countries, with headquarters in Haarlem, the Netherlands, and New York, USA. For more information, please visit, www.nielsen.com.
About Massive
Massive Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft, is the creator of a leading network for dynamic video game advertising. With 40 game publisher partners, the Massive Network offers advertisers the ability to reach an aggregated gaming audience in real time across multiple platforms. Over 100 blue-chip advertisers have run campaigns across the Massive Network throughout North America and Europe. Publishers in the Massive Network generate revenue through dynamic in-game advertising, enabling them to leverage the value of their content while preserving and enhancing the game experience. Massive's technology allows for all forms of downloadable media and advertising content to be contextually integrated into the game environment, including image, audio, video and game object formats. More information can be found online at http://www.massiveincorporated.com.
Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements: Information in this press release that involves Activision's expectations, plans, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements that are not facts and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. In this release they are identified by references to dates after the date of this release and words such as "will," "will be," "remains," "to be," "plans," "believes", "may", "expects," "intends," and similar expressions. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, sales of Activision's titles, shifts in consumer spending trends, the seasonal and cyclical nature of the interactive game market, Activision's ability to predict consumer preferences among competing hardware platforms (including next-generation hardware), declines in software pricing, product returns and price protection, product delays, retail acceptance of Activision's products, adoption rate and availability of new hardware and related software, industry competition, rapid changes in technology and industry standards, protection of proprietary rights, maintenance of relationships with key personnel, customers, vendors and third-party developers, international economic and political conditions, integration of recently acquired subsidiaries and identification of suitable future acquisition opportunities, limitations on our ability to issue stock and options and foreign exchange rate changes.
Other factors that could cause Activision's actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements set forth in this release include, without limitation, the further implementation, acceptance and effectiveness of the remedial measures recommended or adopted by the special sub-committee of independent directors established in July 2006 to review Activision's historical stock option granting practices, the board and Activision; the outcome of the SEC's formal investigation and the derivative litigation filed in July 2006 against certain current and former directors and officers of Activision relating to Activision's stock option granting practices, the possibility that additional claims and proceedings will be commenced, including additional stockholder litigation, employee litigation, and additional action by the SEC and/or other regulatory agencies, other litigation (unrelated to stock option granting practices) and the risks identified in Activision's most recent annual report on Form 10-K and recent reports on Form 8-K. The forward-looking statements in this release are based upon information available to Activision as of the date of this release, and Activision assumes no obligations to update any such forward-looking statement. Forward-looking statements believed to be true when made may ultimately prove to be incorrect. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties and other factors, some of which are beyond our control and may cause actual results to differ materially from our current expectations.
SOURCE: Activision, Inc.
Sutherland Gold Amy Janzen, 917-209-6819 amy@sutherlandgold.com or The Nielsen Company Gary Holmes, 646-654-8975 Gary.Holmes@nielsen.com
Copyright Business Wire 2007
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