Double Fusion yesterday announced a partnership with Gearbox Software to introduce "dynamic advertising" and "integrated sponsorship opportunities" into upcoming Gearbox titles. While Gearbox is a developer of some repute, having created the Brothers in Arms series of first-person shooters, produced a very solid port of Halo and authored some excellent mods for Half-Life, they're no Electronic Arts. So why has this story particularly piqued our interest?
But, you see, that's precisely why this partnership is so intriguing. Because they are no Electronic Arts, with the odd dozen sports franchises, racing titles and shooters mostly set in the modern day -- because instead they are a company that has built their reputation on sci-fi titles and period pieces -- where indeed will they put all that dynamic advertising, let alone the product placement that "integrated sponsorship opportunities" seems to suggest?
Moreover, the quotes included in this press release are so targeted towards this very question that they come off as suspicious. First Double Fusion's CEO Jonathan Epstein says he wants to connect advertisers "to their gaming audiences in a way that is appropriate and adds value to gamers," a statement echoed practically word for word in the preceding paragraph; and then Gearbox's David Eddings would like to let you know that "We’re incredibly focused on authenticity and we believe our partnership with Double Fusion and their advertising partners will allow our game worlds to have all the plausibility of the real world." Appropriate. Authentic. Plausible.
If Gearbox doesn't have some new title with a modern-day setting up their sleeves, we anticipate this in-game advertising to be just as appropriate, authentic and plausible as Pepsi and Ghost Rider ads were in EA's Battlefield 2142.
Gearbox was unavailable for comment by the time of this publication.
SAN FRANCISCO – Mar. 25, 2008 – Double Fusion and Gearbox Software announced today that they have entered into an advertising partnership. Under the terms of the partnership, Double Fusion will provide Gearbox with technology to support dynamic advertising in upcoming Gearbox games, and will represent both dynamic advertising and integrated sponsorship opportunities in those games. The companies will work together to ensure that all advertising programs are appropriate and add value to the gamers’ experience.
“Double Fusion is committed to working with game companies across the full spectrum of gaming, from hardcore to casual, and in connecting advertisers to their gaming audiences in a way that is appropriate and adds value to gamers,” said Jonathan Epstein, president and CEO, Double Fusion, remarked. “Gearbox is one of the gold standard developers focused on the highest production value titles targeted at core gamers, and we’re very excited to be working with them.”
Gearbox Software is known for its catalogue of successful games in the Half-Life, Counterstrike and Brothers in Arms franchises. The developer also recently announced the game Borderlands, a much-anticipated title expected to launch in the holiday 2008 season.
“Double Fusion is a successful trail-blazer in the race to connect advertisers with interactive entertainment audiences,” said David Eddings, VP of Licensing, Gearbox Software. “We’re incredibly focused on authenticity and we believe our partnership with Double Fusion and their advertising partners will allow our game worlds to have all the plausibility of the real world. The advertisers, in turn, bring value that will enable us to invest even more in creating the best possible video game experiences.”
The addition of Gearbox Software’s titles to the Double Fusion network demonstrates the company’s commitment to offering their advertiser and agency partners a wide array of in-game advertising opportunities, to maximizing revenues for its publisher and developer partners and to building a portfolio of top titles among retail PC and console games, massively multiplayer online games, social networks, casual downloadable games, advanced online games and virtual worlds.
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