It started with shop signs, hung out by tradesmen in ancient times. From there, it went to print ads, then billboards that multiplied like locusts, blighting the land. From there, it went to radio, aircraft, TV,  blimps, movie theatres, the Web...is there no escaping the relentless, unending hucksterism?

Toyota has become the first company to utilize interactive ads in an MMORPG with its interactive "dynamic billboard advertisement" in Anarchy Online. New technology allows players to interact with these "dynamic billboards" in the game, which proponents claim makes for a "more memorable and interactive advertisement experience."  Toyota's campaign allows players of the free version to walk up to in-game billboards and interact with them to unveil the product. AO publisher Funcom expects this will pave the way for more of the same.

Mitch Davis of Massive, Inc. is delighted, calling it  "a tremendous step forward in terms of giving advertisers what they want- the ability to target the elusive male 18-34 range and allowing them to interact with the products for a more memorable experience.” He goes on to say  “This is just the beginning of interactive ads in games, and we are very pleased to unveil this new technology together with Funcom and Toyota."  Davis was quick to mention that  "...we are not adding this to distract from the game experience itself. Our company always has the best interest of the gamers and the game experience in mind."

Massive Inc., which was recently acquired by Microsoft,  is a pioneer when it comes to in-game ad technology, and is currently advertising network in the gaming industry.

"In Funcom we are always trying to push the envelope in innovation and technology, and this recent move with Funcom, Massive and Toyota is a perfect example,” says Trond Arne Aas, CEO of Funcom. “Our primary goal is always to deliver the best possible entertainment, but to offset the high development costs in today’s gaming landscape we need to look at additional forms of income. What Massive is offering us is exactly that, and we are therefore very pleased to continue working with them to introduce new technologies that give us a competitive edge."