It's not uncommon for game industry icons to express their preferences for or against something. This time around, it's American electrical engineer and entrepreneur Nolan Bushnell. Simply put, Bushnell believes that typical in-game advertising doesn't work. More on his opinion in the full article after the jump.

With in-game advertising on a roll these days, it was probably only a matter of time before a company like NCsoft joined in. Thanks to a recent agreement with Double Fusion, the publisher will now be featuring real-world ads within City of Heroes. The article continues after the jump.

Maria Sharapova is excited about Top Spin 3, but how about the fans? Perhaps in effort to haul in those reeling from Top Spin 2's mixed reception, 2K Sports launched an official web presence for the next tennis simulation for the Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, Wii, and DS. But there's also the inclusion of dynamic content from Double Fusion, a more fluid control response and feel, plus rosters to whet the appetite of the average tennis fan. But what's in store on the site itself?

A recent announcement from Double Fusion might just be the starting signal of the in-game advertising flurry for 2008's line up of games. Gearbox Software, the developers behind Borderlands, Aliens: Colonial Marines, and Brothers In Arms: Hell's Highway, have apparently signed an agreement with advertising firm Double Fusion, permitting the use of the dynamic advertising technology in future games from Gearbox. More at the full story.

Let's face it: in-game advertising is all around us, and it appears to be here to stay. Exactly how is the market view evolving, and what should the industry do about it? Double Fusion Chief Executive Jon Epstein took the time to answer those questions in a recent interview.  More on that after the jump.

It looks as if everyone's convinced that the Sony PlayStation 3's bound to make a comeback this year, and advertising companies are going to make a profit of it. They plan in-game advertising for the most popular of PlayStation 3 games. They may be hopping into Sony's bandwagon at the dismay of many players, but it's only because Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) has a plan that will open their next generation console to that opportunity. More at the full story.

Some gamers may find in-game advertisements to be nothing more than shameless plugs, while others still believe it's necessary.

In the Independent Game Conference in Austin, Gordon Bellamy goes into the subject a bit more and discusses how advertising could benefit not only the company who does the advertising, but also the game itself. He also explains why Doritos can't go multiplatform. Find out why in the full article.

In the past, the stereotypical image of a gamer had something to do with young men stuck in the basement all day playing video games. With Nintendo's smashing success with the Wii console, however, such stereotypes have been shattered as the best-selling console has expanded the gamers market and revolutionized the industry itself.

In a recent article by Ad Age, the advertising website explained the ever growing marketing phenomenon that Nintendo initiated with the onset of the current console war. After the hype of the last generation of consoles died down, Nintendo's GameCube was staring at its competitors from third place. When the new set of consoles came in Nintendo decided to change gears and change their strategy.

More on Nintendo's revolutionary strategy after the jump!

It looks like whether we like it or not, more in-game advertising is coming our way as Eidos Interactive has just announced a three-year deal with in-game advertising specialists Double Fusion.

The deal between the two companies will cover ten Eidos titles, all currently in various stages of development. The ads will reportedly range from dynamically-served advertisements, which can be rotated or changed after the games' release, to deep integrations and product placements.

Eidos Interactive Chief Executive Jane Cavanagh had the following to say regarding the deal: "This is an exciting and innovative opportunity for Eidos, we're delighted to be working with Double Fusion and we fully believe that our titles will offer the perfect platform for the right media partners."

 

About a month ago, Double Fusion CEO Jonathan Epstein hinted that there might be a new Saints Row games coming up in the near future. We'll be following up that rumor with more solid news today, as publisher THQ has just sent out a press wire stating that they are indeed working on a Saints Row sequel.

This upcoming game will once again be under the development of studio Volition, and is expected to land on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles some time in 2008.

"The game’s worldwide success shows the growing fanaticism for open-world gaming and our talented team at Volition is now using their proprietary technology to revolutionize the genre yet again," stated Kelly Flock, THQ's Executive VP of worldwide publishing regarding the matter. Keep posted in case more details are revealed for this upcoming game.