Online gamers stare ass, not ads

MIT Advertising lab writes: "Behavioural research consultancy, Bunnyfoot, has conducted an independent study that reveals a lack of engagement between video game players and in-game advertising in sports titles. Overall, SFI [Sponsor Fixation Index] scores were comparatively low, especially when contrasted with the prevalence of brand placements.

These results demonstrate a significantly poor level of engagement with consumers and exposed an apparent weakness within games to efficiently capture consumer attention. Despite following the model of real world sports advertising, current methods are not optimising consumer engagement and are failing to influence the consumer in any significant way, the key driver for any marketing campaign and its validation."

The screenshot is taken through eye-tracking research, the kind our friends at Rogil conduct. It comes from Lara Croft, Tomb Raider.

http://adverlab.blogspot.com/2007/01/study-in-game-ads-fail-to-engage.html