The Guitar Hero franchise will start featuring in-game advertising thanks to a deal between advertising network IGA Worldwide and Activision Blizzard. The in-game ads will appear in the PlayStation3 version of the next installment in the series-“Guitar Hero: World Tour.”
The two are working together to determine how to incorporate advertising in the games such that they appear as part of a natural in-game advertisement. Such context could include banners posted in virtual arenas or stickers on a guitar.
Activision and Warner Music Group are embroiled in a war of words related to the cost of licensing music the franchise, with WMG head Edgar Bronfman Jr. insisting the publisher share more revenue with labels, and Activision chief Bobby Kotick suggesting record labels should pay them for the opportunity to be in the game.
How this new revenue stream from in-game advertising affects that discussion will be interesting to watch.
