Continue reading »]]> (Reuters) – Google Inc on Wednesday launched technology to insert advertisements into online video games and boost revenue from the booming gaming sector.

The software, called AdSense for Games, is in beta testing and allows video, image or text advertisements to placed at the start, end or change of level in an online game.

The advertisers are charged on a cost-per-impression or cost-per-click basis with revenue being split between Google and game developers or publishers, it said in a statement.

Google is working with game makers including Konami Corp and Demand Media, run by former MySpace Chairman Richard Rosenblatt, as well as advertisers like Sprint Nextel Corp and Sony Corp’s Sony Pictures.

Data by comScore indicates that over a quarter of Internet users, or about 200 million people, play games online with their ranks growing by 17 percent annually.

Google extends AdSense to online games (Reuters) by Reuters: Yahoo! Tech

Continue reading »]]> Google is adding click-to-buy links to its YouTube video-sharing site. The new feature will let customers purchase songs and video games they like while watching videos on the site.

Google calls it instant gratification. Click-to-buy links, the company said, are non-obtrusive retail links positioned on the watch page beneath the video with other community features. That means users can buy products the same way they share, comment on, and respond to videos.

Google’s first step is to embed iTunes and Amazon links in videos from companies like EMI Music, and provide Amazon product links to the newly released video game Spore on videos from Electronic Arts.

Just the Beginning

According to Glenn Brown, YouTube’s strategic partner development manager, and Thai Tran, YouTube product manager, this is just the beginning of building a broad e-commerce platform for users and partners on YouTube.

“Our vision is to help partners across all industries — from music, to film, to print, to TV — offer useful and relevant products to a large yet targeted audience, and generate additional revenue from their content on YouTube beyond the advertising we serve against their videos,” they wrote in the company blog. “And those partners who use our content identification and management system can also enable these links on user-generated content by using Content ID to claim videos and choose to leave them up on the site.”

The retail links are being gradually added to YouTube’s library of music videos — and only in the United States. But YouTube is looking to expand the program to additional content and product partners, and to international users. YouTube also said it will be experimenting with the user interface over time to make sure this works for the community and will innovate based on feedback.

Ads as Content

Greg Sterling, principal analyst at Sterling Market Intelligence, said the YouTube concept is novel, but not new. There has long been talk about a hypothetical merger of television and the Internet that would allow viewers to stop the programming to purchase a product featured in the broadcast. But little progress has been made.

“There’s pressure on Google from various sources to squeeze more revenue out of YouTube and do it in a way that aligns with the content,” Sterling said. “Google’s search empire is built on the premise that ads are content when a consumer is interested in a particular topic. This is broadly consistent with that philosophy. Google is trying to generate more content without infringing on the user experience too much.”

Sterling isn’t willing to predict how much revenue YouTube could generate through the click-to-buy strategy. However, he does predict there will be more experimentation with tactics for getting more dollars from online videos.

“Google is making a worthy effort to do drive revenue without crowding the user experience with more ad units,” Sterling said. “It’s not exactly like search because people aren’t necessarily in buying mode when they are watching these videos. However, over time, if people become aware of these capabilities, then they may be prepared to buy.”

Google Launches Click-To-Buy Links on YouTube (NewsFactor) by NewsFactor: Yahoo! Tech

Continue reading »]]> Yahoo! Games is the section of the Yahoo! website in which Yahoo! users can play games either with other users or by themselves. The games on the website are typically Java applets or quick Flash games, but there are others which require a download. Many of the games that require a download contain TryMedia Adware (According to McAfee SiteAdvisor). Yahoo! Games also includes Yahoo! Video Games, which provides news, previews and reviews of currently available or upcoming First Party games–and Yahoo! Games on Demand–which provides free demos and full-size downloads of full PC games for a charge.

Yahoo! Games has a large user base playing various kinds of games, such as card games, board games, fantasy sports, emulated arcade games, and word games.

The site also features an “All Star” system for users, in which a user can pay to get an All Star username. All Star users are able to get extra privileges on Yahoo! Games sites such as disabling pop-up ads. All Star users do not have playable games without downloading.

Yahoo! Games was built on Yahoo!’s acquisition of ClassicGames.com (previously known as SpringerSpan Games after the programmer’s Springer Spaniel) in 1997. The current Yahoo! Video Games section of the site was formerly known as Games Domain, from back when Yahoo! acquired the website in 2003. As of April 03rd 2007 Yahoo! Games holds 416 games, most of which were developed externally.

More Information:

• Commercial? Yes
• Type of site Games
• Registration Optional
• Owner Yahoo!
• Created by Yahoo!
• Current status Active
• Website:
  • Yahoo! Games
  • Yahoo! Video Games
  • Yahoo! Quick Play
  • Four Second Fury