Quake Wars to get in-game ads

Video game developer Splash Damage has revealed that its forthcoming Enemy Territory: Quake Wars will use in-game advertising. 

The company said that the move will help pay for the costs of supporting and running the game after release.

Enemy Territory: Quake Wars is based on ID Software's Quake franchise and will be available on the PC, Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3. 

"For the past four years, we have put all our effort into making Enemy Territory: Quake Wars. So we are not planning to ship this game and walk away," said Neil Postlethwaite, managing director of Splash Damage.

"To help cover this level of ongoing support without passing the costs on to the gamer, Enemy Territory: Quake Wars will feature appropriate advertisements in select locations of our levels."

In-game advertising has become an increasingly hot topic since high profile online shooter Battlefield 2142 introduced targeted advertising. Most analysts predict that its use will continue to rise.

Aaron Rattue, business group director at market research group GfK, told vnunet.com: "There has been much speculation about the potential of ad-funded entertainment, as at present all gaming is paid for by consumers. 

"Franchises and entertainment tie-ins are another area that should be closely looked at, as the impact could really be expanded should they become ad-funded. "

Activision, the publisher of Enemy Territory: Quake Wars, has not yet announced which advertising company will be handling the adverts, but has stressed that the content will be "appropriate".