Casual Games a Winner for Both Consumers and Advertisers

CHARLOTTE, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Americans watched more than 10 billion videos online in February 2008 according to a report from comScore Video Metrix. Fifty million of those were advertisements on the AdverGame Network. This group of online casual game sites is selling product and helping at least one woman not to cook.

“My daughter was walking by when the Ratatouie ad was playing and now she is asking to see it when it comes out”

"My daughter was walking by when the Ratatouie ad was playing and now she is asking to see it when it comes out," wrote one player on a casual game site message board. "And in the past week, we have had Pizza Hut, Arby’s and Chick-fil-a for dinner. The power of suggestion is helping me to not have to cook...my hubby will hear the ads and tell me that sounds good…well, off to get Wendy's...LOL."

She's not the only winner. According to a Parks Associates report, 34% of U.S. Internet households play online games on a weekly basis, compared with 29% who watch short online videos and 19% who visit social networking sites with the same frequency. "It's the most popular Internet activity in the country," says Matt Coapman, AdverGame Network VP of Business Development. "We're dedicated to casual games because that's where the audience is."

True to its "You play, we pay" tagline, the multi-site Advergame Network, anchored by the flagship NetWinner.com has already paid out more than $1.6 million in less than two years of operation. Along with the always popular cash, the prizes have included a Las Vegas vacation, preloaded $500 MasterCard debit cards, a MacBook air laptop computer, digital cameras, and a passel of iPods.

Along with the ongoing games, the company has packaged in unique promotions giving away $500 gas cards, Wii game consoles and big name designer handbags.

"No different than television, radio or any other advertising supported medium, you have to give the consumer what they want," says Coapman. "Our games and our prizes are our shows."

"The advertisements are also part of the overall game experience. The integration with casual games creates a unique environment for presenting advertiser messages with real impact."

He says the company works hard to build the consumer connection by giving them what they want, not just in the games they play, but the prizes they win and the content they watch."

Games such as MoneyWheel™, Banko™ and the soon to be launched Keno49™ are among the stickiest on the Internet and have been successful for sites as different as ConnectingMoms.com and GameQuestDirect, an online retailer of more traditional video games.

"Our audience of more hard core gamers may not seem like a perfect fit for a casual game," says Margaret Kim, Director of Marketing of GameQuestDirect, which joined the network last October. "But our PrizeMatchGame.com and our Wii promotion have been big hits and also given us a new revenue stream."