Greg Verdino got me thinking a little more about in-game advertising with his rock solid slide show that he posted on his blog this week. I was going to do this as a comment, but figured it would just work better as a standalone.

So, on to the thoughts!

• First off, in-game advertising is a good idea. Yes, I honestly believe that. It just has to be done right.
• Like Verdino says, it’s not all about billboards and posters. But at the same time, I don’t think there’s anything wrong with them. For games that try to mimic “real life”, I think that “real life” type advertising would fit in. Still that doesn’t mean it’s going to be effective at all, just like that “real life” thing.
• The opportunities for advertising in video games reaches far beyond just in-game material. Look at the new avatar system that Microsoft implemented for the Xbox 360. Why not create some branded t-shirts or jackets and give them away so people can put them on their avatar? I’d totally have my avatar rock a Polo shirt, a PSU jersey, or Phillies hat.
• What about sponsored game giveaways? Take a popular, downloadable Xbox Arcade game, make a special version with a Brand-sponsored interstitial, and give the game away. If the person is connected to live, they could even receive updated ads. Lots of possibilities here.

I’ll stop here, but I could do this all night. Seriously.

What say you?