s a member of the Elite Operations Division in the video game True Crime: Streets of LA, the character Nick Kang must find his way to a truck hijack at the flagship Puma sportswear store. Lucky for him, he has a Motorola handset with built-in global positioning system technology. In the online game Everquest II, players don�t need to leave their fantasy world to satisfy hunger pangs. They can click an icon and have food delivered from the nearest Pizza Hut - within 30 minutes. The product placement belongs to a growing push by advertisers to reach big-spending males from 18 to 34 years of age who clock long hours playing video games.

Analysts tracking the US market say in-game advertising could generate as much as $1 billion in new revenue in the country by the end of the decade because it assures advertisers quality time with an audience they crave: young men.... more