Blizzard Partners with Game Ad Firm Massive

The partnership will have Blizzard delivering ads through both Battle.net and its own Web pages.

Blizzard may not quite be ready to slap Coca-Cola ads on the side of cottages in World of Warcraft, but its Web pages and Battle.net interface are another issue. On Wednesday, the company inked a deal with Microsoft-owned advertising outfit Massive Inc. to offer up both venues to advertisers.

Massive is a leader in the emerging in-game advertising market, offering access to everything from billboards in racing titles to destructible ads in first person shooters. Though Blizzard has a strict policy barring in-game advertising, Massive will be able to sell ads for its Web sites and the Battle.net interface, which users of games like Starcraft and Diablo use to meet up for online play.

“Our decision to partner with Massive was based on several important factors, including their technical expertise, global sales presence, and willingness to work with us to ensure advertisements appear only in contexts and environments that make sense,” said Paul Sams, chief operating officer of Blizzard Entertainment, in a statement. “This partnership does not include in-game advertising, as Massive understands and respects our stance against advertising that might detract from gameplay or offend our players.”

Financial details of the arrangement were not disclosed.