This past week’s rumors about Microsoft’s impending acquisition of Massive aren’t just a validation of the potential of in-game advertising, but I also view them as supporting the notion of what I previously called “new new media” in a post a year ago. While the shift away from traditional advertising dollars has already found its way online, I believe that it increasingly will proliferate into other digital formats and venues.
My original list included the three new new forums: ads in video games, ads in mobile phones, and ads via boxes (DVRs, VOD, IPTV Boxes, IP-based, etc). (And in the meantime, we’ve seen some unique examples of these come to light, like birds-eye view advertising in the game “Second Life”) I’ve also subsequently blogged about the opportunity in the proliferation of digital signage. In my mind, I’ve considered adding podcast advertising in to the list, but my skepticism with the media-type remain. And I’m sure that I should add advertising on downlodable videos to my ipod and a number of other formats.
In reality, though, it isn’t completely necessary to enumerate an exhaustive list. The opportunity for new new media advertising is any place where digital content is consumed. So while the speculated price of the Massive transaction is affected by Microsoft’s investment in XBOX and defensibility vs. Sony, the message I believe is clear: “new new media” isn’t so new any more.