New NMR Division Launches Video Game Ad Metrics

Audience measurement specialist Nielsen Media Research has a new division, Nielsen Wireless and Interactive Services, headed by VP Jeff Herrmann; and has announced the launch of GamePlay Metrics, a new rating service for video games.

The new unit will draw expertise from VNU's Media Measurement and Information (MMI) Group, including NMR and Nielsen Entertainment, which recently reported the Nielsen Active Gamer 2006 study.

Herrmann has held various senior marketing and product strategy roles within NMR and Nielsen//NetRatings. Most recently, he served as Vice President Business Development and Strategy for the MMI Group, evaluating new business opportunities as well as mergers and acquisitions.

Nielsen's national television sample of more than 10,000 households currently collects
information on video game use through existing People Meter technology. The all-electronic GamePlay Metrics service will passively record the titles of games while capturing key demographic detail about players.

Nielsen says the service will establish metrics for buying and selling video game ads, while tracking the activities of gamers across other media like TV and the Internet. Due to begin providing ratings data in mid-2007, it promises game developers a new advertising business model to offset high development costs, and advertisers better targeting of the digital consumer. Its coverage extends to 'around-game advertising' as well as in-game.

Advertisers will also have access to comprehensive analysis on how video game play affects or complements the use of other electronic media - for example, what television programs gamers watch when they're not playing games. The service will use information from existing Nielsen samples, in accordance with the integrated approach of Nielsen's Anytime Anywhere Media Measurement (A2/M2) initiative.

'The value of an entertainment medium is directly proportional to how well it is measured' says Herrmann. 'A reliable and accurate standard of measurement for video gaming will drive advertising investment in this medium and help convert video game advertising from a discretionary advertising experiment to a must-have option.'

The firm also says it is using its experience with its Active/Passive metering technology to develop a new audio system to process data on video game, movie, music, video and other media usage. NMR is online at www.nielsenmedia.com .

All articles 2006-23 written and edited by Mel Crowther and/or Nick Thomas, 2024- by Nick Thomas, unless otherwise stated.

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