While Lineage 2 adena games have been prominently featured real-world products for years--as sponsorship plays a major role in sports titles, and many car-racing games feel like advertisements for the ultrarealistic autos they feature--what is http://www.mmodiy.com/Lineage-II-Adena/ new is the fact that game publishers increasingly see product placement as a revenue source. "It's definitely a growing trend," said David Anderson, Activision's director of business development and licensing. "I think brand marketers and advertisers are realizing that they need to be more creative in their marketing initiatives, and the 'in-game option' is fast becoming another tool for them to utilize." Anderson should know. He helped Activision negotiate one of the higher-profile product placement deals this year. Under the terms of the agreement, Nick Kang, the hero of True Crime: Streets of LA, is decked out in outfits by athletic clothier Puma. The game will also feature Puma billboards and will even include a heist involving a truckful of Puma clothing. In return, Puma is promoting the game in its retail stores and is paying Activision an undisclosed amount
Activision isn't the only company promoting apparel in its games. There, the self-styled "online getaway" MMORPG, which recently went live, has a deal with Levi's and Nike that lets players buy virtual outfits for their avatars with real money. That's one step beyond the 2002 deal struck between McDonald's, Intel, and EA to let The Sims Online gamers eat at the fast-food chain and buy computers equipped with the chip maker's processors.