The largest in-game advertising company, appropriately called IGA Worldwide Inc., has signed a deal with Electronic Arts, effectively making them (IGA) an exclusive partner with the gaming company. This is a two-year agreement, extending on EA's 2006 decision to open the gates and allow advertisers to bring their business inside the company's titles.

Here's an excerpt from the press release:

This agreement provides marketers the ability to plan and quickly execute highly strategic campaigns targeted toward the coveted demographic – males 18–34 – through EA’s blockbuster catalogue of titles.  The advertisements are integrated within the gaming environment in order to deliver a seamless and more authentic game environment.  EA has worked with IGA on various projects to date, and this agreement builds on that successful partnership.

Especially after reading up on the company's background (which states "[we help] brands to understand and exploit the rich and diverse opportunities available now and in the future" and "[we enable] advertisers to target millions of engaged consumers across a wide range of platforms and genres while they play"), I picture them salivating while supervising the writing of that, and probably foaming at the mouth while signing the contract: "The 18-34 demographic, THEY WILL BE OURS!!!" But anyway.

The company will implement advertising in EA's PS3 titles, including the EA Sports titles, as well as Need for Speed and Burnout. And here's a kicker for you: the advertising will be in real-time, meaning it will constantly be updated.

“We are thrilled at this opportunity to expand our strong relationship with EA and are pleased to have been selected to support EA and Sony on this new venture,” said Justin Townsend, CEO of IGA Worldwide. “It’s exciting that the PS3 has opened up and marketers will now have access to the platform, as this represents a tremendous opportunity for brands targeting a valuable and hard-to-reach audience, plus it sends a clear message that dynamic in-game advertising has arrived as a compelling medium for marketers.”

Speaking with GamesIndustry.biz, EA's VP of publishing for Europe Ed Bartlett said the deal brings maturity to the industry:

"We can do a similar thing to what TV advertising does. They're able to have upfront deals with their advertisers and show their roster of shows way in advance, which allows advertisers to plan budgets and know what's forthcoming. We can now do that for advertisers in-game as well, and that is a big step forward in terms of sophistication and validates the medium as a maturing medium."