Video games are starting to get a whole lot of attention from advertisers as corporations continue to target the 18- to 34-year-old demographic worldwide. Although this is not something new, it’s about to become one of the biggest industries to pop out of the box.

One company has already set its focus on ad-serving on gaming platforms, particularly online gaming. Advergaming Network (AGN) is a company that has begun to combine the two elements of advertising and gaming. Taking it to the Internet, AGN has set its sights on a market that was thought to be going on a downward spiral (at least in the United States): online poker players.

With gaming as one of the most popular Internet activities, recognized brands are starting to realize that AGN is on the right track. Not new to the online poker experience, AGN’s founders have contributed their expertise into this fresh business model. The ad-serving company was founded by former Tribeca Tables managing director Todd Walderman (also the former CTO of Advertising.com) and Bob Williams, brand manager of Tribeca Tables Skins Network.

However, the idea isn’t something that works out of the box. AGN later teamed up with technology solutions provider CyberArts to develop a platform where the ads could be served up with precision. Said Walderman, “CyberArts technology is a perfect fit because of the way that the client user interface is rendered on the screen. It's extremely dynamic. In the CyberArts technology model, the screen is rendered onto the player's computer at the time of delivery, and any other advertising messages or media content or game types are delivered as individual components visible to the players. It's unique and perfect for the delivery of marketing messages, whether they be banners, contextual advertising or even video or audio content.”

Together with a poker marketing solutions provider found in Poker Creations, the team has found the perfect fit. Earlier in 2007, one of Canada’s top sports networks, TheScore, unveiled a new advertising-supported poker site with technology backing from CyberArts and ad-serving courtesy of AGN. The new advergaming site, www.ScorePoker.com, streams 15-second interstitial video ads to players during poker games and tournaments. It is even designed to provide real-time sports news and information through trademark on-screen news tickers.

Through this new system that is supported by the platform developed by CyberArts and AGN, TheScore believes that even more players will join their poker site, adding to their already impressive stable of 78,000 registered players. It is also believed that the market that is mostly from the age of 18–34 will embrace this new concept of advertising in gaming. TheScore’s Director of Product Development Brendan Fyfe said, “People who go to NASCAR races understand that their race series would not be possible without those sponsors; and, in the same fashion, our players understand that our free poker model would not move forward without the support and participation of the advertisers. We have had nothing but really positive feedback so far.”

For the founders of AGN, this is only the beginning of an advertising model that is set to take the world by storm; and it’s just through common sense, thorough strategy, and hard work that will ensure AGN’s rise to the top.