Google buys Adscape for $23m, says report

Google is to buy in-game advertising firm Adscape Media for US $23 million (EUR 17.5m), according to sources close to the two companies.

Red Herring is reporting that Google has stumped up the money to buy into the growing in-game advertising market - and it may be a strategic move that will give the search giant a bundle of technology patents, but little in the way of immediate results.

"While everyone appreciates the dollars Google can throw around, when it comes to [in-game ad] experience they just don't have it," said a source.

The speculation regarding Google's interest in in-game advertising came to a head last month, when the Wall Street Journal revealed the company was in talks with Adscape.

Adscape first launched in February last year, but has not yet confirmed any developer or publisher partners.

In May 2006, Microsoft bought in-game ads specialist Massive Inc in a deal rumoured to be worth as much as US $400 million (EUR 304.5m).