TiVoization of Video Game Consoles

At the Advertising in Games Forum in New York Wedbush Morgan Securities Managing Director Michael Pachter suggested that video game consoles might consider using the TiVo model to provide measurement.

The DVR connects to TiVo’s servers for about a minute each day. Additionally, baked into the user agreement is the ability for TiVo to look up the programs a user has recorded and watched. Pachter feels the same model will work on next generation consoles to measure and better-target advertising.

Pachter said if next generation console manufacturers required gamers to connect their consoles each day, game publishers would be able to report on playing behaviors. For instance if a player is spending a lot of time in level six, ads can be directed to that level rather than units in level seven. “You can actually determine how to deliver an ad on target,” he said.