While continually racing after Google in terms of online advertising and the search engine market, Microsoft has its own space where it is the ad-serving leader. When it comes down to in-game advertising, Massive, a wholly owned subsidiary of Microsoft, has been continually growing its list of partners, with THQ as the latest addition. The Redmond company announced that its network for video game advertising has inked a multiyear deal with THQ, which spans across various titles.

“By aligning with THQ, Massive is now poised to represent new content and franchises that are realizing enormous market success globally,” explained Eric Bassman, COO of Massive. “And with an open-world, mission-based game such as “Saints Row 2” coming into the Massive network, we can work creatively with advertisers to place their brands in new, edgy environments.”

Per the agreement, Massive will serve dynamic in-game advertising on THQ content. Microsoft pointed out that the partnership also included THQ's “Saints Row” franchise. In this context, the first ads delivered by Massive will be on “Saints Row 2,” a title which debuted in October with sales already exceeding 2 million copies.

However, the agreement does not stop with “Saints Row 2.” Microsoft indicated that a number of additional THQ games on both the PC and Xbox 360 would contain advertisements from Massive. Neither of the two companies made public all the aspects of their agreement, including the financial details.

“We have entered into a strategic agreement with Massive because it is a leader in the emerging industry of in-game advertising,” said Scott Guthrie, executive vice president of publishing at THQ. “The Massive team has a strong track record of collaborating with game developers, sports leagues and advertisers to find a unique way to place brands and products that enhance the gameplay experience.”