In-Game Formats
Gaming advertising formats
Compare intrinsic placements, app display, interstitials, rewarded ads and playables by what players encounter and what a buyer can verify.
Gaming advertising formats differ in what the player sees, when the ad appears and what action it invites. A virtual billboard, an app banner, an interstitial and a rewarded video offer different kinds of contact. Choose by the experience the message needs, then check the specific placement and its reporting.
Map the format to the player experience
| Format | What the player encounters | First question |
|---|---|---|
| Intrinsic in-game display or video | Creative on a surface within the game world | Can the player see it during ordinary play? |
| App display unit | A banner or panel in the app interface | Does it stay clear of controls and active play? |
| Interstitial | A full-screen ad at a transition | Does it arrive at a genuine pause? |
| Rewarded ad | An ad associated with a stated benefit | What must the player do to earn the reward? |
| Playable ad | An interaction within the creative | Does that interaction represent the promoted product accurately? |
Ask which game, device, placement and creative types are available. Google lists video, playable and survey interactions for Android rewarded ads.
Separate game-world surfaces from app units
An intrinsic placement puts the message on an object or surface in the scene. Its apparent size, angle and visibility can change as play moves. Ask whether the specific unit is clickable, and keep a message intended for a moving scene short.
An app banner occupies part of the interface. Ask to see the unit in context, including how it sits alongside controls and active play. Being on screen does not establish that the ad was read.
Choose a break or an incentive deliberately
An interstitial fills the screen and is typically shown at a natural transition, such as between levels. Check when it appears, how the player closes it and where play resumes. Avoid interruptions during active tapping, which can lead to accidental clicks.
A standard rewarded ad associates an ad interaction with an offered benefit. Ask which flow the seller offers, how the reward is disclosed and what choice the player has. An ordinary interstitial does not become a rewarded unit because its creative mentions a benefit.
A playable ad offers an interaction within the creative. Use one when that interaction helps communicate the product, and check that the next step matches what the creative suggests.
Google describes rewarded ads as offering in-app items for interaction with video ads, playable ads or surveys. When comparing rewarded options, identify the interaction type and the item offered; the rewarded label alone does not specify either.
Pros and Cons of Rewarded Ads in Australian Gaming Markets
- ProsHigh engagement due to incentive; players willingly watch ads for rewards like in-game items or extra lives. Supported by Google AdMob SDK for Android and iOS.
- ConsRisk of misleading disclosures if benefits are not clearly communicated. Not automatically rewarded just because the ad mentions a reward.
Match reporting to the unit
The IAB/MRC document is titled Intrinsic In-Game Advertising Measurement Guidelines 2.0. For a served game-world placement, ask the seller how impressions and viewability are measured. Do not apply one intrinsic viewability figure across a mixed package.
For each unit, ask how impressions, visibility, player actions and any reward-earned event are defined and reported. A reward-earned event reflects an incentive condition. These measures alone do not prove attention, preference or a sale caused by the ad.
For Google Mobile Ads SDK interstitials, implementation callbacks distinguish a successful or failed ad load from display events such as shown or dismissed. Treat these as lifecycle signals, and confirm separately how the booked unit’s impressions and visibility are counted.
Turn the choice into a brief
Specify the Australian audience and devices sought, the message’s job, the acceptable point in play and the controls that must remain clear. Request a normal-speed preview on the intended device. List each format separately in the booking and reporting plan, including measurement gaps.
In this guide
- Rewarded video versus interstitial game adsCompare the player choice, timing, reward promise and reporting needed to choose between rewarded video and interstitial game ads.
- Comparing intrinsic in-game placements with display overlaysCompare game-world surfaces with app display overlays by player view, interaction, visibility evidence and risk of covering controls.
- Choosing an ad format that does not misrepresent a rewardDecide when a rewarded ad fits, separate the game benefit from an advertiser offer, and check that the player sees the true earning condition.
