“Sony Computer Entertainment America has signed on as the first subscriber to Nielsen’s GamePlay Metrics syndicated service designed to measure videogame usage throughout the U.S.  The service debuts July 25.  As part of the agreement with Nielsen, Sony will supply Nielsen with complete “census” data of all game usage across its PlayStation3 systems and PlayStation network.  But identities of individual game players will not be disclosed, said Nielsen VP Jeff Herrmann, who oversees the company’s game and mobile phone measurement services.”

http://www.adweek.com/aw/national/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003606367 

“FRESH on the heels of its multi-partner study on in-game ad effectiveness, Nielsen has partnered with Sony Computer Entertainment America (SCEA) to develop a measurement system for Web-linked console game advertising.

A new Parks Associates report has forecast game ad spend to reach $2.1 billion in five years – but with brands and agencies clamoring for metrics to fuel that budget boom, The Nielsen Company has taken the lead in delivering comprehensive research by leveraging the expertise of marketing firms, console manufacturers, and game developers.

Through the new agreement, SCEA will supply Nielsen with server side data from PS3 systems across its PLAYSTATION Network, including hours of use, game title and skill level. And while some of it will be demographic, according to an SCEA spokesperson, none will include personally identifiable information. Nielsen will combine that data with metered game usage info from its GamePlay Metrics panels, with the first joint reports due out in the fall.

Although the initial results will enable marketers to calculate CPMs across PS3s and the PLAYSTATION network more effectively, Nielsen ultimately intends to develop a network game advertising measurement system that will foster growth across the industry as a whole. “

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