In fact, Microsoft, which entered the console game market with the release of the Xbox in 2001 and last year jumped the gun on rivals Sony and Nintendo by launching the Xbox 360, has purchased in-game advertising network Massive Inc. for a rumored US$200M to US$400M.
The killer app for Microsoft in the gaming arena is its broadband-only online gaming network Xbox Live, which is now becoming a full-blown community and g-commerce marketplace.
Microsoft's ambitious bid for gaming dominance will see the integration of its Xbox 360 console with PCs and mobile devices. I won't be surprised if Microsoft will finally add a web browser to the Xbox 360, or even give away the Xbox 360 for free just to hook us all on Xbox Live.
The real revenue may come not from the sale of the console or Xbox 360 games sold in stores, but from downloadable games on Xbox Live; g-commerce from the sale of virtual items that companies provide or users create; and ads that will be displayed on console, PC and mobile games, as well as on MSN and other sites.
In fact, it seems Microsoft might even offer its Massive video game ad network to rivals Sony and Nintendo, which would be very ironic indeed.
Whatever the future might hold, one thing's for sure: gaming is more than just fun and games.
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