Massive scoops Activision advertising deal and new boss

Microsoft’s in-game ad firm Massive has secured an 18-game deal with Activision, which will see advertising appear across titles such as Guitar Hero: World Tour, and various other Xbox 360 and PC releases.

Meanwhile, JJ Richards, who still retains his role as general manager of platform services for the Advertiser and Publisher Solutions Group at Microsoft, is now also leading the team at Massive. There will no longer be a formal CEO position at the company in the wake of Cory Van Arsdale’s departure.

Continuing its relationship with Activision-Blizzard, Massive has also signed a deal with Blizzard for the Battle.net game services and website, though the deal does not include in-game advertising. Speaking of the Blizzard deal, Richards said: “Our partnership with Blizzard Entertainment aligns Massive with the creative powerhouse behind some of the most renowned real-time strategy games of all time, as well as the world’s most popular MMORPG.”

Finally, Massive is also to launch an in game advertising event, allowing developers and publishers to preview games for ad opportunities in 2009.