Nadeo, developers of the TrackMania series of puzzle/racing games, and the recently released free game TrackMania nations ESWC have announced a deal with IGA Worldwide to deliver advertisments within the game.

In a world first, Trackmania Nations ESWC, Nadeo's updated version of the infamous driving game Trackmania, developed especially for the championships, has been made available for free via electronic download. The development costs have been offset by revenues generated from in-game advertising via IGA Worldwide's Radial ad serving network.

"e-Sport is one of the most advanced forms of network gaming so a free game available around the globe is a great starting point for getting people involved," said Florent Castelnerac, studio manager at Nadeo.

"In the real world, racing drivers and teams have sponsorship deals and the entire industry is supported by advertising and promotions. As advertising in games takes off, this is now being replicated in the virtual world by gamers."

"This represents a key milestone for the in-game advertising industry - for the first time a AAA-quality new release is subsidiszing itself via advertising so gamers are able to participate in a major virtual sporting event without having to shell out," said Justin Townsend, CEO at IGA Worldwide. "It's a tremendous testament to the growing strength of this medium that developers and publishers are confident in relying on in-game advertising revenues to recoup significant portions of their development costs."