Updated: Whoa…things are changing fast. It looks like the deal talks are still dragging on, and mid-week is the drop-dead decision date for AdScape. If done, it will be at a much lower price that hinted below.
Original post: We reported last month on Google’s serious talks with AdScape Media, the in-game advertising firm, in an attempt to buy it and enter the lucrative market. Now, the talks have hit a dead-end snag and possibly fallen through, according to our sources, and Google is moving on with its own efforts and looking at other independent players in the market. The other two major independents in the market are DoubleFusion and IGA Worldwide, though as we understand no imminent deal with Google is likely.
In a strange confluence of events at Google, Ethan Beard, the executive heading Google’s book search effort until recently, is now leading its in-game advertising efforts.
The AdScape deal was supposed to be in the $20 million-$30 million range. Not sure why the talks fell through, though the company lost its president and CEO Chris Gilbert around Thanksgiving last year, when he left.
This is the second such advertising expansion effort from Google which has hit a bump even before it has been launched in any big way….earlier last week we reported dMarc founder leaving the company.
Related:
—Google Moving Into In-Game Advertising; In Talks To Buy AdScape Media
—dMarc Founders No Longer At Google