Google brings AdSense to casual games

Google Inc. said on Wednesday that it is bringing its popular AdSense Web advertising platform to the small but hot casual game space, while promising to stay out of building or publishing games itself.

But questions remained about whether and how AdSense would be able to provide the same level of consumer targeting that advertisers prize -- and are willing to pay for -- with current deployments of the technology.

In a packed session at Casual Connect Seattle, the industry's leading North American conference, Google executives said its entry into the market will offer another way for game publishers -- especially the small ones that now dominate the casual game industry -- to make money from their creations.

The Casual Games Association claims 200 million people worldwide play casual games, defined as defined as quick-to-develop, easy-to-learn-and-play games that are played via or downloaded from the Internet.