I’m definitely not a gamer. The only virtual game I’ve ever played was Neopets way back in middle school and even that was more about having the cutest character, not actually gaming. I know it’s something my guy friends are hugely into even though most of the time they don’t like to admit it. It’s always amazing to me in the few times I’ve seen the games in action how incredibly detailed they are. It really is an entire world you can retreat to when you’re bored or crabby or just want to blow stuff up, which would be the favorite or my friends…
I would never think to advertise in a virtual game. It would seem to me that everyone would be so completely immersed in their game they wouldn’t even notice any product placements or in-game ads. Maybe that’s the whole point, it could be hitting on the whole subliminal angle. Obviously in-game advertising is doing something right if Google is willing to shell out $23 million dollars for a video game advertising company.
By doing a quick Google search it appears to me that a lot of hard core gamers are very frustrated by the amount of advertising in their games and feel that video games are the one place they could go to to escape ads and the pressures of the real world. Personally from the examples I found I think the advertising is actually pretty subtle, being found on billboards, the sides of buses, and on buildings. I think that the in-game advertising makes the world seem more lifelike and realistic because the brands are what are familiar to you. I definitely think it’s sneaky, but it’s cleverly sneaky that isn’t too in-your-face to be distracting (yet).
Social Media Scoop! 
I agree with you. If you ever work for an organization whose audience may be big into gaming, this is useful for you to know.