THQ.  It’s been a banner year for them.  From opening a new office in Shanghai, to bringing Dragonica to the North American market, these guys are on a roll.  So it should come as no great surprise to hear that THQ has yet again taken things to the next level.  They’ve recently announced their signing of a multi-year deal with Microsoft owned, in-game advertising network Massively.

This agreement will place Massively as THQ’s exclusive in-game advertising partner for all upcoming PC and Xbox video game titles.  The agreement will provide for in-game advertising inclusion in a number of THQ’s existing titles including “Saints Row” and “Saints Row 2”, which shipped over 2M units globally during the first 2 weeks of it’s October release.

“By aligning with THQ, Massive is now poised to represent new content and franchises that are realizing enormous market success globally,” said Eric Bassman, COO of Massive. “And with an open-world, mission-based game such as “Saints Row 2″ coming into the Massive network, we can work creatively with advertisers to place their brands in new, edgy environments.”

THQ EVP of publishing Scott Guthrie adds, “We have entered into a strategic agreement with Massive because it is a leader in the emerging industry of in-game advertising.”

“The Massive team has a strong track record of collaborating with game developers, sports leagues and advertisers to find a unique way to place brands and products that enhance the gameplay experience.”

By adding THQ to their already impressive roster, Massively now has even more leverage and more importantly, eyeballs, on it’s in-game ads.  THQ’s inventory extends across a wide range of game titles, and varied demographics, thereby offering new advertising opportunities to brands seeking to reach a traditionally difficult market.