There is no such thing
as a free game

MTV is staking out its position as a major purveyor of video games of all shapes and sizes, reports BusinessWeek.

The erstwhile music network operates over 5,000 games and virtual worlds across myriad platforms. Most titles are designed to appeal to pre-teen, teen and young adult audiences.

MTV is planning to expand further into casual gaming to poach an older, largely female audience.

Most of these games and virtual worlds are ad-supported. Product placement is also a major feature of the network's shows and virtual outlets. Typically there is an incentive for a user to interact with a sponsoring brand.

An MTV executive says nearly half of the visitors to its 300 websites have played a game while there.