The movie Lord of the Rings was undoubtedly one of the most successful films ever. Aside from its tremendous and almost precise adaptation, its success could also be attributed to major marketing strategies around the globe. Developer Codemasters, it seems, knows this very well as they recently teamed up with a new media agency.

The UK-based publisher just confirmed that they didn't renew their previous contract with MJ Media and they are now in partnership with conglomerate Universal McCann. The said agency, aside from taking care of Codemasters' distribution deal, will be handling the publisher's planning and media buying business. It was reported that the new deal amounts to GBP five million or roughly around US$ 9.7 million.

Codemasters, furthermore, mentioned that this is a good time for them to join a power house media agency as they have a number of PC titles coming up. Universal McCann is one of the top companies in its field and has different heavy clients such as Coca Cola, Exxon Mobil, Intel, Microsoft, Sony, and MasterCard.

The real world is seeping through the World of Warcraft as we speak. And seeping along with that reality are The Benjamins. Lots and lots of it.

Just how profitable is World of Warcraft? A multinational company and household name like Coca Cola, has teamed up with the immensely popular MMORPG, with hopes of selling their brand to the 7 million subscribers of the game. In China, Coca-Cola put World of Warcraft figures on 600m Coke cans and even released a series of commercials that stars Taiwanese superstar group S.H.E. There are hats, T-shirts, a board game, seven novels and a movie in the works.

Vivendi's brainchild has also spawned sweatshops packed with 500,000 people "gold farming" or accumulating in-game currency and selling it. These days a level-60 night elf with “great gear, skills and 100 gold to spend” is fetching for $289.99. Most of these players are Chinese, Mexican and Russian players.

If you're not really familiar with the MMORPG world, you'd think it ridiculous how these enthusiasts have become like a slave almost of the game. Professor Edward Castronova, Comolan’s creator explains the phenomenon as succinctly, "The real draw is the map of meaning the game provides. In the real world if you work in a coffee shop, that has no meaning. In the game if you are told to take this box from this village to this castle because something really important will happen, then that has more meaning than making a latte for some customer.”