Google is spreading its advertising reach by buying a company which provides adverts within computer games.

According to Red Herring, which broke the story late last week, the search giant paid $23m for Adscape Media.

Adscape Media has offices in San Francisco and Canada. In February last year, it showed off technology based on patents from 2002, including a way to link virtual game adverts to the real world.

It aims to work with games developers and publishers as well as ad and media agencies.

A Google spokesman refused to comment on market rumours and speculation. ®