With iAd launched in the US, developers are starting to take advantage of the new 'gold standard of advertising'.

First off the blocks is German studio Fishlabs, which has released a free ad-supported version of its fantasy racer Burning Tires. It's only available on the US App Store at the moment.

Originally released in January 2009, priced $2.99, since dropped to $1.99, Burning Tires has been downloaded over three million times.

Burning Tires Free is a cutdown version of the game with ads supplied by the iAd platform.

Significantly though, users of the iAd version can convert to a full version of the game, removing the ads for 99c - giving a $1 saving on buying the full game outright.

Click and consume

The adverts are shown in the upper edge of the screen and automatically change, depending on the volume of advertising. If players tap a banner, the ad is shown in full-screen, while the game is paused in the background.

"Ad-funded mobile games are nothing new, but with iAd, Apple has created a format that does not cause media discontinuity," says Michael Schade, Fishlabs' CEO.

"As a premium manufacturer, Apple is also able to market premium ads at fair prices. Ultimately, everyone wins. Players get free access to high-quality content, brands can present themselves and their products in a premium environment with an enormous reach, and developers have another option to monetise their costly development."