EA is diving deep into the world of in-game ads with the launch of its new platform, EA Advertising. The company has featured in-game ads in some of its major titles in the past, but EA Advertising will make it even easier for brands to showcase their products in select EA games.
This isn’t the first time that EA has shown interest in using its video games as a form of advertising. EA putting ads in games has been a big interest of the company for years at this point, but this new platform is the most substantial move that the company has made in bringing this concept to the forefront.
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EA’s Advertising Platform Wants to Make In-Game Ads a More Immersive Experience for Brands and Players
Right now, EA Advertising’s page on the official EA website has a clear emphasis on the company’s live-service sports titles. The Sims 4 is also part of the games being put in the spotlight for this service, but EA Advertising’s main goal looks to be reaching companies that want to put advertisements in the publisher’s various sports-focused games. There are a lot of popular EA franchises out there, but the company has become well-known for its roster of popular sports series, so targeting them isn’t that surprising. Games like EA Sports FC, Madden NFL, and Skate are a few of the franchises being pushed as potential interactive billboards for companies to take advantage of.
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EA Advertising is specifically aiming for what is being called “in-game integration.” Features like sponsored replays, in-game media banners with a company’s logo, and custom brand-focused outfits are a few of the things that EA Advertising is hoping will attract companies to the platform. These are things that are already happening at real-life televised sporting events, so it makes sense that EA would see this advertising approach as a way to make a more immersive sports game.
However, this is also bound to be controversial. Advertising in video games has been a divisive topic over the years among gamers. Some find the method invasive, but there are others who don’t mind it. It’s currently unclear if EA is going to allow an option for players to turn off in-game advertising. Even though that would be a solid compromise, it’s more likely that the company will leave the advertising as a mandatory feature that can’t be customized, especially since companies will be investing so much in using the platform.
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Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
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Since this is a new platform for the company, it’s going to be interesting to see how EA Advertising fares when it’s being used more often for EA-published games. The company claims that the ads will be implemented in a way that isn’t disruptive to players, but only time will tell if that’s actually the case. The way EA handles its live-service titles has been just as divisive as the subject of in-game advertising. It’s common to hear news about EA shutting down another game, and adding more advertisements to the mix might not help the company’s image.
Source: EA Advertising