Not enough microtransactions? EA is now turning its attention to in-game advertising. Alexander Dao, vice president of EA’s advertising and sponsorship department, said in a recent interview that in-game advertising is a major business opportunity for developers, especially for free games like “Skate”, where advertising design should be integrated into the game experience in the early stages of development. As soon as the news came out, many players immediately began to worry about whether EA was going to actually insert ads into the game next.
EA wants ads to be “integrated into the game” from the start
Alexander Dao said that many games now wait until development is completed before considering adding advertisements. However, if brand cooperation and advertising content can be planned from the early stages of production, it will not only make the advertisements look more natural, but also make it easier for brands to enter the game world. He even named “Skate” directly, believing that this type of free-to-play game is the most suitable example for introducing in-game advertising. In fact, EA has recently established the EA Advertising platform, hoping to allow more brands to reach players through dynamic billboards, scene cooperation or in-game activities.
What players fear most is not ads, but more and more ads
Although Dao emphasized that he hopes to create advertisements that are “in line with the game world” rather than forced interruptions that interrupt the player experience, many players still reacted after the news was exposed. After all, EA has been criticized for micro-transactions, season passes and various paid content in recent years, and now it is actively deploying in-game advertising. Many players are worried that even if they spend money to buy games in the future, they may have to see brand placement along the way, turning the game into another advertising platform.
As for how far EA will ultimately take advertising, there are still no concrete plans. However, when the official has called it a “huge business opportunity,” it also means that in-game advertising may not only be the future of “Skate”, but may be the next positive development direction of the entire game industry.