Electronic Arts (EA) is not going to add in-game advertisements to its titles that gamers play on dedicated gaming consoles. EA offered the clarification after reports about PlayerWON, a new AdTech platform designed to beam advertisements, surfaced.
Gaming consoles will not show advertisements inside EA game titles for game consoles, confirmed the publisher. Although Electronic Arts has categorically denied the claims, PlayerWON still exists.
Why did Electronic Arts offer clarification when it wasn’t going to include advertisements in game titles?
A new advertising platform will allow companies to include video ads in PC and console games. Owned by Simulmedia, the new PlayerWON AdTech reportedly has the capability of pushing advertisements that are similar to the ones mobile games have.
A report claimed Simulmedia has already struck a deal with Tencent’s Hi-Rez Studios. It added that PlayerWON successfully completed pilot testing within Smite. The popular free-to-play, third-person multiplayer online battle arena video game is available for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Nintendo Switch, and Xbox One.
Electronic Arts has denied reports that it’s planning to add in-game video ads to its console games.https://t.co/gChOjMU4ns
— Andy Robinson (@AndyPlaytonic) July 5, 2021
Interestingly, the report claimed Simulmedia also reached an agreement with EA. Together the companies planned to implement in-game advertisements through the new PlayerWON platform, mentioned the report.
Electronic Arts denied previous reports regarding their alleged intent to incorporate in-game ads on their free-to-play games https://t.co/TDfa219WxA
— Intl. Business Times (@IBTimes) July 5, 2021
Soon after the report went viral, EA issued a statement to clarify that they won’t be adding in-game advertisements to their games:
“Following incorrect reports suggesting that we are looking to introduce ‘TV-style’ commercials into our games, we wanted to clarify that in-game advertising for console games is not something we’re currently looking at, or have signed any agreements to implement.”
“Creating the best possible player experience remains our priority focus.”
In-game advertising is on the rise, whether gamers like it or not:
The PlayerWON platform is quite similar to in-game AdTech platforms. The makers promise to reward gamers in-game items and currency in exchange for watching ads.
Interestingly, the original report claimed PlayerWON’s pilot program within Hi-Rez Studios’ Smite was quite successful. “Players during that pilot were ‘much more likely’ to play a game and spend money in it if they could acquire perks by watching ads.”
EA denies signing agreement to add TV-style #Ads in its #Console games#ElectronicArts #Simulmediahttps://t.co/ZO2RDSPFra
— Game World Observer (@GWObserver) July 5, 2021
In-game advertisements are increasingly going after young players between the ages of 18 and 34. Some marketing experts claim this group is quite difficult to reach through traditional marketing.
Simulmedia’s own research reportedly claims that people would be willing to watch up to 10 videos a day for rewards. Dave Madden, the company’s EVP, also claimed that 90 percent of the free-to-play audience never buy in-game items.
#Gamingnews: #ElectronicArts EA says it has no intention of putting TV ads in console games following news reports about a deal with an ad tech company. What do you think?#madbadtv #gamingnews #gamingnewsdaily #twitch #gaming #gamer https://t.co/96hMoCMuXH pic.twitter.com/hyeD46CkXQ
— Mad (@tv_madbad) July 4, 2021
Although EA may have categorically denied inserting in-game ads, the company’s UFC 4 game title did have full-screen adverts, before the company apologized and scraped the idea. Meanwhile, Facebook is actively exploring ways to advertise within the Oculus Quest 2 VR gaming headset.
In essence, advertisements could be coming to a game console. It is quite possible that companies would first begin inserting ads within free-to-play game titles.