Whether you like it or not, we're seemingly standing on the precipice of video games being used as mediums to advertise brands more significantly. We recently saw many big names featured in 007 First Light, with other major titles like Fortnite featuring key brands too, but this is likely just a taste of what's to come judging by the latest move from Electronic Arts.
In perhaps the most transparent move to increase its in-game advertisement element, EA has officially launched the platform known as EA Advertising, which is effectively a more streamlined way for brands to advertise in video games.
The website dedicated to the service explains that it's about weaving "your brand into the very worlds gamers know and love," and that the setup will "help build immersion with playable experiences, native placements, and more."
Some examples of this have already been shown on the website in the form of VISA, State Farm, Coach, and Vans, all of which are featured in the Madden NFL series, The Sims 4, and Skate, respectively.
EA notes that this platform will enable brands to access "hundreds of millions of players globally" and that its audience leads to 13 billion played hours, 3 billion watched hours, and 60 million hours of created content, meaning, as EA Ads puts it: "Our audience doesn't just drop in. One session runs hours. A season. Months. One placement becomes the whole arc."
This does seem to be the next change in video game development and funding, one that could perhaps benefit consumers a tad, as it may see developers transition away from microtransactions in favour of product placement. The main concern will be how much this is utilised and how broadly a product is placed, as fans won't want immersion reduced at the cost of brand awareness.
What's your stance on in-game ads and product placement in games?