Microsoft would seek to integrate advertisements in free-to-play

Microsoft would seek to integrate advertisements in free-to-play

What if advertising came back in force in video games? This is the initiative that Microsoft seems to be carrying. But as we will be able to see, this is nothing really new.

Admittedly, advertising is not viewed favorably by gamers. In recent years, several publishers, such as 2K Games and Electronic Arts, have come under fire for trying to intrude ads into their games. Whether mandatory or optional (like watching an ad to get virtual currency), ads have never had good press when they are directly included in a game.

A minimally intrusive system?

Despite these criticisms, the Business Insider site announces that Microsoft is working on the possibility of adding advertisements in certain specific games. Through this, the American manufacturer would like to "[...] offer more opportunities to earn money for developers who create free games  ". This only concerns free-to-play. However, the Redmond firm is aware that gamers may object to this…

To put it simply, the advertisements could be displayed as in FIFA, that is to say on panels provided for this purpose © EA
To put it simply, the advertisements could be displayed as in FIFA, that is to say on panels provided for this purpose © EA

This is why Microsoft would consider introducing these advertisements in the form of billboards placed on the circuit of a racing game or via simple posters placed on the walls. A product placement system that was common in the past. In short, such a method should not negatively impact the gaming experience. To be continued…