Leading gaming brand Electronic Arts (EA) is developing a more careful approach to in-game advertising for its AAA titles.
During its 2024 first-quarter earning report, EA CEO Andrew Wilson disclosed that the company is in the early phases of creating a new ad placement system within its games.
"As we think about the many, many billions of hours spent, both playing, creating, watching, and connecting and where much of that engagement happens to be on the bounds of a traditional game experience, our expectation is that advertising has an opportunity to be a meaningful driver of growth for us," Wilson said during the earnings call.
With several of its biggest titles taking a hiatus from new releases, EA is expecting a comparatively low release schedule this year, coinciding with this new direction for the company.
EA's portfolio includes enormously successful games, such Apex Legends, Battlefield, Mass Effect, Need for Speed, and The Sims, each with millions of players.
EA's Previous Implementations of In-Game Ads
The gaming developer has previously experimented with in-game ads, often receiving intense backlash from its player base.
An update for The Sims 4 earlier this year, which introduced a prominent shop button to the user interface that encourages players to buy new expansions, received negative feedback from its players.
I can't believe sims 4 put ads in game while playing. I'm one of the ones that got the pulsating shopping cart UI update. I hate it it throws me out of focus and I'm not even playing the game right now because of it
— Jai (@HeyItsSerelet) February 29, 2024
In 2020, EA was also criticized for the extensive advertising in its sports games, going so far as to retroactively incorporate ads into UFC 4, which it quickly disabled due to fan complaints.
Already a controversial subject within the fanbase, increasing in-game ads could lead to more dissatisfied gamers, which is why EA is exercising caution.
"We are working on thoughtful implementations," Wilson stated, highlighting the developer’s goal of "dynamic ad insertion," which enhances the gaming experience without being overly intrusive.
"And we have looked over the course of our history to be very thoughtful about advertising in the context of our play experiences," Wilson explained.
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