Soon your console could start showing adverts just like your TV does, now that a deal has been signed by EA and other companies.
The rise of streaming services has brought a lot of conveniences with it, one of the most welcome being the lack of advert to break up the flow. But just as we’ve started avoided them on TV, it seems they’re soon going to be back with a vengeance on our video game consoles.
Axios has exclusively reported that an advertising platform called playerWON will launch this week, and it will “let users determine whether they want to watch a 15 or 30-second video ad in exchange for being able to unlock exclusive gaming perks”. The platform has struck a deal with EA and Tencent’s Hi-Rez Studios, so it won’t be long until we start seeing these commercials popping up in our favourite games.
Related: If you have an Oculus VR headset, expect to see a lot more ads
The profit motive is obvious, though users are unlikely to take kindly to invasive advertising, and it does seem to spoil to fun if it’s linked to an in-game reward.
The EVP of playerWON’s parent company, Simulmedia, was open when asked about the changes: “The acceleration of Free-to-play (F2P) games across Console and PC, like Fortnite, Apex Legends, Call of Duty Warzone and Roblox, means that audiences and play time have seen explosive growth, yet the vast majority of players, over 90%, never spend money F2P games.” Evidently the adverts will make games such as these even more profitable for developers, though they must beware not to aggravate the audience too much, in fear of losing it altogether.
Simulmedia’s plans are to launch in-game ads before the end of 2022, but what do you think of this idea? Is it fair enough that companies can make more revenue from free-to-play games, or will it simply ruin the experience? Let us know your thoughts in the poll below.
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