Almost exactly two years ago, EA CEO Andrew Wilson was asked whether he's thinking of putting more ads in games. Yes, he answered: "We have teams internally in the company right now looking at how we do very thoughtful implementations inside of our game experiences."
The time has now come: The publishing giant behind all of your favourite games from a decade ago has announced EA Advertisingāa new platform that offers brands in-game advertisements. Or, as EA puts it, "in-game integrations, creative partnerships, and scalable advertising capabilities".
Across all platforms, EA's games reach more than 120 million players per month, it claims, making it the perfect candidate to offer wide scale adverts. Right now, at least, these ads will be injected into its sports games, namely EA Sports FC and Madden NFL.
More specifically, these ads will allow brands to "integrate directly into gameplay through dynamic, real-time placements, from stadium signage to custom in-game content, designed to enhance, not disrupt, the player experience." Further examples given include things like in-game challenges, reward-driven objectives, branded content, or cosmetics.
"In these interactive gameplay environments, brands become part of the game itself, reflecting how players engage with advertising in real-world contexts."
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