Electronic Arts has announced EA Advertising, an ad platform that’s “transforming how brands connect with audiences” by integrating real-world brands “directly into gameplay.” On the player side of things, it claims that its dynamic, real-time ad placements will “enhance, not disrupt, the player experience.”
According to a press release (via Eurogamer), the advertising platform refers to the “directly into gameplay” ad spots as “interactive gameplay environments,” with EA Sports being its key contributor to the initiative, as it just makes the most sense as the sports gamer is the most likely to overlook being advertised to. Other ads do include standard “native ad units,” which encompasses billboards and overlays that we’ve seen in countless games in the past.
It’s also offering in-game brand advertising through “reward-driven” gameplay with advertisers able to respond and update objectives based on player response.
This sort of announcement shouldn’t come as a surprise, EA has a long history of in-game advertising ranging from the less awful billboards to full-on unskippable ads in the middle of gameplay. Now the latter was pulled after backlash.
