Microsoft is working on an in-game "advertising program" for free-to-play games on the Xbox platform, at least according to a new report from Business Insider which cites "two people who are involved in the talks."
The website says that "Microsoft wants to let advertisers place ads inside free-to-play Xbox games," such as "digitally rendered billboards in a car racing game." Talks about this apparently began a few years ago, but have accelerated in recent years due to the launch of the Xbox Series X and S, along with the popularity of free-to-play games.
"This new program will boost Xbox's limited ad inventory by adding more games that brands can advertise in and by allowing more developers to sell ad space."
It's mentioned that Microsoft is "worried" inserting ads into Xbox games "could irritate people," and therefore the cautious plan is to make sure only select brands can insert ads in a way that "doesn't disrupt the gameplay experience." Another key mention is that Microsoft "has no immediate plans to let advertisers use [consumer] data to target people on Xbox", and the company supposedly isn't even interested in taking a cut of ad revenue, with one source saying "it seemed more interested in building out the Xbox ad network."
Microsoft had nothing specific to say in regards to the report, stating that the company is "always looking for ways to improve the experience for players and developers but we don't have anything further to share."
According to the two sources, this program is expected to go live by the third quarter of 2022.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know down in the comments section below.
[source businessinsider.com]
Comments 22
Huh. I just learned that my login crosses sister-sites.
Not a fan of in-game ads, but free to play is a bit different. Can’t complain too much there. Stay out of my paid-for games, though.
Not exactly a hard hitting opinion.
You're playing the new Halo Infinite expansion and there's a cutscene setting up an epic battle between Master Chief and Atriox, then suddenly a McDonalds ad appears.
Infinite is a free to play game after all...
This just sounds awful, free to play games make millions via battle passes and micro transactions already, this is just another way for Microsoft to get some more cash as surely they will be taking a cut
There was a sentence in another article on this that made sense.
“This could help developers make money from free games without leaning too heavily on paid content like skins and season passes.”
And it sounds like just things like little billboards, not actual ads that disrupt gameplay. If this helps reduce micro transactions in F2P games, I actually don’t think that’s a bad thing. Just keep it out of paid games.
@Kooky_Daisuke That’s fair. I never play F2P, so I’m pretty unfamiliar with the landscape.
Hmm, no. It was awful in paid games like RB6 Vegas with Axe/Lynx deodorant or Alan Wake's energizer battery ads and it got absolutely ridiculous in Burnout Paradise, where every single billboard, truck and van had Burger King and Gillette ads. I dread to think how bad it would be in F2P titles.
BTW, this is NOT new at all. A lot of sports games already include real advertising. Several Dirt games have in-game promotions with Redbull. Nike advertised sneakers in Fortnite. Etc, etc.
What’s weird is the article says that Microsoft doesn’t want a cut of the ad fees. I guess I don’t know what is actually new about it if that’s the case.
@awp69 It doesn't say they won't take a cut. Of course they will. It says they're not interested in the cut. As in it's not a major factor for them. Big difference.
Not a fan of this idea!
It is such a shame schools are shut in the UK for two weeks holiday.
We have the Easter bank holiday with 3 good shopping days.
And not a single Series X or PS5 for anyone to walk into a shop a buy.
It really is not nice times for these new consoles, the companies and gaming. It really is a different landscape to other generation console releases.
And think we are also about 1 year and 6 months in and no better off. Actually it seems to be worse since about February 2022.
This already exists in single player and online games. This just sounds like Microsoft wants to control the marketing. Ads don’t bother me just keep it moving.
@Kooky_Daisuke I wouldn't say it's greedy, as many f2p games shut down for ever fortnite there is a radical city, dwarin project, project spark etc
So if ads could help a bit where the report is saying Xbox isn't going to take any revenue from it and make sure they fit for the games then why not,
Booo!!! 😾😾😾
Ads shouldn’t be in games imo
They want to mimic the mobile route, where ads and microtransactions riddle f2p games. Fortunately, I have a phone-wide ad blocking system, and I won't mind looking for ways to put it in a console.
This is the dumbest thing ever I won't bu6y another xbox if they go this route if paying 60-100 dollars for a game is not enough money their doing something wrong and free to play games like startrek and neverwinter make enough cash they don't need anymore.
Long as it stays f2p and isn’t intrusive I don’t see a problem with it. Take rocket league…they always update billboards with microtransactions they’re trying to sell. Easy to ignore.
I remember when EA tried putting in game adverts in games they charged for though - fight night being a prime example. Thankfully the backlash had them removed (just like when they used to charge for cheat codes). We don’t want to go back there again…and that’s the risk of starting with F2P… how long till it seeps in to paid for games? Hopefully people will still vote with their wallets if/when they try that again.
Though im glad they are cautious, we all know this is the thin end of the wedge.
We all know there will eventually be a price to pay for the 'free lunch' they have been wooing us with, and it looks like adds will be one of the costs.
Personally Id rather just buy games and avoid mtx and adds, but im fortunate to be able to afford that. For those with less money to spend, maybe this is a trade off they can be ok with.
I'm actually not against in game ads, in theory.
If the ad was incorporated well enough to suit the immersion of the game. Like having an actual in game billboard of Spiderman 2 display an actual real world ad, or you turn on a TV in GTA and it plays an ad. That would all be fine.
But you know that in practice this will be constant banners and live streamed ads. And they can't even get away with it playing during loading screens because they are nothing like they use to be. Any company paying for ad space within a game will no doubt not want it to be a rare and short thing.
I even hate the ads from sf5 showing ads for sf5 lmao
@Richnj Given Xbox's primary focus is Game Pass, I think they're adding ads to FTP games so that no ads is a Game Pass perk.
@Grumblevolcano Yeah, that's a bad implementation of ads and justification of GP.
Looks like Sony is joining the club with the same idea…
https://www.pushsquare.com/news/2022/04/sony-experimenting-with-ads-in-free-to-play-ps5-ps4-games
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