There are relatively few ads in video games, other than obvious things like billboards in sports games and the kind of crossover ads you see in Fortnite. But it seems Sony is mulling technology to add a unified ad system to free-to-play games, which might be similar to what you’re seeing in many mobile releases right now.
Business Insider (paywall) reports that the PlayStation maker, much like Microsoft, is experimenting with technology to inject in-game ads into supported games. “The idea is to encourage developers to continue developing free-to-play games that have skyrocketed amid the pandemic, giving them a way to monetize,” three sources familiar with the plans told the site.
The article goes on to say that the goal is to make the ad appear to be part of the game itself, for example as part of a billboard or poster. There may also be rewards for watching certain promotions, such as XP boosts or in-game currency – again, similar to what you’d see on a smartphone. Worryingly, there is also news that Sony is considering charging developers and publishers for consumer activity data.
Apparently, PlayStation has been working on the concept for a while, and while nothing has yet been put in place, it’s clearly an untapped area that console makers are eager to develop. Of course, this isn’t the first time the company has tried something like this: WipEout HD was heavily criticized on PS3 for briefly adding ads to the loading screen.
