Need to hate EA more? EA unveils EA Advertising
Electronic Advertising Arts has started a new push for ads in games
Electronic Arts has unveiled EA Advertising, a new platform that focuses on “transforming how brands connect with audiences through digital and real-world experiences across its global portfolio of games”. In other words, EA wants to put ads in its games, including EA Sports franchises, Skate, and The Sims.
While EA’s Chief Experiences Officer, David Tinson, says that EA wants to “add value and respect the player experience, while maintaining authenticity in the worlds our teams are building”, it is hard to see this as anything other than a blatant cash grab. It is hard to see how this move will respect players, as most of the franchises that EA produces are for paid titles, not free-to-play games. It is monetisation stacked on top of monetisation. In many cases, it is asking for more earnings from a product that customers have already paid for.
The idea is simple. Brands can partner with EA to reach its audience by placing ads in EA’s games. The aim is to do so without breaking player immersion. That said, it is hard to see players liking this change. After all, ads are eye-catching by design.
EA Advertising is expanding EA’s ecosystem by enabling 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. In these interactive gameplay environments, brands become part of the game itself, reflecting how players engage with advertising in real-world contexts. Brands can activate across live environments, tailoring placements to meet campaign objectives, and update campaigns with ongoing optimization informed by aggregated engagement insights.
– EA
Examples of ads already in EA games include VISA and Chime in EA Sports College Football, Stare Farm in EA Sports FC, a Coach collaboration in The Sims, and Vans in Skate.
EA has already added a purpose-builtad server and SDK for its Frostbyte engine games. This allows advertisers to gather data for their ads in a “privacy-safe” way. This should include data for impressions and other useful metrics.
Can we trust EA not to push its advertising too far?
Simply put, EA is trying to maximise the monetisation potential of its games. While doing so is not wrong, it is hard to ignore the slippery slope that’s ahead of them. Yes, ads can be added to a game without harming the player experience. That said, it is hard to see a future where this isn’t pushed too far. It is also a little insulting that ads will appear on products that gamers have already paid for.
EA’s announcement is a formalised unveiling of what that EA is already doing. In-game ad integrations have already arrived. EA now wants to create more of them, and it may only be a matter of time before they become very obtrusive. How long will it be before the EA Sports FC series games have half-time ad breaks?
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