Electronic Arts has formally launched EA Advertising, a new platform aimed at bringing brands into its games through in-game ads, brand partnerships, and other promotional placements.
The move follows comments made almost exactly two years ago, when EA CEO Andrew Wilson was asked in an earnings call about putting ads into games. At the time, he said: "We have teams internally in the company right now looking at how we do very thoughtful implementations inside of our game experiences."
EA has now rolled out that effort under the name EA Advertising, which the company describes as offering "in-game integrations, creative partnerships, and scalable advertising capabilities".
Ads begin with EA Sports FC and Madden NFL
According to the announcement cited in the source article, EA says its games reach more than 120 million players per month across platforms. The company is starting the new advertising push in its sports titles, specifically EA Sports FC and Madden NFL.
EA says the ad placements will let brands "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." The examples listed in the source include in-game challenges, reward-driven objectives, branded content, and cosmetics.
The company adds: "In these interactive gameplay environments, brands become part of the game itself, reflecting how players engage with advertising in real-world contexts."
Chief Experiences Officer at EA, David Tinson, said the initiative is an opportunity for companies to "add value and respect the player experience".
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Early partners already appear in sports games
The source article says some of the first partners in EA Advertising include Visa, Lowe's, Red Bull, Xfinity, Peacock, and Mountain Dew, and that those brands have already appeared in EA's sports games.
One example given is Red Bull, which has "engaged EA SPORTS FC players through branded in-game objectives, team kits, and athlete ambassador collaborations".
Wider debate around ads in games
The launch lands amid broader discussion in the game industry about advertising inside games. The source article notes that Xbox's new chief strategy officer, Matthew Ball, pitched the idea of in-game adverts last week as a way to address rising development costs. It also says BioWare veteran and Dragon Age producer Mark Darrah argued that studios should consider product placement to reduce reliance on microtransactions.
Not everyone supports that direction. The source article says Take-Two boss Strauss Zelnick does not want ads in full-priced games. "It’s difficult for me to believe that we would want to have interstitial advertising in a game that someone paid 70 or 80 bucks for. It would seem unfair."
For now, EA Advertising is tied to EA's sports lineup, though the source article says, "While this is all kicking off in EA's sports games, I suspect it's only a matter of time before brand partnerships come to enhance my immersion in Battlefield's next fictional war."
