EA has officially launched EA Advertising, a new division designed to make it easier for brands to collaborate with the publisher across its games and platforms.
According to EA, partners will be able to “integrate directly into gameplay through dynamic, real-time placements,” ranging from stadium signage and sponsored content to custom in-game experiences. The company insists these integrations are intended to enhance the player experience rather than disrupt it.
Expect More In-Game Ads For EA Titles
EA Advertising will focus on three key areas:
- In-Game Integration
- In-Game Media
- IRL & Experiential
The most notable of these is In-Game Integration, which could see brands appear through custom vanity items, branded challenges, live events, and other gameplay-focused experiences. EA also highlighted more subtle advertising opportunities, including sponsored replays and in-game overlays similar to those seen during real-world sporting broadcasts.
The IRL & Experiential category focuses on traditional sponsorship opportunities outside of games, including real-world events and activations tied to EA franchises.
For longtime EA players, brand collaborations are nothing new. EA Sports FC has previously featured partnerships with companies such as Visa and Red Bull through special kits and promotions, while The Sims has introduced branded fashion and cosmetic content from companies including Coach.
What makes EA Advertising significant is the scale of the initiative. By creating a dedicated advertising division, EA is clearly looking to expand opportunities for brands to appear across its portfolio.
The move also comes amid wider discussions about advertising in gaming. Recently, XBOX Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball spoke positively about ad-supported models in entertainment, while stressing that anything which negatively impacts the player experience would be a mistake.
Meanwhile, Mark Darrah, a former BioWare veteran, suggested that product placement could be a means to fund video games, with the industry by and large becoming too expensive.
Whether EA’s expanded advertising efforts remain subtle additions or become a more prominent part of its games remains to be seen, but players can likely expect to see more branded content appearing across EA’s biggest franchises in the future.
How do you feel about more ads in your games? Does it add to the authenticity, or become too commercialised instead? Share your thoughts in the official Insider Gaming Discord Server.
For more gaming news, read about the subtle changes made to the Ocarina of Time remake’s description, as well as the newly announced director for the Dead by Daylight movie.
Charlie is one of Insider Gaming's Guides Writers who's been in the gaming industry for a little over a year. Unfortunately for him, he enjoys every video game genre out…
More from Charlie Champion
Comments