PlayStation is reportedly looking into placing adverts into some of its games, because the wheels of capitalism can never be allowed to stop - not even during a spot of harmless escapism.
Following on from last week's news that Xbox is looking to work adverts into free-to-play games, it would seem PlayStation is following suit.
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Advertising Insider reports that Sony Interactive Entertainment is looking to encourage developers to make free-to-play games with a built-in new monetizaion method that extends beyond the (now) traditional microtransactions and battle passes.
Advert
Not unlike Xbox's proposed model, the idea is for these adverts to blend in as seamlessly as possible with the game. IRL adverts on in-game billboards or radio stations - that kind of thing.
Sony also wants to reward players for sitting through these ads with special in-game rewards like exclusive skins and avatars. Because nothing says immersion like pausing your game to watch an advert for a product you don't need, before getting a skin you don't want.
While Microsoft has no plans to take a cut of the revenue from these ads, Sony is still undecided. The report also claims that Sony has a rigorous process in place for selecting ad partners, and will not work with any companies that collect personal data. Sony's program is currently expected to launch before the end of the year.
The concept has already gone down badly with gamers, with many raising concerns that this is simply another way for companies to track their spending habits.
Advert
Whether or not these programs stick around, of course, is entirely dependent on how successful they are. For now, we'll just have to wait and see.
Topics: PlayStation, Sony