Microsoft mulls in-game ads

Microsoft, Sony, and In-Game Ads

In-game advertising has been a part of the video game industry for some time now. However, these ads were and are generally irritating. They can break the immersion and personal investment that players have in a virtual world. Despite this, in-game ads have become more popular and lucrative in gaming's modern era of always-online games and live services. Many companies want in on this action, including Microsoft and Sony.

Microsoft is rolling out in-game ads for free-to-play titles starting in the third quarter of this year. They plan to entice developers into bringing more free-to-play games to the Xbox system. Sony hopes to roll out in-game ads and free-to-play titles by the end of the year. They plan to place these ads in non-intrusive places like virtual billboards and give players rewards for watching whole and complete commercials.

The video game industry has become more brazen with how they incorporate their skeevy business practices into their games. Games have become grindier in order to sell microtransactions or loot boxes. Many publishers are embracing the NFT grip despite how it's a con job. Battle passes sell a rewarding experience that should be part of the game itself. Games often have content carved out of them that are later sold off as DLC. All of these things are just unacceptable business practices that make gaming as an artistic medium worse off.

With the advent of live services and online multiplayer free-to-play games, more and more titles require an internet connection for you to play them. This online connectivity is a boon for in-game ads. Ads can be constantly updated into the player's game experience because the player is constantly connected to the internet. It's only a matter of time before in-game ads become ubiquitous with all games.

In conclusion, in-game ads are annoying, but not surprising. It's just another way for video game companies to make more money at the player's expense. Microsoft and Sony are only watching in-game ads for free-to-play titles for now. However, it's not too big of a leap for these companies to add in-game ads to full-price games. This could lead to a slippery slope of adding these features to all games, which would not be good for the gaming industry as a whole.

Sony’s plans to run in-game ads seem real bad

Xbox and Sony are reportedly considering introducing in-game advertisements in an effort to encourage developers to create more free-to-play games and provide them with a way to monetize their games. Sony is building a program to allow advertisers to buy ads and place them in PlayStation games, similar to an initiative by Microsoft. The program is expected to launch before the end of the year. However, the idea of placing ads inside of games themselves may not go over well with players, who may find them obtrusive and disruptive to their gaming experience. While advertisers may want to reach the gaming demographic, the challenge lies in inserting ads unobtrusively into most gaming experiences. Additionally, advertisers may not want to be associated with violent games. The sources report that Sony is being selective about vetting ad tech companies and ruling out collecting personal information like emails and names.

Should Sony and Microsoft Start Putting Ads in Their Games?

The video discusses the possibility of adding ads to more open-world and free-to-play games, specifically looking at reports about Microsoft and Sony considering this. The article explores what this could look like and whether it would bother the average player.

Main Points:

- Microsoft is reportedly developing technology to allow brands and advertisers to buy and place ads in free-to-play Xbox games.

- The ads could appear as digitally rendered billboards in racing games or open-world adventures.

- Sony is also reportedly planning to integrate advertisements in free-to-play PlayStation games to incentivize developers to continue making them.

- The ads could be in-game and appear like they're part of the game, such as digital billboards in sports stadiums.

- The concern is whether ads will become the structure of the game and push players to watch them, similar to mobile games.

- The article suggests that ads could be used as an incentive, such as offering rewards for watching them, such as in-game currency or avatar skins.

The article presents a balanced perspective on the possibility of ads in open-world and free-to-play games. While it could provide a new revenue stream for developers, there is concern that it could become intrusive and take away from the gaming experience. The article suggests that using ads as an incentive rather than a requirement could be a more viable option. Ultimately, the success of ads in games will depend on how they are implemented and whether they add value to the player's experience.

Sony & Microsoft Placing Ads In Games

Microsoft and Sony are planning to introduce in-game advertisements within their games, which is expected to get worse and more invasive with time. This move is aimed at providing a system to game developers to monetize their free-to-play games by integrating real-life advertisements within their games. The advertisements will be supplied by Sony, and the ways of integrating them will be decided by game developers. Sony is also exploring ways of rewarding players for interacting with the advertisements.

Points to Consider:

- Sony plans to introduce advertisements into free-to-play games on PlayStation platforms by late 2022.

- Sony will make a system available to game developers to integrate advertisements within their games, described as putting up billboards featuring real-life advertising.

- Sony's advertising system is exploring ways of rewarding players for interacting with advertisements, including offering in-game items and skins.

- This move is expected to kill immersion and lead to a slippery slope towards placing advertisements in AAA games, eventually leading to stopping gameplay to force players to watch advertisements.

- Companies operate by testing the waters with incremental steps, and if the blowback is not harsh, they move on to their next plan.

- The ultimate goal is to bombard players with advertisements throughout their gameplay, no different than mobile games.

The move to introduce in-game advertisements is unnecessary and will only get worse with time. It is expected to kill immersion and lead to a slippery slope towards placing advertisements in AAA games. Companies operate by testing the waters with incremental steps, and if the blowback is not harsh, they move on to their next plan. The ultimate goal is to bombard players with advertisements throughout their gameplay, no different than mobile games. It is important to resist such moves by companies to ensure a better gaming experience.

Sony and Microsoft have decided to put ads in their games

- Sony is reportedly testing a plan to put ads inside PlayStation games, similar to Microsoft's move to run ads in Xbox.

- The idea is to encourage game developers to keep building free-to-play games by monetizing them through ads.

- While this may seem like a mild issue at first, it raises concerns about the potential for ads to be added to fully paid games and sets a dangerous precedent for monetization in gaming.

Concerns:

- The fact that multi-billion dollar companies like Sony and Microsoft feel the need to run ads in free-to-play games raises questions about their financial motives.

- This could potentially lead to ads being added to fully paid games, causing further frustration for gamers who have already paid for the game.

- There is a risk that ads could become more intrusive and prevalent in games, leading to a negative impact on the gaming experience.

- History has shown that allowing monetization practices to go unchecked can lead to more harmful practices in the future.

- The potential for ads in PlayStation games raises concerns about the future of gaming monetization.

- It is important for gamers to speak out against this practice and prevent it from becoming the norm.

- While ads in free-to-play games may seem harmless, it is important to consider the potential consequences and the impact they may have on the gaming experience.

Why Microsoft Has Been Hiding From You

- Microsoft's lack of public attention compared to other tech companies

- Despite this, Microsoft's business is doing better than ever with high profit margins

- How has Microsoft managed to avoid the spotlight so effectively?

The Public Monopoly:

- Microsoft was once a front-facing consumer business and faced criticism for being a monopoly

- Regulators began investigating Microsoft in the 90s and ordered them to stop packaging other Microsoft products with Windows

- Microsoft continued pushing boundaries with the creation of Internet Explorer and packaging it with Windows

- Regulators sued Microsoft for illegally thwarting competition, leading to the possibility of a breakup

- Microsoft bailed out Apple and invested in them to create plausible deniability and avoid a breakup

- Microsoft ultimately avoided a breakup but was ordered to share their API with third-party companies

Saving the Monopoly:

- Microsoft's monopoly was nearly devastated by their brash public image

- Microsoft avoided a breakup with a few semantics and by avoiding public monetization

- They switched to a B2B model and monetized businesses instead

- Microsoft now earns more from their server products and cloud services than from Windows and Office

- Microsoft could ditch the consumer market and still be a trillion-dollar company

The New Microsoft:

- Microsoft has leaned further into their B2B model and offers servers and cloud computing

- Intelligent cloud is now Microsoft's largest revenue driver

- Microsoft's personal computing category, which includes Windows, is their smallest revenue driver

- Microsoft has avoided public attention and criticism by focusing on institutional business

- Microsoft's avoidance of public attention has allowed them to maintain their monopoly and avoid legal ramifications

- They have successfully pivoted to a B2B model and can still earn trillions without the consumer market

- Microsoft's strategy is worthy of respect, and the media should focus more on them

- Microsoft has avoided the spotlight through careful planning and execution.