Report: Microsoft exploring ways to bring ads to free-to-play Xbox games

(Xbox Photo)

Microsoft is currently working on a method of bringing ads into various free-to-play games on the Xbox platform, according to a report from Business Insider.

Microsoft has yet to officially comment on the matter. As per the original report, this in-game ad campaign would be limited to specific brands via specific deals, as opposed to running user-targeted commercials via whatever data Microsoft has collected from a specific Xbox owner.

The ads are further planned to appear in ways that specifically aren’t disruptive to gameplay, with one example being the billboards by the side of a racing game’s track. Other options for non-disruptive ads could include menus and loading screens, particularly for games where a big honkin’ billboard is not a commonly-encountered feature in the setting.

The report also claims that Microsoft itself wouldn’t take a cut of whatever revenue these ads generated, and would allow the ad agency and game developer to share those funds.

GeekWire has reached out to Microsoft for comment on the issue, and we’ll update this article when we hear back.

As speculated upon by the Verge, an ad deal like this one could be used by Microsoft to encourage more free-to-play (F2P) developers to publish their games for the Xbox platform. Many of the biggest F2P games, such as Roblox, Apex Legends, and Warframe, are also some of the biggest hits in the current video game industry.

F2P games’ revenue tends to come from in-app purchases that speed up, refine, or customize play, rather than charging an up-front fee for entry. Fortnite built itself into a billion-dollar juggernaut on the back of its character customizations, where players can drop actual money to dress their avatars up in outfits that resemble high-end fashion trends, Marvel superheroes, or characters from other games entirely.

However, long-time video game fans also have a well-earned cynicism about in-app advertising, due to various incidents that mostly trace back to the third-party developer Electronic Arts.

See also  Q&A with Microsoft manager and author of book that aims to boost diversity in cybersecurity

In a series of efforts with which to defray the admittedly enormous costs of modern-day “AAA” video game development, EA has traditionally been at the forefront of gaming ads. This reached a recent all-time nadir in late 2021 when fans discovered an incredibly blatant quest in NBA 2K22‘s free-roam mode that guest-starred Jake, the character from State Farm Insurance’s TV ads.

The point is that if Microsoft wants to try to put inobtrusive ads in video games, the bar right now is several feet underground. It would be difficult to do worse.

Related Posts

What is Microsoft Sharepoint?

What Is Microsoft Sharepoint And Its Outstanding Advantages

The questions we are most frequently asked about what is Microsoft Sharepoint?, SharePoint’s benefits and capabilities are listed here. We sincerely hope you can use these! What…

EU approves Microsoft’s $19.7B Nuance deal, clearing last major hurdle for big acquisition

Microsoft Image The European Commission gave unconditional approval to Microsoft’s pending acquisition of speech technology company Nuance Communications for $19.7 billion in cash, clearing the way for…

Surface Trio? Newly discovered Microsoft patent filing shows hinged device with three displays

A diagram for three-screen device from a Microsoft patent filing. (U.S. Patent & Trademark Office) Microsoft has released two versions of its Surface Duo handheld device, each…

Paul Allen’s L.A. site sells for $65M, part of effort to scale back late Microsoft co-founder’s projects

Late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen. (Vulcan Photograph) A 120-acre site bought by the late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen for $20 million in 1997 within the Beverly Crest…

Microsoft’s Pluton security processor debuts on AMD chips in new Lenovo ThinkPad laptops

New ThinkPad Series Z laptops from Lenovo will include Microsoft’s Pluton security processors in an AMD CPU. (Lenovo Image) Lenovo unveiled two new laptops made out of…

‘Rainbow Six’ developer plans to bring Ubisoft+ subscription service to Xbox

Ubisoft’s forthcoming Rainbow Six: Extraction pits crack military operatives against invasive alien not-zombies. (Ubisoft Image) The third-party development studio behind the Assassin’s Creed and Tom Clancy video…

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *