Electronic Arts, developer and publisher of The Sims, EA Sports and skate., has launched a new advertising division focused on connecting brands with gaming fans through in-game activations, logo placements, and more.
Per the newly-launched website hub, EA Advertising will allow those interested to ‘weave [their] brand into the very worlds gamers will know and love’, with the company helping to ‘build immersion with playable experiences, native placements, and more.’
‘Join some of the most iconic games on the planet with some of the most invested communities online,’ the EA statement continues. ‘Each franchise, its own culture. Whether it’s EA SPORTS FC, EA SPORTS Madden NFL, EA SPORTS College Football, EA SPORTS NHL, skate., or The Sims, you inherit the fandom.’
This move is another in a wave of fresh support for in-game advertising worldwide, with companies including Xbox and Ubisoft recently experimenting with similar tactics as a means to increase revenue and brand awareness.
EA launches new advertising division – quick links
Support for in-game advertising
Over the last few years, the conversation around possible in-game advertising as a means to gather more revenue has rapidly picked up speed.
In 2023, Ubisoft sparked the ire of gaming fans for seemingly including in-game advertising for new game Assassin’s Creed Mirage within the pause menu for Assassin’s Creed Odyssey.
After this move inspired a wave of backlash online, the company claimed it was actually a ‘technical error‘ although it had, in the past, implemented ads in the form of digital billboards in other games, like Nadeo’s Trackmania.
Microsoft also recently raised the possibility of advertising to supplement the cost of game subscriptions, with Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball recently telling The Game Business it would help address an array of issues.
‘There is a two-sided problem,’ Ball said. ‘The costs have gone up way too high on development, and at the same point, everyone feels terrible with prices going up on hardware or software or microtransactions. That is a challenge. It’s not good if that is the only option.’
He pointed to streaming as a related example – that ad-supported tiers can help those looking for a cheaper entry point into a subscription.
‘In excess of 100% of net adds in the United States for years and years have been on the ad-supported tier. That has not excluded anyone from ad-free experiences. Those products are still there. They’re still popular. The question is not can we cram ads in everything. The question is, are there opportunities that allow the people who can’t afford, or wouldn’t try, to have an onboard to our properties and franchises.’
While he said there were no movements currently taking place at Microsoft, he posited that advertising could be a means to ‘keep [its] products affordable’.
‘How do we keep our products affordable? How do we make sure that we can continue to fund outstanding work from our development teams? That’s the goal. It’s not about placing an ad in front of someone so that we can sell, you know, a pizza,’ he said.
EA’s plans for in-game advertising
EA is the latest company to forge ahead with plans to integrate advertising within its gaming world, with the new division currently canvassing for brands that would be compelled by the opportunity to ‘integrate directly into gameplay’.
In practical terms, it’s likely EA will be making use of digital billboards in games like EA Sports FC 26 as a means to display brands – not unlike those advertisements seen on real-life stadium billboards.
The overarching aim is for the ads to ‘enhance, not disrupt, the player experience’.
In regards to non-sports titles like The Sims, it does feel more likely that in-game collaboration content will be released as purchasable (or possibly even free) kits. There is a precedent here. Previously, the company has collaborated with brands like Nickelodeon and Moschino for new in-game DLC.
Other examples used by EA advertising include working alongside Visa to deliver ‘immersive, participatory experiences’, as well as in-game jersey logos and billboard ads, and working alongside Xfinity and Peacebook for in-stadium and broadcast-style integrations in EA Sports FC.
EA’s new division will expand on these initiatives with the ultimate goal of making revenue without obtrusively interrupting gameplay – but as we know from past controversies, implementing these ads will more than likely come with their own set of challenges, as players make their opinions known.
Regardless, in an era where companies around the world are struggling to hit revenue goals – and the games industry in particular is seeking stronger monetisation and investment – it could be that in-game advertising and sponsorship is the next frontier for publishers and studios.
