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According to the announcement, up to four titles will be included in the deal, the first of which is to be Need for Speed Carbon. The latest instalment in the blockbusting street racer will now feature a dynamic brand presence integrated into the game world. This is in addition to static ads which have appeared in previous releases. The benefit of dynamic ads is that they can be updated in real-time to stay fresh and relevant to gamers (and we presume generate more money for EA).
“The agreement with Massive is a first step in a detailed strategy for serving advertising in a seamless format that doesn’t disrupt game play,” said Chip Lange, EA’s vice president of online commerce. “In places like a basketball court, football stadium or roadside in a racing game, advertising is not only nice to have, but it’s an essential component to create the fiction of being there. This agreement with Massive allows us to vary what relevant ads are served to the game player.“
With all the next-gen consoles equipped for online connectivity it seems inevitable that this kind on in-game advertising will become much more common place. What seems much less likely is a reduction in game prices as a result of increased in-game advertising, but we can hope.
