According to a report from Insider, Sony is working on bringing adverts to free-to-play PlayStation games. The advertisements would display in games and are intended to provide a mechanism for game producers to monetize their work while also encouraging them to continue developing free-to-play games.
The in-game advertisements are slated to debut before the end of the year and will show in unobtrusive locations within the game, such as billboards. According to Insider, players might be rewarded for watching advertising, which would be sold through a secret marketplace. According to Insider, Sony hasn’t determined whether or not it would take a cut of ad income, but it is exploring charging developers and publishers for user data.
A request for comment from Sony was not immediately returned.
The revelation of Sony’s plans comes after Insider revealed last week that Microsoft was preparing to do something similar with free-to-play Xbox titles. Sources informed Insider that ads in free-to-play Xbox games will start appearing later this year, and Microsoft will not receive a portion of the money.
Advertisers may require persuasion to join the scheme, according to the Insider article. Ads adjacent to adult or violent material might be problematic, and monitoring what users do after viewing an in-game ad could be challenging. According to Insider, Microsoft is also concerned about the risk of adverts irritating players.
