Microsoft would allow advertising in Xbox games in Free-to-Play

It is a fact, Xbox currently occupies the place of “good guy” in the console wars new-gen : Game Pass economic, powerful console, inclusive internal and external policy (controllers for handicaps, etc.) without forgetting a finally offensive strategy towards exclusivities (massive takeovers of studios). Opposite, Sony’s procrastination over the “break” with the old genGames first party charged 80 euros and the often perched declarations of jim ryan largely “played the game” (ah, ah) of Xbox’s new image positioning.

However, nothing can ever be taken for granted, and sometimes all it takes is certain borderline strategic choices to tarnish a patiently fashioned brand image. Thus, we have just learned that Microsoft would be working on a platform which would allow brands to place advertisements… in Xbox Free-to-Play games ! Insider website, who reports the information, however, tempers by adding that the Redmond firm would be well aware of the risks of such a decision. Only a few handpicked brands would be ultimately authorized to place advertising, in order to avoid ending up with uncontrolled advertising.

It should also be noted that Microsoft would not intend to recover its share of the advertising revenue generated, and instead would allow the game developers and the advertising platform to share the funds. Xbox is not being generous “for free” here: it is still and always a question of making Xbox and Game Pass essential as a gaming platform/service. free-to-play titles…

Finally, and this is perhaps the most important information: Microsoft would not use advertising data on its own account (for advertising targeting, for example). The first Xbox games with in-app ads could be available as early as the third quarter of this year. It will be recalled here that advertising in games is not new and that it has existed for many years in sports games (brand stickers on cars, edges of fields in football simulations or during NBA/NFL). This being the pub probably bothers the players less in these specific cases because it is quite simply a reflection of what is happening in the real world.