EA and Tencent console and PC game ads become opt-in and skip-able

SimulMedia, the company that is partnering with EA and Tencent to bring ads to PC and console games this year, says the system will be opt-in and any ad will be skippable. EA is testing the system in NHL 21, among others.

The system is called PlayerWON and will appear in more than ten games before the end of the year, Axios wrote earlier this week. SimulMedia, which has traditionally been involved in TV commercials, has recently spoken out about what advertisements in games should look like. According to the company, commercials in games should always be opt-in, skipable and in-game items should be earned.

SimulMedia founder Dave Morgan believes that simply showing TV commercials on YouTube in the game is not enough. “If advertisers want to be welcome in gaming environments, they have to treat them like the Oscars or the Super Bowl: they have to create ads that are very relevant where they are shown, as well as be fun and memorable.”

Morgan previously said on Mediapost that EA is testing the system with NHL, while a test has been run in Smite. According to Morgan, the integration of commercials in games is important because advertisers no longer reach groups of young users via TV. It is unknown whether the ads will only be shown in the US or whether they will also come to Europe.

Smite advertising system, early 2021