Free-to-play games like Fortnite, Destiny 2, Lost Ark, and more usually get by with optional paid items and subscriptions. Microsoft is apparently looking to shake things up with an advertising program for free-to-play Xbox games.
This report comes from Business Insider, which says Microsoft is currently looking at companies that could provide such a service. As for how this could be implemented, sources gave examples like billboards next to a track in a racing game. Other ideas like branded character skins and in-lobby videos were brought up by Business Insider but unconfirmed by the same sources. They did say that this new advertising could be ready to implement as early as Q3 2022, however.
The point must be raised that free-to-play games often already incorporate disguised ads, especially in terms of crossover content. For example, Fortnite added skins for Assassin’s Creed’s Eivor and Ezio. They’re a good way for Assassin’s Creed fans to show off a game they love while playing Fortnite, but it’s also to Ubisoft’s benefit to let its property be used because it could drum up interest from other players. Coke rolled out a new “pixel” flavor in Fortnite ahead of its real-world release next month. You can’t literally drink a beverage in Fortnite, but Coke’s Creative Mode inclusion is undeniably meant to get soda-drinkers interested in trying the new flavor for real.
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