Aaron Souppouris/Engadget
Earlier there was news that Microsoft is studying to add advertising space in free games, it turns out that Sony is also interested. According to Insider (requires a paid subscription), Sony is experimenting with adding advertising spaces to free-to-play PlayStation games, including ad formats such as billboards, character themes, and virtual treasures.
Interestingly, Sony is also considering whether to take a cut of the advertising content in these games, or just pay some fees from the game studio. However, it is said that the supervision of advertisement placement is quite strict, and it cannot collect personal information of players, such as email addresses. It is reported that PlayStation will launch this advertising section as soon as the end of 2022.
There are many so-called “free” resources on the Internet, but users are still paying a price, such as watching advertisements, drawing virtual treasures from class money, and selling personal information. If the game studio can have more income without affecting the gameplay, it will also help the entire industry to continue to develop. After all, developers also need to eat.