EA Exec Says In-Game Ads Should Become More Standardized Across Games

Electronic Arts is looking beyond one-off ad placements and wants in-game advertising to become more standardized across the wider games business. In an interview with The Game Business, EA VP of advertising and sponsorship Alexander Dao said the company is building new games with ads in mind from the start, rather than adding them after the fact.

Dao pointed especially to free-to-play games, where ads can be worked into spaces like in-game billboards, banners, or branded objects. EA announced a new in-game advertising department last month focused on “dynamic, real-time placement,” with the company saying those ads are meant to fit into games without disrupting play.

The bigger point from Dao’s comments is that EA doesn’t just want this to be an internal tool. He said the company has been working with outside groups, including the Interactive Advertising Bureau and Integral Ad Science, on standards for things like branded 3D assets and reporting metrics. The idea is that advertisers would get more consistent data across different games, publishers, and platforms.

That could make in-game ads easier for brands to buy and easier for studios to implement. It also raises the usual concern from players: whether ads stay tucked into believable spaces, like sports arenas or city streets, or start showing up in ways that feel intrusive.

EA’s current framing is that ads should be designed into certain games early, not bolted on later. How far that goes, and whether other publishers follow the same path, is still unclear.