It’s unclear how Sony will take a cut of in-game advertising revenue, but it is considering the possibility of charging publishers and developers to use consumer data for targeting purposes. The ad tech company is still under consideration, and Sony will vet its partners carefully. It hasn’t decided yet how much of the advertising revenue it will keep.
However, it is unlikely to collect personal data of players. The advertising program could also be expanded to include avatar skins, which will allow developers and publishers to target gamers based on their interests.
While it is still unclear exactly how Sony will incorporate advertisements into PlayStation games, it has been in the works for 18 months.
While this might have waited until the PlayStation 5 launches, Sony has been testing ways to help developers insert in-game ads. For now, the company is focusing on games that are free-to-play, or F2P.
This move could encourage developers to create more F2P games, which have seen a significant rise in popularity in recent years.
The move to allow developers to insert ads in free-to-play games is not surprising, since the monetization potential is huge. Ads in free-to-play games have increased in popularity over the past few years, but it is unclear whether Sony plans to expand its experimental system to include premium titles.
Regardless, it is likely to be a positive step forward for consumers and developers alike. There are few downsides, so the experiment should continue.
