New EA Ad Boss Sees Value In Free, Sponsored DLC, In-Game Items

Author: by Kyle Orland, Colin Campbell

EA's new head of in-game advertising says that sponsored DLC and in-game items offered for free to gamers provide a great opportunity for advertisers to effectively get their message across to consumers. In a recent interview with Gamasutra, EA senior vice president of global media sales Dave Madden says free, sponsored content with built-in branding can be a plus for both gamers and advertisers. "My vision would be that at some point, we'll be able to go to an advertiser and say 'look ... all you have to tell us is which games you want to buy against and which audience, which demographic.' And just like it’s easy to buy a network television ad, we'll make it easy to place media in a way that works well for consumers." While Madden wouldn't confirm that EA is currently planning this kind of content for console games, he did admit free, sponsored DLC was "a legitimate opportunity for game publishers and advertisers to really have a great experience for users." Madden says that such an approach will also give advertisers access to accurate reporting and metrics, as well as build the perceived value of advertisers' products. It's also potentially less annoying for gamers, he adds. "Without a doubt the best way is to put the user in control to decide whether or not they want to engage with the advertiser," Madden says. "And if they don't, then the gameplay experience is exactly what it would have been without the advertiser."