Sony is reportedly working on bringing commercials for free PlayStation games, according to a report from Insider. The ads will appear in games and are intended to give game developers a way to monetize their work and encourage them to continue building free-to-play games.
The in-game ads are expected to be launched at the end of the year and will appear in invisible locations in the game, such as. Players could also be rewarded for watching commercials, and the ads would be sold through a private marketplace, Insider reports. Sources told Insider that Sony has not yet decided whether it would take a share of the advertising revenue, but is considering letting developers and publishers pay for consumer data.
Sony did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Reports of Sony’s plans follow news last week that Microsoft reportedly planned to do something similar with free-to-play Xbox games, also reported by Insider. Free-to-play Xbox game ads are expected to roll out later this year, and Microsoft has no plans to cut revenue, sources said Insider.
As noted in Insider reports, advertisers may need a little persuasion to participate in the program. Ads that appear next to adult or violent content can be a problem, and it can be difficult to track what users are doing after seeing an ad in the game. According to Microsoft, the possibility of ads annoying players is also a concern Insider.