Microsoft looks prepared to make what will ultimately be a wildly unpopular decision. Business Insider has learned that Microsoft is creating an ad program for brands to advertise inside their free-to-play games. While it sounds unattractive at first, it might not be as bad as it seems.
One example provided by Business Insider is you might see ads on billboards in the background of car racing games. There are no other immediate details, so it doesn't seem like the ads will be intrusive in pop-up form or anything like that.
"We are always looking for ways to improve the experience for players and developers, but we don't have anything further to share," a spokesperson for Microsoft told Insider.
Microsoft is entirely aware that this wouldn't be popular with players, so they're trying to develop creative ways to insert the ads in the game. The company added that they aren't looking to take a cut from the paid ads spot but instead help developers make more money. This could also be a positive for players as it could cut down on in-game game purchases or microtransactions.
The opportunity would likely allow brands to reach young consumers directly instead of other overly expensive traditional advertising.
The company is also claimed to be working to protect its clients' data from being misused by other businesses. However, according to Business Insider, Microsoft has no immediate plans to let advertisers use data gathered from Bing searches and other sources to target users on Xbox.
