After announcing that it is getting closer to the Xbox Game Pass model, Sony is once again considering competing with its opponent on another field.
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Sony is making a shift in its business model. Remember, 3 weeks ago, the publisher announced that it was modifying its Playstation Plus offer, a subscription which now includes PS Plus and PS Now, available in three offers: Playstation Plus Essential, a modern version of the current PlayStation Plus subscription, the Playstation Plus Extra, which encompasses the previous offer by adding around 400 PS4 and PS5 games to download, and finally the Playstation Plus Premium. The most complete offer, since it includes the advantages of the two previous ones, while adding 340 additional titles promised (including PS3, PlayStation, PS2 and PSP games in streaming or download).
The objective through this effective overhaul in June, we hear, is to get closer to the Xbox Game Pass model and to compete with it. At Microsoft, it is advertising that is in the spotlight now. Indeed, the American manufacturer will allow advertisers to insert advertisements in free Xbox games, in particular in its free-to-play.
… The advertisement
Well a few days after its competitor, Sony has just come closer to it again since it it also plans to insert advertising inserts in its PS5 and PS4 games according to Business Insider. The Japanese firm would even be in the process of test with agencies its own program to put these advertisements.
The objective of the maneuver is obviously to generate new sources of income, by monetizing their free-to-play games. Indeed, the advertisements would only concern the free games of the PlayStation 5 and the PlayStation 4. All this would encourage developers to produce more free-to-play games.
We know that free-to-play is a confirmed model. The monetization system via lootboxes, paid cosmetics or battle pass has largely proven itself, advertising could thus represent this new monetization trend. How would that work?
These advertising banners could be placed in a racing game for example, which would display different ads depending on the player. An even more obvious example would be the famous billboard around the field in a sports game.
To go further, the viewing of advertisements would be encouraged by a reward system promised to the player. We would be talking here about game rewards, outfit promotions, or other avatar skins.
Several details remain undisclosed to this day. We do not know for example if Sony will take a commission (which will not be the case for Microsoft) the firm not having spoken. On the other hand, paid games should never be affected by these advertisements, on both sides.
Sony’s ad system could launch later this year on PS5 and PS4 games. For its part, Microsoft plans to launch its program by the third quarter of 2022.
