00:00I'm not playing games from EA to begin with, but I didn't really anticipate my interest
00:05to play one would be this low, particularly after reading this article.
00:10Because EA launches new advertising platform enabling brands to quote, integrate directly
00:16into gameplay.
00:17And let me tell you, I don't buy EA's framing that this is primarily about enhancing
00:23the player's experience.
00:24This announcement reads to me like a company trying to unlock a new revenue stream from
00:29an audience that's already paying for games, battle passes, cosmetic items and god knows
00:34what else.
00:35Because let's be real, just name me one thing where the user experience is better because
00:41they are advertising you stuff.
00:43The key thing that stands out is that EA isn't just talking about realistic stadium advertising.
00:50I mean, that's an easy sell.
00:52Real sports have ads everywhere so digital billboards in Madden or EA Sports aren't controversial
00:59on their own.
01:00What's more telling is the emphasis on several things like advanced targeting, proprietary
01:05ad servers, campaign optimizations, audience measurement, brand engagement metrics and personalized
01:12rewards.
01:13And to be honest, that's advertising industry language, not game design language.
01:18Look, from my perspective as a player, the concern is very simple.
01:22When a company starts measuring ad impressions inside a game, your incentives change.
01:27The goal is no longer just making the game fun, it's making sure you as a player spend enough
01:33time looking at branded content for advertisers to see value.
01:36So yeah, like I said before, thank fuck I'm not playing EA games.
01:41But for those sad sods that are still playing it, it's not looking really good.
01:46Also, the timing matters as well, because gaming is already heavily monetized.
01:50If EA were introducing this into, let's say, free to play titles, there'd be a stronger
01:56argument that ads help subsidize costs.
01:59But the thing is, many EA games are premium products that you buy at full price every year.
02:05And that's why many people see this as double dipping.
02:09And this is basically how it works.
02:11You buy the game, then you buy microtransactions, then you buy season passes, and then you watch
02:17ads anyway, and I'm supposed to buy the game and enjoy the experience and not buy more
02:22of the shit so I can play the game.
02:24I don't know about you guys, but when I see it from this particular viewpoint, which by
02:30the way is the most normal viewpoint ever, this looks disgusting.
02:35Also, this is a very slippery slope.
02:38Because others are going to see what EA is doing and then they are going to do the same shit.
02:43Today, for example, it's going to be brand and stadium boards.
02:47Tomorrow, it's sponsored objectives, exclusive rewards tiered to brands, limited time promotions
02:53designed around advertisers, or UI elements that conveniently happen to be engagement opportunities.
03:00And to be honest, it's our fault, because the gaming industry has a long history of testing
03:05our tolerance.
03:06Features are introduced in their least offensive form, and if we, the players, accept them,
03:12companies gradually push further.
03:14I mean, throughout the years of me playing the games, I have witnessed this many times.
03:19And if I'm being honest, the situation is getting worse and worse.
03:23And I know what you might say, not every integration is bad.
03:27For example, a Red Bull banner in a football stadium is realistic.
03:31And perhaps a fictional sports broadcast sponsored by a real company can fit naturally.
03:37But when I read this announcement, I see far more discussion about what advertisers gain
03:43than what we, the players, gain.
03:45Newsflash guys, we don't gain anything.
03:47It's as simple as that.
03:49And pretty much that's why my initial reaction is simply discussed.
03:53EA says these ads will respect the player experience.
03:57Really?
03:57That's what you're calling it?
03:58Players experience?
04:00So the real test isn't what the press release says.
04:03I don't really care.
04:04It's whether you, the player, can go through a match, a menu, or a progression system six
04:09months from now without feeling like you're participating in an advertising campaign.
04:14And ultimately, if you cannot, then this isn't about immersion.
04:18It's about finding new ways to monetize attention.
04:21So best thing that you can do is just stay away from EA games.
04:24It's very simple.
04:26Don't buy their shitty product.
04:27Don't finance these stupid ideas.
04:29And maybe if you start voting with your wallet, these ridiculous things are just going to
04:35go away.
04:35Because the only thing that sustains this shit is money.
04:38And if you cut off the source, what the hell can they do?
04:42Absolutely fucking nothing.
04:43But ultimately, I'm not surprised they're doing this because gamers are gullible as fuck.
04:48And to be honest, if I was EA, I would just squeeze every buck from you as much as I
04:53can.
04:53And I'm not ashamed to admit that.
04:56And that's basically it.
04:58That's the news.
04:58Thanks very much for watching.
05:00And as always, like, share, subscribe, comment, all that good stuff.
05:04And that's it for me.
05:05Until the next one.
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