Ads in video games have become a common sight, with main menus often featuring advertisements for new DLC or sales for other games in the same franchise. While this can be immersion-breaking, we have learned to live with it. However, imagine if these ads started popping up during gameplay, interrupting crucial moments and hindering our experience. This is exactly what happened to a player of Assassin’s Creed Odyssey on Nov. 22. They were interrupted by a pop-up ad while trying to open the map, promoting a Black Friday deal for the newest AC game, Mirage. The Assassin’s Creed team quickly dismissed it as a technical error, but many gamers, myself included, remain skeptical.
Triple-A video game companies prioritize profit over artistic integrity. This is evident in the rise of live-service games, where players continuously spend money on add-ons, skins, and weapons. While it may be challenging to implement such monetization strategies in single-player games like Assassin’s Creed, companies will push the boundaries as far as consumers allow them.
Fortunately, the gaming community reacted strongly to the intrusion of ads in a single-player game, forcing the AC team to clarify that it was indeed a technical error. However, I can’t help but wonder if these “mistakes” are deliberate tests to gauge consumer tolerance. Video games provide the perfect platform for ads, as they captivate our attention for hours on end. The potential value of selling this kind of attention is immense. As the character Sorrento in Ready Player One cynically remarks, “Once we can roll back some of Halliday’s ad restrictions, we estimate we can sell up to 80% of an individual’s visual field before inducing seizures.”
If we don’t firmly oppose these “mistakes” every time they occur, this could become the future of gaming. However, even if it does, we will be fine. There is an abundance of video games available, more than any of us could complete in a lifetime. Additionally, indie companies that prioritize player satisfaction will continue to create great games. So, there will always be alternatives for us to enjoy.
Source: DOTESPORTS
