Microsoft putting their ads into Madden, other EA Sports games

by Justin McElroy { Jul 26th 2007 at 11:45AM }

You have to hand it to Microsoft, when life hands them delicious cake, they sure know how to turn it into delicious cake-o-nade. When they gobbled up in-game advertising firm Massive, we all thought it was just to make lots of money. Now that the company has inked a deal to handle advertising in EA Sports games like Madden, NASCAR, Tiger Woods, NHL and Skate, we learn that it was actually to make lots of money and hurt Sony and Nintendo in the process. With Microsoft making cash off of every ad in Madden and the other games, we imagine Sony and Nintendo are left with a difficult choice. Do they allow the ads on their console and put a bunch of cash in Microsoft's already considerable war chest? Or do they not allow the ads and walk away with nothing?

If you're a conspiracy theorist, now would be a wonderful time to point out that the news comes almost exactly one week after Microsoft's Peter Moore moved to EA Sports, just in time for their companies to make sweet love and sweeter cash while Sony and Nintendo walk around the field stapling classified ads that they cut out of the newspaper to stadium walls. You know, just saying.

Tags: advertising, EA, microsoft, sony

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

hvnlysoldr @ Jul 26th 2007 11:48AM

That's not irony. It's just a coincidence. The hypnotoad told me so.

PSN: ummfada @ Jul 26th 2007 4:31PM

I hear Microsoft payed 100 million for "Exclusive Dog fighting" content

W00f

Anthony33 @ Jul 26th 2007 11:55AM

Wow that's a great strategy...and will probably get them a antitrust suit of some sort.

Stevo @ Jul 26th 2007 12:10PM

haha, anti-trust? Sorry bud, I don't think so.

mattydread @ Jul 26th 2007 5:33PM

Maybe in Europe. Anything MS does over there is considered antitrust. Windows doesn't even come with Media Player there. (not that it matters, but it's just an example)

SpartyOn @ Jul 26th 2007 11:57AM

Maybe I missed something, but I really don't see where Sony or Nintendo have a decision to make here. EA's including Massive dynamic ads in their games. Unless Nintendo or Sony refuse to license EA to put Madden on their systems, the ads are in.

Christopher Grant @ Jul 26th 2007 12:01PM

Massive's Cory Van Arsdale: "We would love to do Nintendo and PlayStation, but they control the platform, they control the ecosystem and they have to decide what to allow or not. It's not something that's in our control."

Stevo @ Jul 26th 2007 12:11PM

I thought there were PS3 ads on a soccer game on Xbox 360 recently too...right?

This is a much bigger deal, regardless...I'm just wondering if my memory serves me right.

hvnlysoldr @ Jul 26th 2007 12:27PM

Yes because Sony owns ads in the European soccer league so they are contractually obligated to represent them in their games.

Stevo @ Jul 26th 2007 12:31PM

Oh okay-- so that's quite a bit different...interesting nonetheless

Vidikron @ Jul 26th 2007 11:59AM

Haha... clever.

yaksplat @ Jul 26th 2007 11:59AM

Hrm...Willis McGahee running in open field. Obviously this game has some serious flaws.

jimy @ Jul 26th 2007 12:56PM

(ignoring the fact he's on a different team now)

This game has no flaws, he's playing against the Jets :P

Joshua @ Jul 26th 2007 12:10PM

OMG M$ is todly bi EA!!!!11!

Sorry about that, can I get another glass of that German Chocolate cake-o-nade? That there is a tasty beverage!

Jack of No Trades @ Jul 26th 2007 12:19PM

Next step for MS. Buy EA! HAHAHAHAHA! I can hear Peter Moore laugh as we speak.

jason @ Jul 26th 2007 12:43PM

So when is EA going to start lowering prices from all of the revenue they'll be generating from this? Since its the largest third party dev teaming up with a console maker...this should bring prices down, right? Greedy bastards...

Evan @ Jul 26th 2007 8:26PM

I thought Activision just beat out EA for top 3rd party developer.

blooh @ Jul 26th 2007 12:28PM

who ever pays attention to ads anyway? if i was sony or nintendo, i wouldnt care too much that the ads were in

mattydread @ Jul 26th 2007 5:33PM

I agree. It's a shame how much industry money is wasted on marketing that affects nobody. Infact, some players might be inclined to stay away from products that are wedged into their games simply out of spite.

CN @ Jul 26th 2007 12:34PM

Well, if they give themselves free ad's, competitors can scream foul play. All they are doing is trying to find more revenue since their investors are mad at how much money they have lost in the Console Gaming arena. Good move for them but I don't see them getting some tactical edge unless they play dirty, which in the end will get them in trouble.

Joshua Earles-Bennett @ Jul 26th 2007 12:48PM

So does that mean Madden on PS3 and Wii will have the microsoft ads? Big deal. Now if it was a Xbox 360 ad that would be totally different.

Andy S. @ Jul 26th 2007 2:33PM

Gosh, it sure would be sad if PS3 and Wii owners couldn't play all of the trite, rehashed, designed-by-committee crap that EA craps out every week and tries to pass off as "video games".

Oh, wait...

Anthony33 @ Jul 26th 2007 3:19PM

Just being sarcastic...sorry if that didn't come across.

adr @ Jul 26th 2007 4:40PM

Well its not like anyone actually pays attention to ads in video games anyway.

This wouldn't be Microsoft putting ads for th e360 in PS3 Madden games. Massive is owned by Microsoft but they still use the same business model. They solicit companies into paying them money for putting ads in games. Massive then gives EA a portion of this to help subsidize development cost.

If Sony wanted to they could buy ads from Massive to put into Madden and advertise the PS3 on the 360 while giving money to Microsft to do so.

There would be a problem if Microsoft placed ads through massive without paying for them. Buying a company and then using it for an advantage you don't grant to other parties ws at the core of Antitrust laws but those have all been thrown out the window a long time ago.

If I was running massive I'd be celebrating every day since I was able to get Microsoft to buy my company with a dubious and unproven business model and make myself a lot of money, same goes for Youtube.