[Update: EA has now disabled the ads in question, and an EA representative issued the following statement on Reddit:
"I’m part of the Community team here at EA and I wanted to post here and give you all an update on this situation. Earlier this week, the team turned on ad placements in EA SPORTS UFC 4 that appeared during the “Replay” moments in gameplay. This type of advertising inventory is not new to the UFC franchise, though we have typically reserved displaying ads to specific main menu tiles or Octagon logo placement. It is abundantly clear from your feedback that integrating ads into the Replay and overlay experience is not welcome. The advertisements have been disabled by the team and we apologize for any disruption to gameplay that players may have experienced. We realize that this should have been communicated with players ahead of time and that’s on us. We want to make sure our players have the best possible experience playing EA SPORTS UFC 4, so ad integration in the Replay and overlay experience will not be reappearing in the future. Thank you for your continued feedback on EA SPORTS UFC 4."
The original story continues below.]
It's been about a month since the release of Electronic Arts' UFC 4, so the publisher has added yet another form of monetization by advertising for real-world brands, and players are peeved. Seemingly out of a need to keep the buzz around a game good during its initial launch, many publishers have made a habit of treating the first month after launch as a sort of "preview period" where microtransactions and other less than desirable features are switched off. Then, once reviewers are busy with other games and fans are settled into their new favorite hobby, the cash-generating schemes spring to life.
While not every publisher engages in such activity, it's become a regular staple for games under the Activision banner. The last several Call of Duty games has had their integration of the franchise-spanning COD Points delayed. This is in addition to the late implementation of a battle pass in the new Modern Warfare and even the addition of monetization hooks into the remaster of Modern Warfare. Outside of the shooter space, Crash Team Racing: Nitro-Fueled launched without any of these hooks but included an in-game shop and the ability to purchase currency with its first update. This was after advertising that the game had no microtransactions, a tactic it's sharing with the upcoming Crash Bandicoot 4: It's About Time.
Activision may be the most consistent, but other big publishers like EA have also engaged in this practice, and they've struck again with UFC 4. As documented by Reddit user Ydino in the appropriately titled subreddit r/assholedesign, fights in UFC 4 now feature TV accurate advertising that flashes on-screen during gameplay. The video showcases full-screen logos for Amazon Prime series The Boys alongside smaller ads that pop in and out on-screen and a larger logo on the floor of The Octagon. This space was previously filled by one of the game's other sponsors, and their logos have been in place around the Octagon since launch.
Accruing over 3500 comments in a single day, the fanbase for UFC 4 is none too pleased that their $60 full game purchase is now a vector for brands to shout at them through in-game advertising. Many commenters are stating that EA has declined in quality in recent years while others bring up decade-old arguments about their unscrupulous moves. Away from Reddit, some commenters have pointed out that ads like this actually make the game more authentic, as they present advertising in the same way that UFC PPVs do. While this isn't the answer that any player wants to hear, it is something to keep in mind as developers strive to make sports games as realistic as possible.
No matter the argument, EA adding features like this after UFC 4's launch window has closed is a cut and dry anti-consumer move. Deals like this take time to implement, and even if Electronic Arts didn't know the exact television show they'd be peddling, they did know that there would be advertising inserted into the game. If any developer or publisher is just honest about this type of implementation, the consumer can make the purchase decision based on that. By hiding it from the critics and trying to sneak it in after the fact, it looks much worse than if they were just honest about their intentions. There is a way to implement this type of advertising correctly, but pushing it out like a thief in the night is not the way.
UFC 4 is available now for PS4 and Xbox One.
Source: Ydino