BK and Best Buy used to have billboards in need for speed games back in the day, and in my opinion they did it right back then.
Ad rolls are not the path, but if done right, it can add to the immersion without feeling scammy.
Critical-Spite-3880 on
“Can we ask why?”
— “Because you didn’t buy the ad-free DLC.”
porbo16313 on
you’re kidding? right, what is going to happen next, ads during toilet break?
well back to reading cave painting, I go.
ElegantBaddie on
Next thing you know, your character will be drinking Pepsi while loading a battle.
fallingbutslowly on
I recently found out that in the us there are screens running ads at the gas station as you fill your tank. That’s insane.
MaffinLP on
Thats already against steam TOS.
MrnDrnn on
That’s fair
AacornSoup on
Video games should be either “free with ads” and/or “buy the game and not have any ads”.
In the case of free-to-play games, there should be an “opt-in ads” system where people can voluntarily sit through ads to get premium currency.
But under no circumstances should a single-player game that people have to buy have any ads.
CPLCraft on
Ads on in game build boards and tv shows? Sure.
Ads that pause the game mid gun fight to sell me a McTickle chicken sandwich? I’d rather eat a boulder.

Subject-Ad674 on
They already kinda do with some games showing dlc ads for their game inside the game *cough* Ubisoft *cough*
WarMeasuresAct1914 on
It’s been happening for a long time now.
The most annoying example that comes to mind is Quantum Break: everyone uses a Windows phone, every computer is a Windows 8 PC, every car they drive is a Nissan, even in a cut scene where the bad guys’ Nissans catch up to the protagonist, there’s a Nissan billboard right next to them.
I hope this a joke, because if they did this it would destroy game immersion forever.
McFishyTheGreat on
I usually don’t really care about AAA games anyway so AAA studios choosing to ruin themselves further doesn’t bother me. There are tons of indie games and older games
Upper-Nobody7003 on
I thought they already did?
StraightCockroach483 on
This is extra funny considering the times square hub in marvel rivals literally has disney+ ads lmao. And no one bat an eye so its going to get much more egregious
tersbackwrec on
Time for a quick bathroom break during the ad…. Worth it. Now I will not have to pause my game.
Ellacheeks on
Ah, yet another win for my Xbox 360 that hasn’t been connected to wifi in 6 years
Mister_Chameleon on
Makes me glad I almost never game online anymore. Can’t put ads on my n64
Napalm2142 on
Anyone remember the billboards in Battlefield 2142? Was an interesting way to do it. Didn’t effect game play at but you’d just see like coke ads and I remember there being a billboard board for I Am Legend lol. BF2142 still one of the all time GOATs IMO.
simon_darre on
Ads in and of themselves don’t matter to me. But I hate forces that degrade my experience which is why I’m exclusively a single player gamer. I don’t want multiplayer server bandwidth fluctuations or network outages tanking my gameplay experience. So if I find out that my load times are deliberately (or even unintentionally) slower, or that I will be forced to upgrade ($$) to an ad free gaming experience, I will boycott Steam—or any other platform that allows this—and I’ll make sure they know it. I mean most platforms other than Steam and GOG are already shitty as it is, with EA not even having cloud servers for our save games. And now this? Just make good games and you won’t have to gouge us.
Fortunately Steam still has a player friendly TOS, for now at least. But we’ll see if that lasts.
MR_MEME_42 on
Street Fighter V has this and it was done “decently”, as the ads were only for stuff related to the game like tournaments, skins, and Street Fighter 6. And you can turn off the ads if you did not want to see them, but you got more currency for having them on.
RelevantJackfruit185 on
“Ah…go ahead then”
Calligaster on
O will not play a game that plays ads in loading screens or slows down gameplay to promote a product
PM-ME-UR-DARKNESS on
Valve, being super based, banned all games that have forced ads in them.
keyupiopi on
“Your planet is now marked for death.”
“Can we ask why?”
-plays ad-
pipopapupupewebghost on
Not gonna happen steam bans any game that does that apparently so no one will do it cause they don’t wanna miss out on PC gamers
They tried using other launchers but it didn’t work so it’s either ads but no PC release or no ads
Karezi413 on
Personally, I wouldnt mind ads in loading screens- BUT ONLY the kind for in game products (and it doesn’t extend the loading screen). Like you’re playing a game in a different universe or post apocalyptic and you get ads for some like- fake in game beer brand. I think those are kinda creative actually lol
Real ads like if I’m waiting for the game to load and i get an actual like Pepsi ad or smth- no way.
31 Comments
If they do it’s back to reading
Hot take: we always had ads in some games.
BK and Best Buy used to have billboards in need for speed games back in the day, and in my opinion they did it right back then.
Ad rolls are not the path, but if done right, it can add to the immersion without feeling scammy.
“Can we ask why?”
— “Because you didn’t buy the ad-free DLC.”
you’re kidding? right, what is going to happen next, ads during toilet break?
well back to reading cave painting, I go.
Next thing you know, your character will be drinking Pepsi while loading a battle.
I recently found out that in the us there are screens running ads at the gas station as you fill your tank. That’s insane.
Thats already against steam TOS.
That’s fair
Video games should be either “free with ads” and/or “buy the game and not have any ads”.
In the case of free-to-play games, there should be an “opt-in ads” system where people can voluntarily sit through ads to get premium currency.
But under no circumstances should a single-player game that people have to buy have any ads.
Ads on in game build boards and tv shows? Sure.
Ads that pause the game mid gun fight to sell me a McTickle chicken sandwich? I’d rather eat a boulder.

They already kinda do with some games showing dlc ads for their game inside the game *cough* Ubisoft *cough*
It’s been happening for a long time now.
The most annoying example that comes to mind is Quantum Break: everyone uses a Windows phone, every computer is a Windows 8 PC, every car they drive is a Nissan, even in a cut scene where the bad guys’ Nissans catch up to the protagonist, there’s a Nissan billboard right next to them.
Meanwhile valve:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.techpowerup.com/332339/valve-now-bans-steam-games-that-force-players-to-watch-ads%3famp
I hope this a joke, because if they did this it would destroy game immersion forever.
I usually don’t really care about AAA games anyway so AAA studios choosing to ruin themselves further doesn’t bother me. There are tons of indie games and older games
I thought they already did?
This is extra funny considering the times square hub in marvel rivals literally has disney+ ads lmao. And no one bat an eye so its going to get much more egregious
Time for a quick bathroom break during the ad…. Worth it. Now I will not have to pause my game.
Ah, yet another win for my Xbox 360 that hasn’t been connected to wifi in 6 years
Makes me glad I almost never game online anymore. Can’t put ads on my n64
Anyone remember the billboards in Battlefield 2142? Was an interesting way to do it. Didn’t effect game play at but you’d just see like coke ads and I remember there being a billboard board for I Am Legend lol. BF2142 still one of the all time GOATs IMO.
Ads in and of themselves don’t matter to me. But I hate forces that degrade my experience which is why I’m exclusively a single player gamer. I don’t want multiplayer server bandwidth fluctuations or network outages tanking my gameplay experience. So if I find out that my load times are deliberately (or even unintentionally) slower, or that I will be forced to upgrade ($$) to an ad free gaming experience, I will boycott Steam—or any other platform that allows this—and I’ll make sure they know it. I mean most platforms other than Steam and GOG are already shitty as it is, with EA not even having cloud servers for our save games. And now this? Just make good games and you won’t have to gouge us.
Fortunately Steam still has a player friendly TOS, for now at least. But we’ll see if that lasts.
Street Fighter V has this and it was done “decently”, as the ads were only for stuff related to the game like tournaments, skins, and Street Fighter 6. And you can turn off the ads if you did not want to see them, but you got more currency for having them on.
“Ah…go ahead then”
O will not play a game that plays ads in loading screens or slows down gameplay to promote a product
Valve, being super based, banned all games that have forced ads in them.
“Your planet is now marked for death.”
“Can we ask why?”
-plays ad-
Not gonna happen steam bans any game that does that apparently so no one will do it cause they don’t wanna miss out on PC gamers
They tried using other launchers but it didn’t work so it’s either ads but no PC release or no ads
Personally, I wouldnt mind ads in loading screens- BUT ONLY the kind for in game products (and it doesn’t extend the loading screen). Like you’re playing a game in a different universe or post apocalyptic and you get ads for some like- fake in game beer brand. I think those are kinda creative actually lol
Real ads like if I’m waiting for the game to load and i get an actual like Pepsi ad or smth- no way.
It’s against Steam’s rules
Not on steam they dont.