Update: Ubisoft responded to this situation with a statement to The Verge. “We have been made aware that some players encountered pop-up advertisements yesterday while playing certain Assassin’s Creed titles,” the statement said. “This is the result of a technical error which we corrected as soon as we became aware of the problem.”
We guess that’s it, then.
Original story: Well, that’s potentially concerning. Video footage is circulating on social media of what appears to be a test ad in Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, Ubisoft’s 2018 Greek adventure. The gameplay clip clearly shows the player opening their map, before being greeted by a banner for Assassin’s Creed’s latest title Mirage’s Black Friday. Once canceled, the card loads normally.
It’s not yet clear whether this test will extend beyond Odyssey, and whether the French publisher intends to use this technology in more titles in the future, but it could set a worrying precedent if it proves effective. Obviously the idea of in-game advertising isn’t exactly new, but it seems pretty immersive for a narrative experience.
We will contact Ubisoft to try to understand the exact intention of this experience and the number of titles in which it is tested. For now, though, let us know your thoughts on in-game advertising like this in the comments section below.
Gn tech
