Microsoft wants to add ads to PC and mobile games after purchasing Activision Blizzard

During the trial between the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and Microsoft, documents were presented, the contents of which reveal some of the software giant’s plans for the further development of the gaming division after the completion of the deal to buy Activision Blizzard for $ 69. In particular, the company is considering the possibility of integrating advertising games for PC and mobile devices.

Image source: tweaktown.com

Mobile game publisher King Digital Entertainment, owned by Activision, makes money not only from game sales and microtransactions, but also from advertising. Documents presented in court show that Microsoft wants to use Activision’s mobile division to integrate advertising content into computer and mobile games.

They also revealed a presentation of Project Denali, which was used to convince Microsoft’s board of directors to greenlight the purchase of Activision. The author of the presentation points out three important factors in favor of the acquisition of Activision. In addition to accelerating the expansion of Game Pass to consoles and PCs and creating a one-stop store for digital content for all devices, it also reports the expansion of Microsoft’s Audience Network (MSAN) advertising platform to PCs and Mobile Devices.

It looks like Microsoft plans to add advertising to free-to-play games, at least initially. The document mentions Call of Duty Mobile, Candy Crush and Hearthstone as examples of games that may contain advertising content. The new project in this area should run in parallel with Microsoft’s continued investments in mobile games at the level of the entire Xbox ecosystem, and not just at the Activision level.