Recently, Xbox faced backlash after comments made by Xbox Chief Strategy Officer Matthew Ball led some players to believe that advertisements could eventually appear inside games. While Ball was discussing ways to make gaming more affordable, some players took his comments as a sign that Xbox could be considering in-game ads, leading to significant criticism online.
Ball quickly responded to clear up the confusion after the interview. He said that many of the comments being discussed online came from views he shared before he joined Xbox and were not related to the company’s current plans. He also made it clear that Xbox is not planning to put ads into games and said, “In the interview, I am asked about a comment I made before being hired at XBOX, then state that I was only 10 days into the role, and that I am not stating the company’s plans or beliefs.”
Ball also pushed back against claims that he had suggested putting ads into games, adding that he personally does not support any form of advertising that interrupts players while they are playing. As he put it, “I personally believe interrupting the gameplay experience would be bad.”
Rather than supporting advertisements inside games, Ball said ads could be used to create more affordable subscription options. He compared the idea to the ad-supported plans offered by streaming services like Netflix and Disney+, where customers pay less while still receiving the same content. He added, “What I do say is that ads should be used to offer more affordable alternatives alongside today’s ad-free experiences, in the hopes more could play as a result. Similar to how Netflix and Disney+ have ad-tiers with all the same content, but at half the price or so.”
Considering all this, fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief, as it now seems quite clear that Xbox has no plans to include ads directly into games. In other Xbox news, new CEO Asha Sharma has said she wants Xbox to become the “number one gaming and entertainment company” by 2030.
