Ubisoft has partnered with gaming advertising firm Anzu.io to bring blended in-game ads to racing game Trackmania. The ads will be shown on in-game surfaces such as banners, billboards, and bridges.
How will Anzu.io's Trackmania ads work?
According to a press release given by the two companies, Anzu will bring "dynamic, blended banner and video brand ads" directly inside the Trackmania world. Rather than taking the form of pop-ups or interstitial screens, the ads will appear on in-game surfaces "such as walls, billboards, bridges, and along the sidetracks". Anzu and Ubisoft say this will enhance Trackmania's gameplay by making it more realistic. Anzu CEO Itamar Benedy says this new advertising technology will help to create "a new ecosystem" for developers and brands to implement in-game advertising.
Ubisoft and Anzu have already trialed this feature. During June's DIGI1 online gaming convention, a number of streamers participated in a Trackmania stream which featured Anzu's in-game advertising. Streamer Trilluxe said players would "most likely read" what the ads were saying, but that they were integrated in a "smart and fitting" way that's "not distracting at all". We're not sure you can have it both ways, but perhaps Trackmania's ads can manage to be both unobtrusive and attractive to players. There's also no mention of whether or not the ads will still appear if you're a Trackmania subscriber, but given there's no mention of an 'ad-free' experience, it is probably safe to assume they will.
What will Trackmania ads look like?
In the recent Gamevention stream, Anzu says it provided a "blended in-game Vodafone ad experience". You can expect to see ads for real-life brands and businesses displayed within Trackmania's world, and these ads will likely change on a regular basis. Anzu holds an ISO 27001, a certificate which demonstrates high standards when it comes to handling data. It's also working on integrating AdTech into its in-game advertising and is collaborating with Forensiq and CHEQ on fraud detection and ad verification solutions respectively.
You can download Trackmania for free right now via Uplay or the Epic Games Store. As well as the free tier, there are also two subscription tiers which grant increased access to the game's features. Standard Access allows you to access features like Track of the Day and full replay suites, while Club Access lets you create your own social clubs and customize your cars with skins.
How do you feel about advertising within Trackmania? Are you a subscriber? Let us know in the comments below!
