Mark Darrah argues for product placement in gaming

Mark Darrah, former executive producer of Dragon Age and Anthem , recently proposed an alternative funding strategy for live service games during a discussion on his YouTube channel. He says the gaming industry should look more closely at product placement, a model that has proven successful in the film industry.

The current state of live service games

Darrah has noted that in recent years many live service games have been shut down abruptly, leaving players frustrated. He said this trend is partly driven by developers focusing on monetization over the player experience. "Not everything can be a live service game," he said, stressing the need for more diversity within the game ecosystem.

Product placement as an alternative

Darrah pointed to the live-action Smurfs film, which was reportedly fully funded through product placement, effectively making the movie cost "zero dollars" to produce. He believes the same approach could work for games, reducing developers' reliance on microtransactions and other monetization methods that can come at the expense of the player experience.

Risks of current monetization practices

According to Darrah, most current monetization practices in video games are designed to maximize revenue rather than improve the experience for players. This has led to systems where player engagement is valued more highly than the fun of the game itself. He added that some subscription services, such as Xbox Game Pass, have their own perverse incentives that are not always conducive to a positive player experience.

Darrah is urging the gaming industry to rethink its models, especially as the shift toward live service games becomes more common. He argues that it is time to recognize that not every game needs to function as a live service, and that there are other, potentially more sustainable funding models that put the player experience first.

With growing pressure from gamers calling for better and fairer experiences, it is becoming increasingly important for developers to reconsider and adapt traditional constraints. The discussion around product placement could be an important step in that direction.