Sony reportedly plans to put ads in PlayStation games

Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge

Sony is reportedly working to bring advertisements to free-to-play PlayStation games, according to a report by Insider. The ads would appear in games and are meant to give game developers a way to monetize their work and encourage them to continue building free-to-play games.

The in-game ads are expected to launch by the end of the year and would appear in inconspicuous places within the game, like billboards_._ Players could also get rewards for watching advertisements, and the ads would be sold through a private marketplace, Insider reports. Sources told Insider that Sony hasn’t yet decided if it would take a portion of ad revenue but is considering having developers and publishers pay for consumer data.

Sony did not immediately respond...