“If it’s in the game, it’s in the game.”
For more than two decades, video game studio EA Sports seared this slogan, which plays in the opening credits of nearly every one of its games, into the hearts and mind of millions of fans. With each new season it seems more true; sports games reflect everything fans expect from their favorite sports, no matter how small the detail.
Unfortunately, that also includes advertisements.
Sports games have adopted the same penchant for aggressive advertising as their real-world counterparts. As the games have grown more complex, so have the ads.
Here’s how sports video games have become a vehicle for sponsors:
