Epic Games boss Tim Sweeney said that he is not a big fan of traditional advertising and prefers to use the form of brand cooperation in “Fortnite” marketing, such as themed cosmetics and branded concerts. “The best moment in Fortnite is when other brands enter the world of Fortnite — a fashion house, Ferrari enters the world, Marvel and Star Wars crossover,” Sweeney said in an interview with Digiday.
He concludes: “I think brand presence is a healthier way for companies to engage with the Metaverse than advertising. Playing ads is annoying. Players hate it and they don’t pay much attention to the content – however, give them a driveable Ferrari Or a cool shirt they can wear and they’ll love it.”
With “Fortnite” making waves for its high-profile crossovers with musical acts, anime, movies and other video games, Sweeney prefers brands and companies from a collaborative perspective rather than traditional “billboards.”
When it comes to in-game monetization opportunities, both Sweeney and executive vice president Saxs Persson are cautious. Persson said direct virtual commerce would only happen if players might be interested, but “that’s not in the plan” right now.
“It depends a lot on what they’re selling. If you’re selling a ticket to a great experience, then that’s the whole model of the gaming business,” Sweeney said. However, Sweeney said Epic Games isn’t interested in including loot boxes in Fortnite or items that give players an advantage.
“We see Fortnite as an opportunity to build a better world, a world away from the competition that exists in the mobile gaming market today,” Sweeney said. “The key problem with the mobile ecosystem is that user acquisition is entirely advertising-based, and those who use The companies with the worst consumer behavior for pay to win and loot boxes make the most money from consumers so they are able to bid the highest ads. So all top games driven by top ads are really bad games. We very much I don’t want that kind of world in Fortnite.”
