I remember fans having a huge outcry when it was stated that The Sims 3 would feature real-life in-game ads.  It was actually effective, because we really hadn’t had to put up with it.  Sure, we got free downloads like the Toyota Hybrid pack, JC Penny clothes and more…but it really didn’t bother anyone.

It looks like EA has learned its lesson on the matter, as in a recent interview over at Edge with EA’s free-to-play general manager Ben Cousins, while micro transactions has taken off, in-game advertisement hasn’t.

We actually aren’t getting much from ad revenue at all. The in-game advertising business hasn’t grown as fast as people expected it to.”

“We did a deal with Dr. Pepper for Battlefield Heroes where if you buy a bottle and scan in the code, you get an exclusive outfit. That kind of deep integration will work, I think. But I’m not convinced that we’ll have billboards in games and things like that. Maybe those days are over.”

So there you have it, mission accomplished 😀 (via GameInformer)