As the graphics get better, so does the ad placement. In-game ad research site Brands In Games has a series of posts that trace the development of game advertising. Using EA as a model, the study follows the trend from 1983 right up to the present day.

Early games like World Tour Golf (1985) and Earl Weaver Baseball (1987) featured no ads at all. Even the first John Madden Football was ad-less. As the 1980's drew to a close, ads for fictional products like "Kool Cola" started appearing in-game. In the 1990's, the PGA and ProSet sports cards were featured in-game, but the real watershed came with the first FIFA. Adidas was spattered throughout the game.

Things went downhill from there with Nokia selling stuff in NCAA Football 98 and Coca-cola and Mastercard appearing in NHL 98. Why the delay? Graphics were part of the equation. Also companies realized that just like in movies, here was another place they could pitch their wares. Some argue that in-game ads bring greater realism to the titles as adverts dot our out-of-game landscape. Some hate that companies invaded the gaming space. Now that they have, fat chance they're leaving.

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