Facebook gives first look at Oculus virtual reality ads

Facebook is putting ads into Oculus virtual reality games for the first time, the company announced on Wednesday. Facebook showed off how this new format would look to players wearing the VR goggles, and they appear like billboards, only virtual. Facebook said the ads would run in a limited testing phase over the coming weeks in a select group of games, including “Blaston” from Resolution Games. The ads would be a way to help game developers make money from their creations. Facebook will share in the revenue, much like it shares in ads delivered to third-party videos from publishers on Facebook and Instagram. Ads in virtual reality are a big step for Facebook as it looks for new platforms to conquer with its highly targeted advertising machine. However, gamers, particularly early adopters like VR gamers, can be averse to ads popping up in their digital worlds. Facebook said it would deploy similar controls to ones it has on the social network to hide ads from brands a user would rather not see. There also is a button to show why a particular ad was targeted to the player. “The addition of ads on the Oculus Platform doesn’t change our privacy or advertising policies,” Facebook said in the announcement. “While testing ads in Oculus apps, Facebook will get new information like whether you interacted with an ad and if so, how—for example, if you clicked on the ad for more information or if you hid the ad. Outside of that, this test doesn’t change how your Oculus data is processed or how it informs ads.” Facebook bought Oculus for $3 billion in 2014. The company has been looking to play a greater role in developing the next generation of internet connected hardware so it can have greater control over the software in spaces like virtual reality, augmented reality and connected devices. Facebook has been slow to develop advertising options inside the Oculus platform, taking its time as it did with the social network, Instagram and WhatsApp. Then, this year, Facebook launched a way for developers to buy ads to promote their games in the Oculus mobile app store. Those ads are mobile-app ads, whereas the latest test is a way to place ads directly inside the games. For instance, a player would see a display from a brand in their field of vision. This type of advertising has seeped across gaming platforms, including in Sony PlayStation and Microsoft Xbox games. “We’re also exploring new ways for developers to generate revenue,” Facebook said. “This is a key part of ensuring we’re creating a self-sustaining platform that can support a variety of business models that unlock new types of content and audiences. It also helps us continue to make innovative AR/VR hardware more accessible to more people.”

Facebook gives first look at Oculus virtual reality ads

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