Games tell players to stay at home with in-game signs and banners

Games like off-roading racing sim Dirt Rally 2.0 and billion-dollar megahit Candy Crush are using in-game banners to promote global stay-at-home orders.

UK game devs like King and Codemasters are using in-game real estate in a unique way. These devs have replaced in-game ads that appear on signs, billboards, and banners with the coronavirus-combating mantra "stay at home, save lives." Dirt Rally 2.0 in particular has an opportunity to reach millions as part of this month's free PS Plus offering. It's refreshing to see these devs to their part in trying to convince consumers to stay in place and avoid transmitting or contracting the COVID-19 virus that's killing thousands.

"We came to realize that technology within our games, which enables the remote updating of banners within the virtual environment, could be repurposed to assist with the coronavirus communication effort," Codemasters told Forbes.

King in particular has stepped up to the plate by covering Candy Crush's ads with stay at home banners. Hundreds full-screen ads will also be replaced with coronavirus info, warnings, and links to resources. King makes a good portion of its revenue from in-game advertising so this is a pretty big deal for the company. Candy Crush attracts hundreds of millions of users a month and is one of the most popular mobile games on the market.

We should see more developers and games-makers likewise add stuff like this into their games in the coming weeks.