- Users of Windows 10 and 11 get an ad for granted
- It pushes the more expensive version of the game via a pop-up
- This has reportedly happened for some time now, on top of other similar game campaigns that are direct ads crossing a line
Microsoft seems to be more desperate with ads these days, and more frequently pushing games in Windows for that matter as I have just been confronted with a new ad for Avowed in Windows 10.
Yes, my Windows 11 upgrade plan is running a little behind my predicted timeline and I’m still on Windows 10, but not much anymore as the end of the operating system is only six months away now. And I am especially changing quickly if Microsoft wants Skyve popups like this in my face via the Notification Center on the right side of the desk. (That said, this promotion is apparently hitting Windows 11 PCs, and I’m coming back to it).
The message is labeled ‘suggested’ and is for the given Premium edition that encourages me to ‘blacken my fate’ and click on a button that says ‘buy now’ (or alternatively there is a button to ‘reject’).
Click on the purchase option sends you through to Microsoft’s Xbox store where you can buy the self -assigned game, or access it by signing up for Game Pass.
As you can see in the Reddit post below, I’m also not the only person who witnesses this ad. In fact, this promo rounds are doing at the moment and has also been in the last month or two, in Windows 11 and Windows 10 – since Avowed was largely released.
Restarted my PC and this appeared. Microsoft should be really desperate after pushing to push. And this is the first time I’ve seen them suggest a game through the operating system message on Windows 10. From R/Kotakuinaction
Analysis: Direct ads are a non-go area in a paid operating system, Microsoft
This promised ad comes on top of other game-related promotional activities, such as the same kind of review pushing Windows 11 users to buy Call of Duty Black Ops 6 Vault Edition.
It is interesting to note that Microsoft is advertising the premium edition of Avowed, which is a significant chunk cheese (almost 30%), and not worth it to most people (as it only adds some skins and a digital art book). I think it should link through to the standard edition so people look at the baseline product.
At this point, there may be some of you shouting on your screen (I can’t hear you by the way) and famous me for not turning off Microsoft’s suggestions in Windows 10 (or actually Windows 11 for these users). Well, I keep this on, because otherwise I can’t see what kind of rubbish Microsoft pulls like that, and then writes about it. Hopefully persuaded the company to drop this idea and all the similar promotional things that kick around Windows 10 and 11.
To be fair to Microsoft, at least in this case, if you right -click the message, there is a link that is delivered right there to ‘turn off all notifications for proposed’ and you can do just that. So you don’t have to rifle through the Settings app to find this choice and exercise it.
However, these suggestions are turned on by default in Windows and I would argue that they should not be. Microsoft would undoubtedly disagree and perhaps address that recommendations can in some cases help people help people – but not in the event of what is clearly an ad like this one assigned to popup. No one argues that you help someone make their PC and data safer in this scenario, as Microsoft may suggest when it comes to pushing to back up your PC via OneDrive.
The truth is that direct ads like this, which are clearly not close to the typical blurred recommendations seen in Windows, should not be done in a paid-for-desktop operating system, not unless the user explicitly wants and allows them.
