It’s not a secret that Microsoft is making a little cash on the side by placing advertising in games on XBL, and now Sony wants to get in on the action by doing the same. It today announced that it would partner with IGA Worldwide to do just that, and will start placing in-game ads with Electronic Arts titles this year for the PS3, mostly within sports and driving games, as they have natural advertising banners built-in.

Phil Rosenburg, senior VP of Sony Computer Entertainment America, said that the ads aren’t just a garish money grab. “The PS3 platform is primed to leverage the high growth potential of the in-game advertising market. Ads that are organic to the environment not only benefit developers and advertisers, but also create a richer experience for gamers.” He seems to mean that realistic ads will make the games themselves more realistic, and in the case of the games from EA first getting the ads, he’s probably right.