The Democrat’s ads are aimed at gamers who like sports, including NASCAR, NBA, NHL and skateboarding, meaning EA Sports’ motto, "It’s in the game," now applies to presidential politics as well.

EA spokeswoman Holly Rockwood would not say how much the ads cost, but she said they are running on the Xbox Live versions of the game through Nov. 3. They began earlier this month.

"It reaches an audience that is typically hard to reach — young males, roughly 18 to 34," said Rockwood. "That’s very appealing to our advertisers."

"What we’re trying to do is offer ads in games where we’re simulating a real-world environment, so our racing games, our sports games lend themselves to that," she said.