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SCEA Patent Hints That Sony May Introduce Disruptive Advertising in Games

May 26 2012 02:18 PM | Jason Clement in Sony

A patent was filed by Sony Computer Entertainment America in 2011 that would allow for a game to be suspended in order to show an advertisement, which upon ending would then resume the game, not unlike TV commercials.

Another aspect of the patent is that it would warn the player when an ad is coming up and also when the gameplay would be resuming. The existence of this patent doesn't mean that Sony will use the idea for sure, but the idea is currently theirs to use if they want.

I'm not certain that adding intrusive advertising into games would work to their benefit in the long-run if this does play out in the future, but more than likely it would be used in free-to-play games; at least that's the hope.

Do you think Sony will implement this feature in future games?

8 Comments

Marshall Henderson

May 26 2012 02:31 PM

If they do that, they will lose the console war hard. At least, I hope. I'd like to have faith in consumers, buuuuuut I don't!

Number 905

May 26 2012 02:49 PM

With any luck, this is something that would be limited to SOE and free-to-play games.

Jared

May 26 2012 02:58 PM

I would assume they just patented it so they could have the rights to it. At least, I hope that's why.

TYLERxDURDEN

May 26 2012 03:17 PM

Seems too ridiculous to be implemented anytime soon. I would oppose this full force if they ever actually start talking about it!

sirdan357

May 27 2012 12:46 AM

With any luck, this is something that would be limited to SOE and free-to-play games.

I wouldn't mind it much in a free-to-play game, but if this showed up in a full-price PS4 game I'd be pissed.

Gxgear

May 27 2012 03:46 PM

That's terrible news of things to come if Sony applies this to their exclusives since its their strongest asset. I doubt 3rd party studios would allow something like this.

Kezins

May 27 2012 03:51 PM

I think this will happen once games go all-digital. Once you can't go into a store and buy a physical copy of a game, this is the exact kind of nonsense we'll be forced to put up with. The industry gets less and less consumer friendly every year.

Jordan Haygood

May 28 2012 10:52 PM

If this happens, couldn't we all just play games offline? I mean, how else would they stream commercials to us if not through teh interwebz? Unless, of course, they give us a handful of ads that randomly shuffle for all of eternity...

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