Sony patents...adverts?

[Clarky]

Sony have patented an application that will interupt you in the middle of a game to show you averts it has emerged. The patent in question was filed back in July 2011 but appears to be a continution patent of one filled out back in 2006. Could this turn up someday in a ps4? only God knows...​

source-http://www.eurogamer...ming-with-an-ad​

the patent itself-http://www.google.co...ainment&f=false​

I thought Microsoft displaying ads for paying customers was bad enough, this sounds like too stupid an idea to work...​

 

[Joe88]

this may be something like for free games like on free iOS apps

 

[godreborn]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gizmondo

like this?

 

[DiscostewSM]

Having adverts displayed in such places like in-game billboards, televisions, along a wall or even as a small window pop-up in the corner of the screen is one thing, but to actually interrupt a game like commercials do with TV shows is really not going to go over well. With commercials at the very least, you can expect them at specific times.

 

[AlanJohn]

PS4 seems like shit so far, with its terrible DRM and now this.

 

[Rockhoundhigh]

They're trying to way to hard to recoup their losses, all they're gonna end up doing is alienating their customers.

 

[rdurbin]

most likely they would only show the "commercial" during loading screens on games, I am pretty sure they just wont just interrupt your game

 

[FAST6191]

Interesting, I had a quick scan of the patent ( http://www.freepaten...11/0274409.html ) and at first I would have to call defensive patent or the usual must have huge silly portfolio. The trouble is I can not actually think of an example of prior art (at all and especially not within the timeframe) of what the preferred embodiment is described as. Granted I would probably call obvious in light of the internet if not in general but given prior art is a dirty word to most US tech patent judges and clerks (or at least it seems that way) obvious is right out. Fortunately they take great pains to make it a broad patent which I hope would cancel it out (paragraph 32 of the text) which I would hold interstitial adverts, JS launched and loaded page covering adverts, JS hook and redirect, frame level and more could as implementations of and possibly prior art.

Ignoring that though.

Adverts in game billboards/backing textures
http://www.vizzed.co...%2017_12_45.png
Dynamic ones... did we not all get in a tizzy when I think it was battlefield 2142 did it back in 2006?
My personal favourite was playing I think it was Rainbow six vegas and they had Axe deodorant on the boards and I had forgotten it was the US name for Lynx so I thought it was just a texture and maybe even satire.

Adverts in loading screens I probably have an example from the C64 and if not the "advertise my tech in exchange for using it" developer logo surely takes it.

Non essential in game stuff. Not an advert per se but Mario Sunshine hub world/pop ups that were not essential.

Product placement and about as close I can get right now... True Crime streets of LA would pop up with some branded phone has just been stolen in the free roaming sections. GTA even satirised related things but that might be getting slightly off topic (GTA ramps the satire up on everything).

I imagine in reality this is something closer to the adverts that pop up during US TV shows and barring the ticker tape thing I have seen once or twice I can not think of an implementation in a game/game system. I am struggling to recall any "forced" instant replays/"breaking news" as you tear up a town that might have included adverts/paid placement as that would surely kick this in the head.

 

[FireGrey]

the developers will have the final choice whether to put ads in their games, in most cases they will say no because they will create and uproar in the gaming community.

 

[PolloDiablo]

and then people say that Sony is not innovative... they found the way to fuck up gaming!

AdBlock+ PS version coming

 

[Guild McCommunist]

Considering Sony has been pursuing F2P games more and more, this could be just one method to collect revenue if microtransactions don't prove favorable.

For retail games though, I doubt they'll be interrupting you in the middle of the game for an advertisement.

 

[GameWinner]

I hope this won't happen, what would add insults to injury is that you can only remove ads with PS+..

 

[freaksloan]

What has happened to the company I once loved more than any other? Reading stories like this, and then reading Sony is the largest donor of any entertainment company to Obama. It just makes my stomach turn.

 

[Kioku]

That's just... wow.....

 

[Thesolcity]

Filed under "Patents I really hope don't take form".

 

[prowler]

PRO TIP GUYS: THIS DOESN'T MEAN SONY IS GOING TO USE IT

 

[DSGamer64]

They're trying to way to hard to recoup their losses, all they're gonna end up doing is alienating their customers.

It won't matter, it's going to be enough to piss off gamers. I am not sure how many people have thought of this, but is it really wise to interrupt someone in the middle of a game, especially if it's an action game and you happen to be in the middle of a battle. Stopping the game to show an advertisement is an instant way of driving me nuts and I'd sooner not have to deal with that kind of bullshit. If Sony is going through with that, I won't buy a PS4.

 

[Guild McCommunist]

I won't buy a PS4.

Sorry it's just been made deadly obvious that you don't want anything Sony.

 

[SanGor]

That's great news actually, that means nobody else can do it!

 

[The Milkman]

Dang, PSN+/PS4 isn't looking so good so far. I mean, in-game ads, on a CONSOLE game!? Even if its not for retail games its still stupid. To me, its like Sony is just saying that all the stupid BS Mobile Games do is the right way to make a game.

Don't turn gaming into what pretty much every other field of media has become