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.