Sony's Ad Patent

A patent by Sony (seen here: http://www.google.com/paten... ) has been found that shows that gameplay could be interrupted for an ad. Now on the face of it this idea sounds incredibly annoying. However, I am going to show that this feature is not only an evolution of what we already see but also it is not a bad idea.

Ads in games aren’t exactly new. Since this generation has started ads have been seeping their way in. A noticeable example is massive billboards in games such as Rainbow Six: Vegas advertising AXE but this type of advertising never really took off. A new form was needed and Sony has come up with a idea. I think Sony's idea is an evolution of what we are currently seeing on mobile gaming. On the app store/android market place some games are released for free. There is often a catch for getting something for free and this usually consists of having ads play through the game (either as a banner or as a pop up from time to time at the menu screen). Now there is always another option to buy the game that doesn’t have these ads. It is a win-win for the developers as they get two sources of income (companies buying ad space and people buying the game). I feel this is a much simpler version of what Sony is possibly trying to implement.

I severally doubt that when you buy a game (at full price) that Sony (or any company for that matter) will make you sit through some ads. It doesn’t make sense and would give their competitors the edge who can claim that they are truly thinking of the gamer. I think the direction Sony is going is to start selling games for free. Now we have seen that Sony has become very interested in free to play games and are making significant advances in these types of games. I think this interrupting ad is the next step in free to play.

I can see the consumer getting PSN titles for free but obviously at a cost. This cost would be ads. The more ads you watch the more gameplay time you have. I see this type of service happening in their bigger releases (either their big blockbusters or their bigger/more expensive PSN games) and not their smaller/cheaper PSN games. I think the latter games will have a system similar to what is happening on the mobile networks. I can see a free version with ads in the form of a banner or menu pop up with the availability to buy an ad free version of the game. It makes a logical step in the free to play genre.

On the face of it, forced ads in games are a bad idea except if you look at it more closely. No company is going to make you pay and then watch ads because no-one is going to like that and it would increase the competitors appeal. To me this patent suggest a much different approach. I think it suggests a free version with ads (with the possibility unlocking time by watching ads) or a full priced version without ads. It is not exactly a bad idea for us (the consumer) to have such a feature. If we really wanted to we could play games for free. There is of course a consequence to this but in the grand schemes of things it isn’t such a big deal as you are getting something for free.

[Valenka]

Glad to read an opinion on the subject that isn't riddled with vulgarity and a toddler's tantrum. Well written blog!

[TopDudeMan]

I wouldn't be interested in that. To me, I'd rather just buy the game and avoid the ads.

I mean, how often are these ads gonna come up? Every hour? Every half hour? Every 10 minutes?

[smashcrashbash]

No offense but I really think that this is not really up to discussion until it is actually confirmed that this anything that they even plan to implement in any way. This is just like the rumor that people are running around with that Microsoft and Sony are planning to block used games. Sony is a company and have hundreds of ideas every day. Many patients on N4G are found and paraded around and are never implemented in any form or fashion. This wasn't even something that was found this year. So you can speculate if you want but until we actually see any proof of this even being used in any way I see no reason to figure it out.

[Valenka]

So you're basically telling people not to discuss rumours? You must be new to the world of online communities, and well...to basic communication. People can and may discuss anything and everything, whether it be a rumour or a confirmed fact.

What the writer is talking about in his blog is on a "what-if" scenario in the event that the patent does go through. There's nothing wrong with that. We don't need to wait for an official confirmation to express our opinions and thoughts on a subject. With the rumour about used games being exiled--people talked about it and still are. Why do you care so much? Let people talk about what they want. Is it damaging your health?

You don't want to talk about rumours? That's fine. But don't ruin it for everyone else by coming into the community and basically talking down everyone discussing rumours and possibilities.

[smashcrashbash]

You are a very sensitive person aren't you? I am simply saying there is enough conflict going on with out authors trying the what if scenarios. When it happens THEN we discuss it.I could write a million blogs and article about what might happen . But this patent isn't even recent. This was last year. Do you over analyze every single patent that comes out before it even is confirmed. People are running around looking for hits about used games being blocked and it wasn't even confirmed in any way and yet people are trying to make a story out of it. If Sony had just made this patent fine but people are harping on about something from last year that may not be relevant anymore.

You are just causing more chaos and enforcing rumors that may not be true at all. You can not just say anything,that is the problem with society. You believe that you can say anything and everything with out thinking of consequences of what you do. Make up stuff, jump to conclusions, harp on about nothing, make up imaginary problems and concerns, try to push things that are not confirmed with no details or zero information. That is not basic communication. You are just trying to be chaotic which is why N4G is in the state that it is in.

[123_321]

I doubt ads would pop up while you are playing, that would be insanely annoying.
They would likely show up where they wouldn't effect gameplay, menus and Save/Load screens for example.

[123_321]

Menus and Save/Load screens, for example.
FIXED.

[Hufandpuf]

Here's an example of an in-game ad. it was a feature in BF2143. it had ads that were there to make the game feel realistic in a way.

http://www.flickr.com/photo...

[a08andan]

I am pretty sure that this would only be present in Free-to-Play games and trial versions of games. They can't be stupid enough to put it in games that people have paid full price for.

[Bladesfist]

I disagree, they can and they will. I would not mind it if its done on an ad billboard in game (Like Deus Ex HR). It adds to immersion.