Microsoft's Patent Plans Ads During Xbox Gameplay

A new patent has been discovered that could allow Microsoft to inject ads into Xbox games during loading screens and other natural breaks in gameplay.

The patent, called 'Contextually Aware Management of Interactive Software Application Access', describes a system where players receive ad-credits based on the context of the situation.

This means that the game will understand when it's time to show an ad, such as after defeating a boss or completing a quest, and display one accordingly.

The ads can be either video or static images, and players earn more ad-credits by watching them, which gives them another period of ad-free gameplay.