Xbox Ponders Ad Insertion into Games, Patent Filing Suggests

Microsoft-owned Xbox is trying to figure out how to insert ads into games without alienating players, and a recent patent filing suggests it may have found a solution.

The filing describes ads inserted at natural breaks in gameplay, such as after completing a level, or the option to watch an ad for a stretch of ad-free play.

While this is still just an idea, it indicates how video game ads may eventually take shape. The holdup has never been technical, with Xbox having the data and infrastructure to run ads, but rather gamers' hostility towards advertising.