Sony plans on enforcing COMPULSORY ADS?

[St33lDr4g0n]

This patent was filed by Sony in May 2012 and granted in November 2012. While Microsoft could follow suit in the anti-used game concept, Sony seems to be going solo with this one. It's possible that they will implement this in the PlaySation 4/Orbis and their other future home entertainment systems too (ex. DVD, Blu-Ray players).


What would you say if THIS suddenly popped up on your screen?

The company's goal this time is to pause your ever-so-peaceful gaming session or movie both online and offline in order to plague you, their loyal and dedicated consumer with what has always been the most feared creatures of both digital gaming and the internet: ADVERTISEMENTS. In my opinion, this patent, compared to all the other ones, is made of PURE EVIL. In addition, it will also rewind your game slash movie, or as Sony calls it, "interactive content" by a few frames just in case you were at a critical point. However, this could also seriously screw up your progress if you're playing a video game (ex. right after beating a boss).

But that's not where it ends, though. If you want to speed towards the end of the ad, you will have to shout out certain brand names depending on the ad (ex. "MacDonalds!!!"), a "feature" which I think is just pure silliness, even for Sony :P

We are not sure if Sony will actually do something this revolting, but if they did, what would you guys think?

Sound off your opinion in the comments :)

Sources:
-http://www.gizmag.com/sony-in-game-advertising/22743/
-http://www.digitaltrends.com/home-th...ds-into-games/

[OokamiReki]

I haven't heard of this before. Where did you hear this information from?

I doubt Sony would actually do something as stupid as this.

[St33lDr4g0n]

Originally Posted by OokamiReki

I haven't heard of this before. Where did you hear this information from?

I doubt Sony would actually do something as stupid as this.

Google this: Sony patent ads in games

[Zet]

Sony could just be patenting these patents to prevent other companies doing it.

[twocows]

For in-game ads? It depends. If they're unobtrusive and fit with the game (something that rarely happens), then they're fine. Think like that mod that replaces some of the brands with their real-world counterparts in GTA:SA. Ads that actually seem to fit and aren't particularly distracting, those I'm fine with. Any other kind is horrible and shouldn't be allowed.

360 already has a lot of ads before you can even load your game, though. That's also silly, especially since they charge for their multiplayer to begin with. It's why I won't ever buy a 360 or any games for it new; I'm not paying a cent to Microsoft for a product like that.

Originally Posted by St33lDr4g0n

Google this: Sony patent ads in games

You should probably provide a link in your main post. Also, the poll's a bit redundant, we're probably going to tell you what we think as a response, anyway.

[Lightning]

More often than not, when a company files a patent, it's simply to defend the idea. There's a good chance Sony has no intention of ever actually implementing this. They've always been very good about their ads so I don't really understand why they'd jump to this.

I'd be fine with it if it was coupled with free games. For example, they already offer hour-long "demos" of full games to PS+ members. I'd endure commercials and ads if I could play a full game for free that way. Or something like that. I can see it working, but they'd have to be very careful about it because it sounds pretty distracting and people wouldn't stand for it unless there was a good reason to.

Originally Posted by twocows

360 already has a lot of ads before you can even load your game, though. That's also silly, especially since they charge for their multiplayer to begin with. It's why I won't ever buy a 360 or any games for it new; I'm not paying a cent to Microsoft for a product like that.

The 360 dashboard gets worse and worse with every iteration. When the ads telling me to buy games or rent movies or buy avatar clothes are bigger than the panel that shows the game I just put into the console, there's a problem. I dread using the console because it takes me so long just to find my list of games if I'm not playing something right off a disc. (And even then, if it's been a while it still takes me a bit to figure out how to get it going because there's so much crap on the screen fighting for my attention.)

And the worst part is, all those ads show up whether you're a Gold member or a Silver member, right? So even if I pay them $60/year (which I no longer do and probably never will again), I'm still subjected to the same number of ads. I guess that's akin to paying for cable/satellite and still having to watch the ads but at least I get more TV content than ads when I watch something which is not my experience with the overcrowded dashboard. Sony's ads, on the other hand, are so classy. You only see 'em when you're resting on the PS Store icon and the small, scrolling marquee in the corner can be toggled on and off. The ads aren't intrusive at all.

[St33lDr4g0n]

There. Sources added :) Can't seem to remove poll, though...

[Aeon]

The 360 dashboard already has ads plastered all over it, so I wouldn't be surprised if this were implemented (except that gets uglier with every update. Sony at least knows when to keep things put.) Then again though, like Zet said, Sony might be doing this so no one else can.

[Team Fail]

I don't mind having ads on my 360 Dashboard, mostly because I just ignore them. However, if I were in the middle of something and a Netflix ad popped up, I wouldn't be happy. I just find one thing about all of this really odd: Why should you have to yell something to bypass the ad? What if they don't have a microphone? It seems a little silly to do that.

Hopefully what Zet said will be true, but if they implement it, I wouldn't mind what Lightning said about having ads in demos.

[Captain Fabio]

No way, in hell, would Sony have adverts pop up mid gaming session.

As people have said above me, it will be something to do with an idea Sony have. They might have something like the XBL dash, but who knows.

[NatureKeeper]

It can be for ad-supported games if Sony wants to try a free-to-play model.

...I seriously never knew patents could stoop so low. :/

EDIT: And by that, I meant really, really basic patents a kid can think of.