Microsoft has filed a patent for a new system designed to make in-game advertisements less disruptive, utilizing machine learning to analyze player activity and determine optimal times for ad delivery. The patent, titled “Contextually Aware Management of Interactive Software Application Access,” aims to avoid a "negative use experience" by integrating ads more seamlessly into gameplay.
The proposed system could identify moments when players are least likely to be engaged in critical gameplay, such as during pauses, in safe zones, or after completing specific objectives like levels or matches. The patent suggests that ads might be timed around events such as "progression or events in the interactive software application, such as 5 rounds of gameplay, completing one level of a video game, completing 3 online matches, defeating a non-playable character (NPC), or completing a project or task."
One implementation described in the patent involves a "credit" system. Players could earn credits, visible or invisible, for viewing advertisements. These credits could then be used to delay subsequent ads, potentially allowing players to "view another promoted content to earn additional credits." The system might also provide information on the duration of an upcoming ad or advise on whether viewing an ad is beneficial given the current in-game situation, effectively gamifying the ad consumption process.
To achieve this contextual awareness, the system could employ machine learning algorithms to analyze various data points, including "video information, audio information [or] game state data." This AI would learn to correlate user interface notifications with in-game events, such as recognizing when a health pack use corresponds to a health bar increase. It could also be trained to avoid interrupting significant or "popular" in-game moments, like a critical play in a sports game or a rare loot drop.
This patent aligns with Microsoft's recent trials of ad-supported Xbox cloud gaming, where the company stated ads would be held to a high quality bar and would not interrupt gameplay flow. Electronic Arts has also indicated plans to experiment further with in-game advertising billboards. The patent details a sophisticated approach that moves beyond static billboards, aiming to dynamically integrate ads based on a deep understanding of player engagement and game state.