For months there has been speculation about the arrival of commercials in video games. Companies are constantly looking for new business models and, as expected, commercials are one of their most eye-catching alternatives.
According to a recently discovered patent, Roku is looking for a way to show commercials to users of its TVs and other devices, including gamers. Specifically, the company would have gamers see ads when they pause their titles.
Roku wants to show you commercials in your gaming sessions
According to the patent, Roku is looking for an additional way to monetize its products and platforms. To this end, it is working on a system of ads and advertising, which will be activated automatically when it detects that the user is inactive.
The patent discloses a system for controlling the video signal that is displayed through an HDMI port. This detects whether a TV image is active or static. When no activity is registered, then commercials will be displayed.
This applies when a player pauses a title or when a user simply takes a break. The system would not be intrusive, as it would only be activated when the usual activity on a device is not detected. Thus, it would not affect the gamers experience.
With this, Roku also seeks a method to know the practices of its users when using one of its devices. The project is still under development and still needs some adjustments. On the other hand, the patent is no guarantee that it will ever become a reality.
Ads have not yet reached video games as an intrusive business model. However, little by little there are more projects to incorporate them in different ways and offer alternatives to companies in terms of monetization.
