Browsing: Microsoft

A newly published Microsoft patent application describes a system that would pause a game to show ads and then reward players with extra play time. The filing lays out how those interruptions could be timed so they do not cost a player an online match.

We’ve seen some really interesting developments around Xbox this year as Microsoft has been working to restore gamers’ faith in the brand. However, the latest news could push the company in the other direction as far as users are concerned. Not only have we seen Xbox cutting tons of jobs this year, but now it…

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Xbox is currently in the middle of a “reset” under new CEO Asha Sharma. This so-called corporate reset has mainly consisted of a lot of layoffs, with more to come, as well as Microsoft divesting from many studios and shuffling franchises and teams around, like moving Halo under Activision. And Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella seems…

Welcome back to yet another roundup of MMO and MMO-adjacent industry news! Today’s headlines feature a couple of pieces of gadget news, and yes, both of them are a little bit odd. But we’ll start with the one that’s a bit closer to our immediate interests here at MOP.

Microsoft has patented an “ad-credit” system to display adverts and announcements during PC and Xbox game sessions without disrupting gameplay.

A gamer plays with an Xbox controller at the Gamescom Asia X Thailand Game Show 2025 in Bangkok, Thailand, on October 18, 2025. (Photo by Anusak Laowilas/NurPhoto

Most narratively driven computer games don’t change much once they’re released to the public. But what if AI could change a game based on how a player interacts with it? A patent filed by Microsoft in June might allow future Xbox games to do just that. 

A patent application dated September 3, and seemingly first spotted by the gaming blog Respawn First paints a picture of future gaming that feels a little like the old “insert coin” arcade model. But instead of inserting a coin to continue, Microsoft would insert an advertisement. Into the player’s brain.

Gamers walk past the XBOX booth during the Gamescom 2026 computer gaming fair at Koelnmesse on August 27, 2026 in Cologne, Germany. (Photo: Andreas Rentz