Microsoft has filed a patent for a system that can interrupt games on PC and consoles with ads at "natural stopping points," such as after a boss fight, cutscenes, and more.
An example in the filing described a racing game where the player's car would actually be paused as the ad played. Once the ad would finish, gameplay would resume and players could get "credit" to grant another block of ad-free time.
The feature is not officially on the way, and Microsoft's plans for it aren't clear. The patent was filed on April 23 and was published Sep. 3.