It turns out that, after months of rumors and hints from leadership, Xbox is indeed going to test the waters by introducing ads to cloud game streaming. Rather than begin with a new tier for Xbox Game Pass, Microsoft is experimenting with adding ads for users streaming their own games from the cloud. Similar to NVIDIA’s GeForce Now free offer, players will be limited to a 1-hour session. Microsoft emphasizes that ads will not interrupt gaming sessions and that they have “been built with the player in mind,” and “When done well, advertising can help lower the cost of access.”
Obviously, user metadata can be utilized from various sources (pick an EULA, any EULA for examples of a potential source) to provide ads, and according to Microsoft, they will be used to add to the player’s experience. It’s not the end of the world, and players shouldn’t expect adverts just as they get their crosshairs on an elusive opponent or attempt a crucial racing maneuver with not a millisecond to spare, since it has been emphasized that ads will begin before the game.
- We start with the player. Ads should create value.
- We do not interrupt the flow of gameplay.
- We hold ads to the same quality bar as our content.
- We’re clear about what’s advertising.
- We make sure ads fit what players expect on each platform.
This new ad-supported free service is currently only being offered to Xbox Insiders and is optional; those who choose to try it can opt out at any time. As they say, the proof is in the pudding, and we’ll have to wait and see if Microsoft’s promises hold when it comes to adding value to the gaming experience while catering ads to users. Corporations have long made similar claims; one might wonder how long until various pharmaceutical products, and their endless disclaimers, are shown before a Call of Duty game due to its, ahem, potentially older demographic. If this new approach proves successful, it would not be a surprise to see a similar test for Xbox Game Pass forthcoming.
Discussion (14 replies)
Join Discussion →Hi we see that you're in your 50's and playing Dead or Alive beach volleyball. Here is your add for blue Chew mostly with AI talent to get you to buy your boner gum.
Ads , ive learned to accept, but dang, what is it with the obssesion, feels this is beyond money.
Also, the one thing that should have switched to free " ad suported" is cable at least a decade ago, and yet.
Yeah kind of wild that OTA channels have always been free, but with "ads" aka commercials. Yet cable never figured that out. You would have thought that once they started competing with streaming services they would have at least tried it. I'd probably have "cable" if it was free, but instead if just spent money on a network tuner card to get the free OTA channels to compliment my streaming.
Yeah that was the biggest reason I stopped paying for Cable
OTA was free, with ads. Cable/Satellite - you pay (a lot) for, and still have the ads anyway (maybe even more ads). There are entire channels dedicated to just being ads on Cable... it got to be rediculous.
Eh, thats sounds about what will happen
Youtube is starting to get this way. The amount of ads they're delivering to view videos is getting to be unbearable. In some cases the ads are like 50% the length of the dang video. really makes me want to figure out the "youtube ad blocking" stuff
either that or pitch to the creators to move to a new platform that doesn't shove so many ads down one's throat.
Brave browser.... that is all.
This is the way.
Full disclosure though; I pay for the YT family plan now. We use YT and YT music everywhere e.g. in the cars, out in the yard, BBQ on the breeze way, PCs. I pay about $100 a month for Amazon, YT, and 1Gb internet. That is less than my old cable package with internet early in the century. And that's before adjusting for inflation.
Latency with game streaming sucks every time I try it. I suppose in near future, the exterior home data centers could solve that?
Suggestions on an Nvidia shield then since that's where I watch most the content. I'll give brave browser a try on the desktop though. thanks
From the guy who invented javascript. That could be a reason to admire it or hate it. I use it mainly for Whatsapp Web and some downloading.
Man I forgot that YT even has ads. Haven't seen ads on YT in many years, on either PC or mobile.
Oh that's why, cuz you're not watching PC.
I solved that by avoiding Youtube all together. I can't think of the last thing I watched over there. Every now and then it's almost unavoidable if you are looking for directions on something (many companies are releasing "manuals" as Youtube videos now, which... is another thing that points to me getting old), but really not much there that I'm too interested in.
Do you watch creators or content on another platform or are you too old for that, too? 😂
You guessed correctly - I am too old for that too. I don't watch much screen content at all honestly - occasionally a show on HBO or Netflix, and then games on the PC. Forums and newsfeeds when I'm just stuck with just the phone... and ... apart from what is required for work, I try to find things to do outdoors or travel apart from that. I haven't been to the movies in many years, and I don't watch anything on television any longer (except the Superbowl)