{"ok":true,"trend":{"id":6705,"platform":"hn","region":"global","key":"microsoft patents system to freeze games and inject ads during downtimes","title":"Microsoft patents system to freeze games and inject ads during downtimes","url":"https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/microsoft-patents-system-to-freeze-games-and-inject-ads-during-downtimes-watching-commercials-earns-ad-free-playtime-credits","first_seen":"2026-09-26T18:01:40.622254Z","last_seen":"2026-09-26T20:38:48.559195Z","last_rank":6,"peak_rank":5,"last_volume":43,"peak_volume":43,"seen_count":3,"score":69.93,"category_hint":"gaming","section":"culture","category":"gaming","summary":"Microsoft has patented a system that would freeze a running game and play advertisements during the pause, with players earning ad-free playtime credits for watching commercials. The filing, reported by Tom's Hardware, describes injecting ads into downtime moments rather than interrupting active play. Gamers online are criticizing the idea as intrusive and a further encroachment of advertising into paid products, while others note companies often patent concepts they never implement.","why":"The patent suggests gaming could include forced advertising, a prospect players find worrying and controversial.","tone":"negative","entities":["Microsoft","Tom's Hardware"],"summarized_at":"2026-09-26T20:11:34.892103Z","meta":{"via":"scan","lang":"en","link":"https://www.tomshardware.com/video-games/microsoft-patents-system-to-freeze-games-and-inject-ads-during-downtimes-watching-commercials-earns-ad-free-playtime-credits","term":"video game","comments":18},"nw":0.44,"promo":0.04,"kind":"news_event","importance":1.65,"hidden":false,"hide_reason":null,"judged_at":"2026-09-26T18:01:40.982641Z","title_en":"Microsoft patents system to pause games for ads","section_name":"Culture","category_name":"Gaming","timeline":[{"captured_at":"2026-09-26T18:01:40.622254Z","rank":5,"volume":43},{"captured_at":"2026-09-26T19:18:34.950093Z","rank":6,"volume":43},{"captured_at":"2026-09-26T20:38:48.559195Z","rank":6,"volume":43}],"posts":[{"platform":"hn","url":"https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=49791978","author":"ricobecks","title":"Microsoft patents system to freeze games and inject ads during downtimes","snippet":null,"posted_at":"2026-09-21T19:16:40Z","likes":43}],"elsewhere":[],"window":"7d"}}