A new Sony patent will allow the company to pause your gameplay while it serves up advertising. Delightful. In the illustration submitted with the patent, cars are racing against other cars and some louder speakers or warning lights are show. The gameplay pauses and then a soda ad appears. After the ad is served the game resumes.

Companies have tried subtle and not-so-subtle ways of advertising in games but this might be the most irritating way of handling it that we have seen. On the other hand advertiser-sponsored games could give players access to AAA titles without having to pay the premium prices usually associated with them.

How Sony would use this type of patent (beyond irritating players) we do not know, but we'll keep you posted on it.