Xbox has announced that it will test a new ad-based system for its game streaming service. According to the Pocket Gamer Podcast, ads would be shown every hour while players are streaming games, which raises questions about how disruptive they could be during a session. Mobile gaming has used this kind of ad strategy for some time. Will pointed to Wish Upon A Cat, a point-and-click adventure that tells players from the start that it will show five ads across the entire experience. Because he knew the ads were coming, he said he felt less annoyed by them, suggesting that expectation can make ads easier to accept. The hosts discussed whether ads tied to a game's universe and of real value to players would work better. They wondered, for example, whether a document players are meant to read in Shelter From the Storm could be sponsored by an office supply chain. But they acknowledged the same idea would feel odd in a game like Genshin Impact. Among the suggestions were a banner at the bottom of the screen, asking players what types of ads they would like to see, and running ads on loading screens. Iwan argued that a bottom banner would take away from the verisimilitude of a game. Will suggested hiding secret codes inside ads to reward players who watch them. Iwan countered with a real-world coupon, such as one that could be used for a free burger somewhere. These ideas could make ads feel less like an interruption and more like a potential benefit. The episode concluded that it comes down to how players respond, since mobile players have long encountered this kind of advertising. The hosts also invited listeners to send in their thoughts on Xbox's experiment. Xbox's test is not happening in a vacuum: mobile games have relied on ads for years, so the model is already familiar to many players, including Somali mobile players. If the experiment works, streamed games may carry ads just as routinely, and that could change what players everywhere expect from future titles.