Interstitial advertising in a gaming environment

Abstract

A method of advertising within a game is provided in accordance with an exemplary embodiment. The method comprises identifying a frame of the game, wherein the frame is capable of receiving an advertisement. The identified frame can be presented to a player of the game before, during, or after game play. A time when the identified frame is presented to a player of the game is determined. The method further comprises rendering an advertisement over at least a portion of the frame at the determined time.

1 . A method of advertising within a game, the method comprising:
 identifying a frame of a game;   determining a time when the identified frame is presented to a player of the game; and   rendering, based on the determined time, an advertisement over at least a portion of a first receiving frame of the game, wherein the first receiving frame is presented to the player of the game.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first receiving frame is the identified frame. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first receiving frame is presented to the player of the game after the identified frame is presented to the player of the game such that the advertisement is rendered after the determined time. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising also rendering the advertisement over at least a portion of a second receiving frame of the game, wherein the second receiving frame is presented to the player of the game after the first receiving frame is presented to the player of the game. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising suspending the game for an advertisement duration during which the advertisement is rendered over at least the portion of the first receiving frame. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising preventing the player from removing the advertisement during the advertisement duration. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising identifying a graphical element associated with the identified frame. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein determining the time comprises determining when the game requests the graphical element associated with the identified frame. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein the game requests the graphical element from a graphics library. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising providing a game monitor which is capable of determining when the game requests a graphical element associated with the identified frame. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first receiving frame is a startup frame which is presented prior to game play. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first receiving frame is a game over frame which is presented after the game is over. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first receiving frame is presented during game play. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 identifying a second frame of the game;   determining a second time when the second identified frame is presented to the player of the game; and   removing the advertisement based on the second time.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the advertisement is removed prior to the second time. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the advertisement is removed at the second time. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein the advertisement is removed subsequent to the second time. 
     
     
         18 . A method of advertising within a game, the method comprising:
 identifying a frame of a game;   monitoring requests from the game to a graphics library to identify a time when the game requests a graphical element which is associated with the identified frame; and   rendering, using advertisement display logic and the identified time, the advertisement on a surface which overlays at least a portion of a first receiving frame.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first receiving frame is the identified frame. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the first receiving frame is presented to a player of the game after the identified frame is presented to the player of the game such that the advertisement is rendered after the identified time. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising also rendering the advertisement over at least a portion of a second receiving frame of the game, wherein the second receiving frame is presented to the player of the game after the first receiving frame is presented to the player of the game. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the requests from the game to the graphics library are monitored by a game monitor. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 22 , wherein the game monitor is loaded by an executable file of the game. 
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein the advertisement display logic is loaded by an executable file of the game. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 18 , further comprising suspending the game for an advertisement duration during which the advertisement is rendered over the first receiving frame. 
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 25 , further comprising preventing a player of the game from removing the advertisement during the advertisement duration. 
     
     
         27 . A computer-readable medium having computer-readable instructions stored thereon that, upon execution by a processor, cause the processor to render an advertisement, the instructions comprising:
 identifying a frame of a game;   determining a time when the identified frame is presented to a player of the game; and   rendering, based on the determined time, an advertisement over at least a portion of a first receiving frame.   
     
     
         28 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 27 , wherein determining the time comprises identifying a request from the game to a graphics library for a graphical element associated with the identified frame. 
     
     
         29 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 28 , wherein the graphics library is an operating system graphics library. 
     
     
         30 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 27 , wherein the advertisement is rendered by advertisement display logic which is loaded by an executable file of the game.