—>This generation of game consoles has adapted the PC tradition of updating games with downloadable patches to smooth out glitches and add new features. With an update to its PlayStation 3 hovercraft racer Wipeout HD, Sony added yet another facet to the experience — pre-race commercials that caused longer-than-necessary load times.

Joystiq on the horror (which has since been corrected):

As demonstrated by a user-captured video, the standard load time for WipEout HD is about eight seconds long. If an advertisement plays, the load time increases more than twofold: to nineteen seconds.

In-game ads for paid games are fine as long as they're organic and non-intrusive, but this one speed-jumped over the line.

UPDATE: Sony has corrected the problem and vowed not to let it happen again.

Double Fusion slows down WipEout HD with ads [Joystiq]
(Photo: jpghouse)