I think the ads cut into the game's general ambiance. I always touted Wipeout HD for being a great deal at $20 USD, for having few bugs, for having a sexy layout, tons of features, and so much more! It was, as far as a not-super-hardcore driver like myself, the ultimate Wipeout experience with nothing held back! Wipeout HD could take me out of the real world for a while and just let me experience pure racing bliss. Sure, the developers deserve money, but maybe they should have just released the game on Blu-Ray and charged a bit more. (which I would have loved, by the way)