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Sony Patents To Let Players Replay Campaign From Any Possible Point

Electret

Member
Every patent thread on every gaming forum always goes the same: nobody understands what is actually being patented but makes sweeping judgments anyway. To be fair, patents are somewhat arcane, and I find the type of outlets reporting on game patents don't themselves understand what was published, compounding the misunderstanding.

The claims of a patent are what you're actually obtaining a patent on. Forget the summary and abstract. For this application, this is what is being patented:

A method for generating streaming content with gameplay launch points, the method comprising:
  • receiving user-generated content associated with an interactive content title, wherein the user-generated content includes one or more different scenes recorded from a gameplay session of the interactive content title;
  • identifying trigger points corresponding to different portions of the user-generated content, wherein each trigger point is associated with a set of game data from the gameplay session;
  • generating a media content stream by combining a set of the different scenes with a corresponding set of the trigger points;
  • monitoring a stream of the generated media content stream over a communication network to a user device; and
  • receiving a selection of one of the trigger points in the set from a display of one of the scenes in the set of different scenes, wherein an interactive environment of the interactive content title is launchable based on the set of game data associated with the selected trigger point.


This is quite clearly not "chapter select" or "checkpoints". My interpretation is combining save states with game recordings, such that a viewer of a game recording can launch the game from a particular place in the recording in the state the game was in at that place in the recording.
 
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mhirano

Member
Every patent thread on every gaming forum always goes the same: nobody understands what is actually being patented but makes sweeping judgments anyway. To be fair, patents are somewhat arcane, and I find the type of outlets reporting on game patents don't themselves understand what was published, compounding the misunderstanding.

The claims of a patent are what you're actually obtaining a patent on. Forget the summary and abstract. For this application, this is what is being patented:

A method for generating streaming content with gameplay launch points, the method comprising:
  • receiving user-generated content associated with an interactive content title, wherein the user-generated content includes one or more different scenes recorded from a gameplay session of the interactive content title;
  • identifying trigger points corresponding to different portions of the user-generated content, wherein each trigger point is associated with a set of game data from the gameplay session;
  • generating a media content stream by combining a set of the different scenes with a corresponding set of the trigger points;
  • monitoring a stream of the generated media content stream over a communication network to a user device; and
  • receiving a selection of one of the trigger points in the set from a display of one of the scenes in the set of different scenes, wherein an interactive environment of the interactive content title is launchable based on the set of game data associated with the selected trigger point.


This is quite clearly not "chapter select" or "checkpoints". My interpretation is combining save states with game recordings, such that a viewer of a game recording can launch the game from a particular place in the recording in the state the game was in at that place in the recording.
This will enable some interesting Let’s Play streamings
 
Im trying to imagine this working with a game like ff7 for example. Suppose you wanted to jump to a point of the game on the 3rd disc. How would these checkpoints work considering all the variables like materia collected and item quantities etc? There could be generic profiles that would appropriately represent an average playthrough and just set you in motion from [starting point].

Its an interesting concept if you havent played the game in a long time and lost all previous save files. Maybe Im in the mood to fight cyborg ninja and/or metal gear rex.. just browse thru the Sony Interactive Nostalgia Library and youll soon be hearing Hurt Me More! and Did You Like My Sunglasses?
 

Panajev2001a

GAF's Pleasant Genius
Every patent thread on every gaming forum always goes the same: nobody understands what is actually being patented but makes sweeping judgments anyway. To be fair, patents are somewhat arcane, and I find the type of outlets reporting on game patents don't themselves understand what was published, compounding the misunderstanding.

The claims of a patent are what you're actually obtaining a patent on. Forget the summary and abstract. For this application, this is what is being patented:

A method for generating streaming content with gameplay launch points, the method comprising:
  • receiving user-generated content associated with an interactive content title, wherein the user-generated content includes one or more different scenes recorded from a gameplay session of the interactive content title;
  • identifying trigger points corresponding to different portions of the user-generated content, wherein each trigger point is associated with a set of game data from the gameplay session;
  • generating a media content stream by combining a set of the different scenes with a corresponding set of the trigger points;
  • monitoring a stream of the generated media content stream over a communication network to a user device; and
  • receiving a selection of one of the trigger points in the set from a display of one of the scenes in the set of different scenes, wherein an interactive environment of the interactive content title is launchable based on the set of game data associated with the selected trigger point.


This is quite clearly not "chapter select" or "checkpoints". My interpretation is combining save states with game recordings, such that a viewer of a game recording can launch the game from a particular place in the recording in the state the game was in at that place in the recording.
Well summarised thanks :).
 

Thick Thighs Save Lives

NeoGAF's Physical Games Advocate Extraordinaire
Every patent thread on every gaming forum always goes the same: nobody understands what is actually being patented but makes sweeping judgments anyway. To be fair, patents are somewhat arcane, and I find the type of outlets reporting on game patents don't themselves understand what was published, compounding the misunderstanding.

The claims of a patent are what you're actually obtaining a patent on. Forget the summary and abstract. For this application, this is what is being patented:

A method for generating streaming content with gameplay launch points, the method comprising:
  • receiving user-generated content associated with an interactive content title, wherein the user-generated content includes one or more different scenes recorded from a gameplay session of the interactive content title;
  • identifying trigger points corresponding to different portions of the user-generated content, wherein each trigger point is associated with a set of game data from the gameplay session;
  • generating a media content stream by combining a set of the different scenes with a corresponding set of the trigger points;
  • monitoring a stream of the generated media content stream over a communication network to a user device; and
  • receiving a selection of one of the trigger points in the set from a display of one of the scenes in the set of different scenes, wherein an interactive environment of the interactive content title is launchable based on the set of game data associated with the selected trigger point.


This is quite clearly not "chapter select" or "checkpoints". My interpretation is combining save states with game recordings, such that a viewer of a game recording can launch the game from a particular place in the recording in the state the game was in at that place in the recording.
Thanks for the well made and easy to read post on this new Sony patent. I've added it to the OP.
 
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StueyDuck

Member
I see a use for this in a small capacity...

But it seems likes such a waste of resources. Compared to say, proper backwards compatibility

As always though, a patent means nothing, doesn't mean they are actually putting lots of resources into this and it will be implemented
 
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StueyDuck

Member
This is quite clearly not "chapter select" or "checkpoints". My interpretation is combining save states with game recordings, such that a viewer of a game recording can launch the game from a particular place in the recording in the state the game was in at that place in the recording.
Yeah, essentially my take is that they wanted to mimic that Google stadia promised "I have no clue if they ever did" feature where you could have a unique identifier that pointed to a save state, for stadia you would basically have a generated url you could use to load up a save state
 
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YeulEmeralda

Linux User
Most people don't even finish 1 playthrough.

So this patent is only for a minority and allows for people to quickly jump to a specific part of a game.
If they would implement such a system, I'd assume it'll be a general feature and not something specific to Sony's 1st party titles.
Like a debug menu?
 

Killjoy-NL

Gold Member
Like a debug menu?
I guess what this guy explained:
Every patent thread on every gaming forum always goes the same: nobody understands what is actually being patented but makes sweeping judgments anyway. To be fair, patents are somewhat arcane, and I find the type of outlets reporting on game patents don't themselves understand what was published, compounding the misunderstanding.

The claims of a patent are what you're actually obtaining a patent on. Forget the summary and abstract. For this application, this is what is being patented:

A method for generating streaming content with gameplay launch points, the method comprising:
  • receiving user-generated content associated with an interactive content title, wherein the user-generated content includes one or more different scenes recorded from a gameplay session of the interactive content title;
  • identifying trigger points corresponding to different portions of the user-generated content, wherein each trigger point is associated with a set of game data from the gameplay session;
  • generating a media content stream by combining a set of the different scenes with a corresponding set of the trigger points;
  • monitoring a stream of the generated media content stream over a communication network to a user device; and
  • receiving a selection of one of the trigger points in the set from a display of one of the scenes in the set of different scenes, wherein an interactive environment of the interactive content title is launchable based on the set of game data associated with the selected trigger point.


This is quite clearly not "chapter select" or "checkpoints". My interpretation is combining save states with game recordings, such that a viewer of a game recording can launch the game from a particular place in the recording in the state the game was in at that place in the recording.
 

Three

Member
Explain it to me like I'm five, then. Because it sort of just sounds like a save state system enforced at the application level.

And turning each 'save state' into a checkpoint categorized into a chapter select.
A save state dumps the entire ram into storage at discreet points. You would be eating massive amounts of storage like that if you want to load at ANY point. This is using the variable parameters to rebuild a "state" at any point in the game. If I'm understanding the patent properly that is.
 
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Myths

Member
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SHA

Member
For AAs, not AAA, or AA marketed as AAA to be more precise, since going back and forth in AAA is an unpleasant experience.
 

AJUMP23

Parody of actual AJUMP23
I like that I can replay a mission in RDR2, I don't like that it gives me generic stats and stuff for that mission. Just send me to that mission with all my cool stuff.
 
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