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Apple Patent Application Looks at Converting Video Game Play Into Comic Books

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Apr 12, 2001
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142451-video_game_ebook_data.jpg


Flowchart of video game user data collected for creating eBook or comic book content
Patently Apple takes a look at an off-the-wall Apple patent application published today describing methods to convert a computer user's video game play into a "book, e-book, or comic book".
In accordance with one disclosed embodiment, data may be recorded from a videogame executed on an electronic device. The recorded data may include character information, dialogue from the videogame, and results and metrics reflecting the performance of the user in the videogame. The recorded data may be inserted into a narrative data structure having pregenerated text. In some embodiments, the recorded data may be used as the basis for selecting among a plurality of pregenerated text. A book, e-book, or comic book may be produced from the narrative data structure.
Click to expand...
The book content could then be viewed on an electronic device or printed in hardcopy form.


142451-mass_effect_profile_creation.jpg


Drawing of Mass Effect screenshot showing profile creation options
As an example of how this technology could be used, Apple offers a series of screenshots from the profile creation portion of the video game Mass Effect, showing how information selected or entered by the player could be used to create a narrative for a book based on the game play. Mass Effect in particular offers users differing game play experiences and endings depending on choices made in the game. Apple's suggested technology could allow users an easy way to share their experience in the game with others once the game has been completed.

Article Link: Apple Patent Application Looks at Converting Video Game Play Into Comic Books
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/08/12/apple-patent-application-looks-at-converting-video-game-play-into-comic-books/
likemyorbs

likemyorbs

macrumors 68000
Jul 20, 2008
1,956
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NJ
i dont even know what to say about this. never been more neutral in my life. i just dont get it.
 
9

99-Turbo

macrumors newbie
Jun 24, 2010
8
1
Minneapolis
This is getting perilously close to patenting the generic idea of turning video games into comic books. Simply expressing the idea of doing this necessarily identifies the ways that this can be done.

You can patent a specific method to do this - but you can't patent the concept as a whole.

Interactive movies have done alternate endings based on user input previously - this seems to be an extension of that.
 
Piggie

Piggie

macrumors G3
Feb 23, 2010
9,117
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Yawn.

Dear Apple can you please come back down to planet Earth, realise that Zany ideas and the App store are not all that matters and get back to making the best most advanced computers that normal customers can buy.

Thanks.
 
Lesser Evets

Lesser Evets

macrumors 68040
Jan 7, 2006
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10:1 it's going to be an extremely crappy comic book.

It'll be closer to a photo journal of game play.
 
Doctor Q

Doctor Q

Administrator
Staff member
Sep 19, 2002
39,782
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This is very clever.

You can already save certain games, after you've played them, as XML files, which you can replay to experience the game again, so this could be a new way to present the same data: turn it into a story form.

It's a new type of "choose your own adventure" story, where you experience the story first-hand as a way to create the book.
 
LagunaSol

LagunaSol

macrumors 601
Apr 3, 2003
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Isn't reviewing the bajillion patent applications that are submitted every day a pretty poor way to predict which products we'll actually see in the marketplace?
 
TennisandMusic

TennisandMusic

Guest
Aug 26, 2008
1,339
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How in the heck can Apple patent this? It's just an idea! Ridiculous. On top of that, they completely stole the Mass Effect interface...these guys are patent spamming. Taking other peoples work, throwing in a description of how else it MAY be used, and trying to claim it as their own.

Apple is getting downright dirty lately...
 
S

seb-opp

macrumors 6502
Nov 16, 2008
398
1
London/Norwich
I can see how this could be interesting to some people. Suppose you played through a game but 'turned off' thinking about the plot, then come to the end and aren't sure why or how you got there. That happened to me when I got to the end of Assassin's creed 2, (spoiler alert!) I was left thinking 'who the hell is the Spaniard?' and 'why am I going toe to toe with the Pope?'

If games had this feature you could look through what you had done in the game and understand the plot if you missed something without having to play the whole game again.
 
Lutris

Lutris

macrumors newbie
Aug 11, 2008
18
0
Sounds a bit like the generative text in Dwarf Fortress, extended to a comic book form. Interesting idea, but unless they're really specific there's a lot of prior art.
 
chown33

chown33

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Staff member
Aug 9, 2009
10,743
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A sea of green
This was already done years ago in Hidden Agenda (loved that game). The "verdict of history" was a game-generated narrative that appeared after your term as president ended. It contained highlights of your policy decisions, the events that occurred after, and so on.
 
nagromme

nagromme

macrumors G5
May 2, 2002
12,546
1,196
LagunaSol said:
Isn't reviewing the bajillion patent applications that are submitted every day a pretty poor way to predict which products we'll actually see in the marketplace?
Click to expand...

Yes.

Piggie said:
Yawn.

Dear Apple can you please come back down to planet Earth, realise that Zany ideas and the App store are not all that matters and get back to making the best most advanced computers that normal customers can buy.

Thanks.
Click to expand...

Apple employees have always come up with tons of ideas, which then get patented. They shouldn’t be a source of worry. In fact, if you want Apple’s people to stop brainstorming, that would make their products far worse, not better.
 
A

anubis

macrumors 6502a
Feb 7, 2003
937
50
I wish Apple would put as much effort into improving their pure **** NVIDIA graphics drivers so that I could play Starcraft 2 on something better than "Low" graphics settings on my $2100 iMac
 
M

macus3r

macrumors regular
Aug 30, 2005
107
28
cool idea

this is actually pretty slick.

if this is what i'm thinkin, the actions you take in the game will turn itself into some sort of graphic novel/comic at the end of the game, so you can "read" your history in the game from start to finish.

Video games are a tough sell when it comes to telling a story. There are few video games out there that manage to weave and tell a story to their players because most games are highly 'transactional' in that you do x, you advance to level y, story explanation, do x, move to Y.

Mass effect is a great example. It's such a huge game, that (if you're like me), you lose sight of the overall story.

A comic book would be a great bonus at the end of the game. You could read the comic book and relive all the moments in the game as one short story, vs. something fragmented... makes the gaming experience more complete.

If apple puts their hands into gaming similar to the way they've done with technology, video games may just get a well deserved kick in the ass. this comic book idea is SLICK.
 
C

Crzyrio

macrumors 68000
Jul 6, 2010
1,587
1,110
TennisandMusic said:
How in the heck can Apple patent this? It's just an idea! Ridiculous. On top of that, they completely stole the Mass Effect interface...these guys are patent spamming. Taking other peoples work, throwing in a description of how else it MAY be used, and trying to claim it as their own.

Apple is getting downright dirty lately...
Click to expand...

It is possible, they are patenting a certain way of doing it and not necessarily the whole idea?
 
notjustjay

notjustjay

macrumors 603
Sep 19, 2003
6,056
167
Canada, eh?
It would sure be a boring comic book based on the way I play video games...

And then he died!
And then he tried the level again...

And then he died!
And then he tried the level again...

And then he died!
And then he tried the level again...

And then he died!
And then he tried the level again...

And then...
 
Bubba Satori

Bubba Satori

Suspended
Feb 15, 2008
4,726
3,756
B'ham
apolloa said:
Lovely Apple. Here's just, one, little, idea:

HOW ABOUT RELEASING DECENT PERFORMING UP TO DATE ****ING GRAPHICS DRIVERS FIRST YOU STUPID MORONS!!!!
Click to expand...


+1

But it's the lowest priority from the iSilly company. :apple:

Oh, and how about at least one "Pro" video card for the Mac "Pro"
from the dozens that PC users can choose from.
 
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