The application was filed in February, but only published this month. While it's heavy on fluff, the gist of the patent is that Google would like to be able to alter existing YouTube videos in order to create "interactive games" within the service.

There are many possibilities as to what this would leave us with; we could get custom vids created with games in mind, we could get "choose your own adventure" deals, we could get something...else that I just can't wrap my head around at this moment.

Google Might Get Into Hosted Gaming Via YouTube [bnet, via Slashdot]

The patent for an "Expandable Control Device Via Hardware Attachment" touches on a number of control options. According to details from the patent, Sony's motion controller may offer the option to join two motion control units together lengthwise—previously seen in an earlier patent—or in an H-shape.

And as pictured above, a unique, secondary controller attachment may offer a solution to the one DualShock in one hand, one motion controller in the other hand scheme seen at Sony's Tokyo Game Show press conference.

Other potentially interesting add-on possibilities are attachments shaped like a baseball bat, a the business end of a flashlight and a rattle-like sphere that's very maraca like.

Perhaps more interesting is a proposed biometric reader attachment, including a "thumb reader used to validate the identity of the person holding the controller by analyzing the biometric data provided by the attachment."

Additional possibilities included microphone attachments and swappable control faceplates—letting the player customize whether a motion controller has buttons or a d-pad or even a dial.

Of course, this is a patent, not a product announcement. Sony could simply release the motion controller as previously seen, with none of these possibilities becoming actual products. But take a look at some of the drawings in the gallery below and check out the patent to see what Sony may have in mind.

Expandable Control Device Via Hardware Attachment [USPTO.gov]

Sony's patent for a "Method and Apparatus For Real-Time Viewer Interaction With A Media Presentation" was filed back in April, but eagle-eyed patent watcher Siliconera spied it today. The patent essentially describes a system that would show viewers in avatar form, overlaying a "media presentation" such as a movie or TV show, letting them interact with on screen action.

That interaction as described in the patent includes behavior like throwing tomatoes at an actor's face—complete with face and target tracking—and shooting games, specifically shooting a spider off an actor's back. A third example shows on-screen avatars kicking an actor "in the behind."

Kind of like Microsoft's Xbox 360 game You're In The Movies, only appealing.

Those avatars are shown seated in the foreground of the screen, on top of existing media, not unlike the cast of Mystery Science Theater 3000. (The patent actually makes mention of MST3K in the background of the invention.)

If we're reading the patent right, it looks like it may apply to pre-existing media, like DVDs or streamed Netflix content, as well as video content that could be meta-tagged to identify interactive areas. In other words, facial recognition from video content could be targets, but specific games could also be designed around the system.

Furthermore, the patent data has advertising already in mind, with Nike logos and Coca-Cola cans offered as possible overlays on top of existing media.

The diagrams showcasing the invention show off an interface that fits with Sony's motion controller set up, which uses the PlayStation Eye and its built-in microphones in tandem with handheld controllers.

Of course, all this avatar ass-kicking and spider shootin' misses a key component of the MST3K experience—the laughs.

Method and Apparatus For Real-Time Viewer Interaction With A Media Presentation [USPTO via Siliconera]

The patent, #7,559,834 was invented by James York of Austin, Texas and filed back in the original Xbox era on December 2, 2002.

Seven years later, this is what the government assigns Microsoft a patent to:

A squad-based shooter video game allows players to dynamically join and leave the game, while that game is in progress, without the players having to save and restart the game. When a new player joins an in-progress game, a new squad member is allocated to the new player and the screen is split to present a viewing panel for the new player that depicts scenes from the perspective of the new squad member. When an existing player leaves the game, the screen is unsplit to remove the viewing panel for the exiting player and that player's squad member becomes part of the squad being controlled by the remaining player(s).

The patent specifically refers to squad-based shooter games, reducing the likelihood that it would apply to, say, re-making Halo matchmaking so that online battles were persistent with players smoothly dropping in and out. Instead, it reads like a brief on the co-op in Gears of War 2.

The patent is full of sketches (including the one in this post) that depict a shooter game being played on the original Xbox.

Microsoft did not return Kotaku's request by press time to elaborate on why the company patented this concept.

UPDATE: Several readers have noted the sketches included in the patent resemble screenshots from Xbox co-op shooter Brute Force, which was developed by the now-shuttered Digital Anvil. The company, like the inventor noted here, were based in Austin, Texas.

On June 23, the United States granted Nintendo patent number 7,5489,923 a more than 11,000-word patent invented by WarioWare director Goro Abe and two other men that is summarized as follows:

A game apparatus includes: a plurality of operation controllers to be operated by separate players; obtained partial area storage locations for storing a partial area obtained by each player as an obtained partial area; a partial area choice mechanism for allowing each player to choose a partial area in turns; a single-player-mode game execution mechanism for, when a partial area is chosen, executing a single-player-mode game for a player who has chosen the partial area; and an obtained partial area adding mechanism for, depending on a result of the single-player-mode game, storing the partial area chosen by the player who has played the single-player-mode game as an obtained partial area of the players in the obtained partial area storage locations.

Untangling that and reading through the patent, we believe Nintendo has affirmed its right to an integration of mini-game video games and the classic black-and-white token-flipping game Othello.

The invention calls for a video game's game board set up like a grid of spaces. Players stake control of those spaces by playing mini-games, by themselves or against the other players. The mini-games get harder for players who have more skill.

The patented concept reads exactly like the description of the Milky Way Delirium mode in 2004's WarioWare: Mega Games for the GameCube. Remember that WarioWare games are comprised of hundreds of mini-games, which are fired at one or more players in rapid succession, leaving the game just seconds to succeed in each one before the next comes along. The GameCube version of the game was focused on multiplayer and included the Othello-like Milky Way Delirium mode.

The Nintendo inventors explain in the patent filing that traditional Othello "is monotonous because it is prescribed so that players can place their pieces on the board whenever their turns come." And they lament that games like Mario Party are potentially imbalanced because really good players can beat inferior ones at every mini-game: "A player of great competence will hold an overwhelmingly dominant position from start to finish, making the development of the game so one-sided that the enjoyment of the game will be spoiled."

The company's solution is the patented technique described here, which tunes the difficulty of each mini-game that is launched in the Nintendo video game to the player it is being launched at. Head-to-head competition among potentially differently-skilled players in the same mini-game only on rare occasions. (One thing we haven't been able to confirm is whether Milky Way Delirium managed per-player dynamic difficulty as described in this patent).

Milky Way Delirium didn't make any headlines in 2004 as far as we can recall, but Nintendo thinks this is an idea worth protecting.

Some background: when the PS3 first launched, it was backwards-compatible, meaning you could play PlayStation 2 games on your new PlayStation 3. The 20GB and 60GB units released in North America and Japan featured hardware emulation (they literally had a PS2 chip inside), while those released in PAL territories featured software emulation (similar to how the 360 handles original Xbox games).

Later, though, this feature was removed. Anyone buying a 40GB, a later model of the 80GB or the 120GB PS3 can't play a single PS2 game on them. It was a stupid, stupid move on the part of Sony.

A patent discovered by Siliconera, however, suggests that Sony might be re-thinking this stance. Filed in December 2008, it's basically a patent for a method that would allow the PS3's Cell chip to translate code from the PS2's Emotion Engine. Not half-assed software emulation (which in previous PS3 models couldn't run some games), full, total replication of the functionality of the Emotion Engine.

Which means, theoretically at least, you could play any PS2 game on any PS3, regardless of the model or year of release.

Whether this would allow you to play actual PS2 discs, or would just be the advance party for the sale of PS2 downloads on the PlayStation Store is unclear. We'd like the former, but with Sony being a business and all, would expect the latter.

Sony Patents Emotion Engine Emulation Technology For Cell Processors [Siliconera]

I'm no patent inspector or IP attorney, but what's being described here looks like an application of the Wiimote, not some new hardware or peripheral. By using the Wiimote inits pointer mode, kids (or those with developmental disabilities) work on activities such as identifying shapes, recognizing letters and colors and animals. The software will offer some audiovisual cue and the little tyke will use the Wiimote to register the correct answer. For example, What is Mario fondling in this picture? That's right, he's fondling a SKUNK. (OK, he's fondling a cat.)

Using the Wiimote's motion capabilities, kids can simulate certain chores or personal hygiene tasks, reinforcing their necessity and teaching responsibility for them. Mario and Pikachu are depicted in the filing as characters involved in this game. The application also makes reference to other licensed characters, like Dora the Explorer and Bob the Builder.

Siliconera found the filing yesterday. This isn't proof of an actual product under development. Nintendo could also be working on something along these lines that comes out completely different. But it does give a good hint that Ninty's taking a hard look at the edutainment market.

Is Nintendo Taking a Big Step Toward Edutainment [Siliconera via Joystiq]

There are some great little nuggets here, from an early design for the Nintendo Powerglove — sorry, "Forearm mounted multi-axis remote control unit" — to a 'button presser' that lets you hit two buttons alternately by rolling the device back and forth. This sounds ridiculous, until you think about Track & Field.

There is even a slice of true console history in the form of a prototype for the first NES cartridge.

My favorite, though, has to be the SEGA racing controller/game pictured above that has an actual model car that moves left to right on a shelf in front of your TV. Come on SEGA, the time is right for this thing to see the light of day - bring it out on a current-gen console & you will clean up.

News: Old videogame patents [InsertCredit via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Nintendo Faces Patent Lawsuit, Apparently Over DS Touch Screen [GamePolitics]

UPDATE - While this particular patent is more recent, it's actually the continuation of a series of patents first filed all the way back in 1995.

...the absolute x- and y-positions of [the] remote control can be used, for example, in video games to position a user's character or to otherwise track the movement of the remote control in a user's environment.

Thats right, the directional arrow which points to where you should go next is actually patented by Sega.

http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20080309-patents-on-video-game-mechanics-may-strangle-innovation.html

The US Patent and Trademark Office has taken a much more vague approach to determining what may or may not be patented. Its guidelines for patent examiners requires that the invention produce a concrete, useful, and tangible result, and gameplay patents are being allowed.

[Video games] are not inventions at all in the normal sense of the word. They are imaginary systems. Unlike mathematical theorems (which cannot be patented), game rules don't even have to be coherent — though obviously they should be for playability reasons.

The Designer's Notebook: Damn All Gameplay Patents! [Gamasutra][image]

For the release of Guitar Hero III, however, we're starting to see some evidence of the licensing of Konami's patents for the ultra-successful Activision franchise, now at developer Neversoft. Gamasutra's Simon Carless explains the relationship between multiple parties, including one that, oddly enough, was originally in an MTV branded product, not unlike the upcoming Rock Band.

A fine piece of investigatin' by the gang at Gamasutra.

Exploring Guitar Hero III's Patent Secrets [Gamasutra]

Thank the stars a patent that was filed a year ago by Nintendo at the US Patent & Trademark Office for an "Invitation System for On-Line Video Games" has recently been published. This patent basically includes what is already standard on Xbox Live which is enabling users to automatically see when their friends log on, though it is unknown if the Wii can even do this, with or without a patent. The hope is that this will mean more online multi-player gaming outside of Mario Strikers. And of course, less cleaning days. Kim Phu

Invitation and Wii Online Gaming... [Codename Revolution]

The rumble. That Crazy Taxi arrow. And Pong. Website Gamasutra has a smart look at the industry's ten most important patents based on these metrics:

• Relativity to Video Games
• Financial Value
• Technological Importance
• The It-Factor

Gamasutra explains further:

Politics aside, it's difficult to select the top 10 video game patents when multiple patents have accomplished similar stature. Thus, we provide our top 10 types of video game patents, with examples for each. And by "type," we refer to what the patent (or its owner) has accomplished in the industry based on the invention described in the patent (i.e., we gave preference to patents that were actually enforced at some time or another).

A difficult, if not impossible, task. Head over and check out the full list. It's a good read. Brian Ashcraft

Important Patents [Gamasutra]

All this newfangled full-body gaming has me a little worried about the upcoming heart attack epidemic. I intend to play Red Steel until I keel over from sheer awesome, and I'm sure not a few fanboys will suffer Twilight Princess-related "fishing accidents".

It comes as no surprise that Nike is wiggling their way deeper into this possibly damning fruit. They've registered a new patent for game-friendly shoe-related peripherals that will communicate with your PC or console, turning real miles clocked in your tennies into valuable in-game cash and prizes.

According to the patent, the game-pod could be configured to measure heart rate or even blood oxygen content, thereby foiling potential dodges such as driving your trainers around in a car.

No partnerships with developers have yet been announced, but all I can think about is that old NES Power Pad you were supposed to jog on, but that everyone just put on the floor and slapped with their hands. Eliza Gauger

Nike game-pod forces gamers off butts [Computer and Video Games]

How odd. Though video game patents usually seem to vaguely describe some rather obvious technical innovation. This time, though, Nintendo has taken it upon itself to request a patent that vaguely describes some sort of rather obvious gameplay innovation. In this case, in regards to multiplayer Pokemon. Ah, progress!

Nintendo describes the multi-player, portable version of its Pokemon game in this patent. In the pokemon game, each player collects and trains pokemon. When another player is encountered, the pokemon battle each other and the winner captures the loser's pokemon. Capturing a pokemon includes transferring information about its appearance, strength, etc. to the wining player's game machine.

I'm particularly tickled by the patent illustration, which looks like a Pokemon screenshot as illustrated by memory by a patent attorney. Florian Eckhardt

Patent: U.S. Pat. No. 6,764,402 (Pokemon) [Patent Arcade]

Someone should just flush the entire patent system down the toilet: ultimately, patent disputes are as tedious as they are frivolous. And anytime companies get involved in a gaming-oriented patent dispute, it's usually bad for gamers.

For example, Anascape Ltd, a Texas-based company, is alleging that Nintendo and Microsoft are in breach of no less than twelve of their controller patents. What patents are they? Very precise ones, naturally: "Remote Controller with Analog Button", "3D Controller With Vibration" and "Game Controller with Analogue Pressure Sensor" are the peachiest examples.

Obviously, Anascape wants an assload of money. Let's hope this ends differently than the Immersion rumble fiasco... I don't want to lose analog on my controller. Florian Eckhardt

Microsoft, Nintendo sued over games controller [Inquirer]

Looks like someone besides hyperactive fan boys (we count ourselves amongst their noble ranks) have noticed Nintendo's recent tendency for running off at the patent mouth. The Electronics Frontier Foundation have updated their list of Top 10 patent abusers and number 8 on the list? Well, we spoiled it in the first sentence... it's Nintendo!

In particular, they are upset by Nintendo's attempt to patent emulation, which is protected under fair-use doctrine. Said Jason Schultz at the EFF:

. "A bunch of small game companies are writing these emulators, and they're really no threat to Nintendo,"

Of course, big video game companies trying to squash emulation development is nothing new. But patenting emulation as a whole? It's hard to look at that as anything less than delusional. Florian Eckhardt

EFF Publishes Patent Hit List [Wired]

Nintendo of Japan has registered two new Wii-related trademarks: WiiPointer and WiiCulture. Details are scant, but it's likely the WiiPointer is connected with the Wii-mote. But, WiiCulture? That's either the console's answer to Touch Generations or some hippy campfire sing-a-long. Brian Ashcraft

More Here [Go Nintendo]