Sony appears to have patented a slightly odd new way to play social games online. The patent is for a “system for converting television commercials into interactive networked video games”. It refers to broadcast or streamed commercials and allows for traditionally inserted adverts like commercial breaks but also makes mention of adverts overlaid on television programs. So you can wipe the beads of moisture from an ice cold Coke while watching the latest gratuitous rutting in Game of Thrones.
The patent mentions the PlayStation 2 and PlayStation 3 as potential platforms but the illustrations are all of the PlayStation 3, PS Eye and Move. Shame, it would have been hilarious to see them launch something like this on the PS2.
There are a number of illustrations along with the claim, uncovered by the GameNMotion blog. In one, a user appears to be using Move to steer a car around a track for Domino’s Pizza while in others, the social aspect is reflected by choosing burger fillings. Collaboratively. Over the internet.
It appears to be used to select types of content using voice input, vote in polls and interact with object inside TV programs so you can shoot (birds, in the illustration) at things on the screen. Coronation Street might be watchable again if I can nudge someone’s pint off the bar in The Rovers.
Oh, and there’s an illustration which implies that it’s possible to make us “say McDonalds to end commercial”. That idea can jog on immediately.
Source: GameNmotion
sg
the only one that makes sense is figure 4….i can imaging playing a game like prototype or infamous and seeing billboards with real ads. i don’t mind product placement when it isn’t pushed in your face too much like the truman show.
lmao @ the thought of ordering dominos while playing zombies.
but srsly this is kinda fucked up tho, why don’t they just show 3 30sec ads everytime you boot up a game?
The Lone Steven
If the ads are not forced upon us and can be ignored, then i don’t mind it but if they are forced and or even worse, cause you to have a 5 minute ad break every half hour-1 hour then i will be annoyed by them as i just know it would happen just as i’m about to defeat the final boss of a game. But if they use the ads which hijack a site untill you close it, then i will be very pissed as i hate those ads.
blast71
“Blatant Patent” – This nearly made me spit me tea out! Funny as fcuk!
Faulker
So the title of the article from your RSS feed is: Sony Set to Close Studio Liverpool