Summary:

The ‘537 patent allows a player to advance a game by controlling his character through a key input according to the player’s intentions. Whenever the player selects at least one command, the character acts within its designed permissible range. The permissible range of actions expands as the character increases. The patent also provides for the implication of two or more commands combined into a special command, when the combination of the tow commands meets a predefined requirement.

Abstract:

An entertainment system includes an application program recording system which record an application program which can input at least one command of operation an which the player sets the action of the character on a display screen. The command is stored in an action set frame in the unit of one operation to action set frame used to create the movements of the player character. The system further has an input, operation system where the player inputs instructions and a control system which controls the operation of the player character on the display screen based on the command from the application program recorded by the application program record system and the input operation system.

Illustrative Claim:

1. A recording medium containing a program that allows a player to advance a game by manipulating a selected character displayed on a display screen through a key input according to the player's intention, wherein said program recorded in the recording medium enables input of at least one command related to an action of said selected character so as to set up the actions of said selected character as a single operation, and wherein said recorded program enables inputs of a plurality of said commands if action points are within the permissible range of action points after said action points corresponding to said action command types are determined.

I (Ross Dannenberg) will be at GDC next week from March 2-6.  If anyone would like to meet up while there, send me a note either via my work email or through twitter (@gamelawyer).

Queen Mary University Law School is hosting an event on 24 April 2015.  Some details:

Summary: 

The ‘127 patents allows for real-time replay in interactive video games. The user can back up a set amount of gameplay and watch it play forward in real time. The player also has the ability to pause the replay and rotate and zoom the camera in and out to get a complete view of the player and the surrounding action. Finally, the player can adjust the playback speed and watch the previous action as slow or as fast as he wants, allowing the player full control while viewing of the previous action. Now if only Bud Selig would take the hint . . . .

Abstract:

A system and method for enabling real-time replay for videogames, wherein the player can selectively rewind the videogame to previously played points in the game in order to replay portions of the game during real-time. Inline keyframes are periodically recorded, together with the controller information, so that upon selecting the replay option, the game can be rewound to the nearest keyframe. Once rewound, the game is restored based on the keyframe and is then played back from the keyframe using the stored controller information. At any point during playback, the player can take-over the action and use the actual game controller to begin actual play of the game from that point in the playback sequence. The player can also change cameras and speed for the playback in real-time at any time during the playback.

Illustrative Claim:

1. A method of providing real-time replay during gameplay in an interactive video game system, comprising: starting real-time gameplay; recording an inline keyframe at predetermined time intervals during gameplay; recording controller input from a user during gameplay; upon selection by the user of a predetemined controller input prior to the end of a game: backing-up the gameplay a set period of gameplay time from the current gameplay condition to a previous gameplay condition; using a recorded inline keyframe generally corresponding to the previous gameplay condition and the recorded controller inputs to generate and display at least a partial real-time replay of the game from the previous gameplay condition to the current gameplay condition; and enabling the user to take over the replay to begin real-time gameplay at any time during the replay and from a point in the replay where the user has taken over the replay by supplying controller input, wherein the recordings of inline keyframes and recording of controller inputs is performed based on an internal logic rate of the video game system; and further including enabling the replay to be frozen at any time during the replay and allowing the user to change at least one of camera characteristic and playback speed for the replay while the replay is frozen, and further including recording any changes to the camera characteristic or playback speed in an array of random keyframe buffers together with information that determines on which frame of the replay the recorded changes are to take effect.

Summary:

The ‘237 patent describes an entertainment system whereby a player can manually control the actions of his animated character with the push of a button. During gameplay, situations arise which require the player to act in response. When the user reacts to a specific scene, if the timing of the action is correct, the character will react in a certain way. If the time is not correct, however, the action sequence will be different. This patent has arisen in role-playing games mostly. An example that used it was Diablo.

Abstract:

An entertainment system comprises parameter changing means for permitting a user to input manipulation data by successively pressing a decision button when a button icon is displayed on a display monitor. Based on the manipulation data, the parameter changing means changes damage of a virtual enemy (e.g., monster). The parameter changing means comprises button icon displaying means for displaying the button icon on the display monitor for a predetermined period of time, accumulating means for counting the number of times the decision button is pressed for inputting manipulation data when the button icon is displayed on the display monitor, and damage calculating means for changing damage of the monster based on the counted number of times.

Illustrative Claim:

1. An entertainment system comprising: an entertainment apparatus for executing various programs; at least one manual controller for inputting a manual control request of a user to said entertainment apparatus; a display monitor for displaying an image outputted from said entertainment apparatus; and parameter changing means for permitting the user to input manipulation data by specific manipulation of said manual controller when a symbol indicating permission to input the manipulation data by said specific manipulation is displayed on said display monitor in a scene of a game, and for changing a predetermined parameter of a program presently executed by said entertainment apparatus based on the manipulation data inputted by said specific manipulation.

Summary:

The ‘123 patent describes a system during online multiplayer games where a player’s voice varies depending on the distance between the two characters. Thus, whenever a player’s character is in the immediate vicinity of his teammate, that teammate will be heard loud and clear. But as the distance between the two characters grows, the voice will quiet and become less clear. This invention helps the game feel more life-like in that voices vary much like they would in person.

Abstract:

The amplitude of a video game player's voice determines how far his or her message is carried to other players in the game. The range a message carries is based on the relative virtual proximity of avatars associated with said players within the virtual game environment.

Illustrative Claim:

1. A video game system comprising: an audio transducer that receives acoustical information including speech; an amplitude detector that detects the amplitude of said received acoustical information; and a messaging arrangement that selectively messages other players of said video game as a function of (a) said received acoustical information, (b) said detected amplitude, and (c) the respective relative virtual proximity of avatars within said video game that represent said players.