Sony patents "replay" feature for game streaming

Sony patents "replay" feature for game streaming

by Danny Craig Β· 11/13/23, 3:13 PM
Sony patents "replay" feature for game streaming
Sony

Sony has patented the ability for players to replay specific game points while streaming, making boss battles, major plot points, and other events instantly accessible at any time.

The details:

  • As spotted by Exputer, Sony's patent titled Content Streaming With Gameplay Launch was filed in July and made public this month via WIPO. The patent describes a system that adds "trigger points of media content" to games, allowing players to replay certain "activities" such as important quests, boss fights, and optional events that may have resulted in different outcomes than their normal playthrough.

  • These trigger points would make use of a "set of game data" that would be based on existing player data or provided by a publisher, developer, or platform. Players would then be able to choose a specific segment of the game to play while streaming a title, which Sony describes as playing a "movie" version of a game for those who may not have the time to play the entire thing.

  • Sony's proposed feature isn't all that different from similar existing functions. As games became longer, many developers added a chapter select function or cutscene viewer to allow players to return to certain missions or story moments. Emulators have taken it a step further, allowing players to save their games whenever they want using save states, with the ability to reload the game exactly as it was originally.

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