Gameplay Data Recording and Replay System

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Players face difficulties in effectively conveying and sharing their gaming experiences, particularly successful navigation through game levels, due to the lack of efficient methods for recording and replaying game data.

Innovation Solution

A system and method for saving and rendering game-play data, including player commands and game data, to recreate and share gameplay experiences, with options for automatic saving, thin files for efficient data transfer, and thick files for standalone playback, allowing players to replay successful navigations as media files.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Loss of information

If game-play data is recorded and saved to recreate player experiences, then players can effectively share and recount successful gameplay, but the system complexity and data storage requirements increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegameplay experience informationVSAvoiddata recording and storage system
Core Design Contradiction:
Loss of informationVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent segments game-play data into distinct components: player commands/inputs, game status data, and random numbers/variables. This segmentation allows for targeted recording of only necessary data elements rather than capturing all possible game information, reducing overall data volume while preserving essential gameplay experience details.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The patent creates simplified copies of the actual gameplay experience by recording key data points (commands, status, random numbers) that can be replayed to recreate the experience. Instead of storing complete video or audio recordings, the system stores structured data copies that can be processed to regenerate the gameplay narrative, significantly reducing storage requirements.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

2Measurement precision

If complete game-play data is saved for accurate recreation, then the replay accuracy improves, but the data storage space and transfer time increase

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvegameplay recreation accuracyVSAvoiddata storage volume
Core Design Contradiction:
Measurement precisionVSQuantity of substance

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts only the essential elements needed to recreate gameplay experience: player commands, game status at key moments, and random numbers that influenced outcomes. By taking out only these critical data points and excluding redundant information (such as continuous video frames or audio), the system maintains replay accuracy while minimizing data storage volume.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

Solution Approach 2:

The patent changes the representation parameters of gameplay data by converting continuous game states into discrete, structured data points. Instead of storing continuous video streams, the system samples and stores key status parameters at meaningful intervals, and represents player actions as discrete command codes, thereby reducing data volume while preserving essential gameplay information.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #35Parameter changes

3Quantity of substance

If manual saving is required for successful levels, then data storage efficiency improves, but the ease of operation decreases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvedata storage volumeVSAvoidsaving operation
Core Design Contradiction:
Quantity of substanceVSEase of operation

Solution Approach 1:

The patent implements automatic detection and saving mechanisms that monitor gameplay progress and automatically trigger save operations when successful level completion is detected. The system serves itself by automatically determining when to save without requiring player intervention, thus maintaining data storage efficiency while dramatically improving ease of operation.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #25Self-service

Solution Approach 2:

The patent incorporates feedback mechanisms where the system continuously monitors gameplay status and provides feedback to the player about save states. This feedback loop allows the system to automatically manage save operations based on detected success conditions, reducing manual operation requirements while maintaining efficient storage by only saving when necessary.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentUS9005033B2Game movie maker
Publication Date: 2015.04.14 SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
  • US9005033B2 patent drawing
  • US9005033B2 patent drawing
  • US9005033B2 patent drawing

AI summary

Methods, apparatuses, and techniques for recording a user's game play experience. The player's game play can be recorded by recording a player's commands as the player navigates a game level as well as game data that can include a state of the game and variables, such as random numbers, generated during the game play that were used to control aspects of the game. The recording of the player's game play can then be reviewed and shared with others.