Gameplay Experience Sharing via Modular Stream Segmentation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing gameplay experience sharing technologies are limited by the need for compatible user software, restrictive viewing formats, and the inability to customize shared content, which disappoints spectators and limits the sharing experience.
Innovation Solution
A system and software development kit (SDK) that enables reconfigurable gameplay experience sharing through computing hardware and communication networks, allowing users to record and share gameplay experiences in customizable formats, including separate streams of video, sound, and game data, using wireless-enabled devices and an OpenGL API.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If gameplay experiences are streamed in a fixed format via server, then spectators can view the gameplay, but spectators cannot customize or select specific portions of interest
Solution Approach 1:
The gameplay experience is segmented into multiple independent streams including video stream, audio stream, game data stream, and camera stream. Each stream can be independently selected, customized, and shared by users based on their specific interests and needs, allowing spectators to view only the portions they find interesting without requiring complex sharing operations.
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically allows users to configure and select different combinations of streams during the sharing process. Users can adjust which streams to share, modify stream parameters, and customize the sharing experience in real-time, making the sharing process adaptable to different spectator preferences while maintaining ease of use through automated stream management.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple stream types are recorded and shared separately, then spectators can customize their viewing experience, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The recording and sharing system is divided into separate modular components for different stream types (video, audio, game data, camera). Each stream is processed and managed independently through dedicated software modules, which reduces overall system complexity by avoiding the need for a single complex monolithic system while still providing comprehensive multi-format sharing capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The software architecture is designed with universal interfaces and protocols that can handle multiple stream types through a common framework. This multi-functional design allows the same basic infrastructure to support various viewing formats and customization options without requiring separate complex systems for each stream type, thereby reducing overall device complexity.
3Adaptability or versatility
If special recording software is installed on player's computer, then gameplay can be shared, but the number of capable users is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs universal recording software that can be integrated into multiple existing game platforms and operating systems through standardized interfaces. This multi-platform compatibility approach expands the number of capable users significantly compared to platform-specific solutions, while the software distribution effort is reduced by leveraging existing game distributions and system-wide installation capabilities rather than requiring separate distribution for each game.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces an intermediary software layer that sits between the game engine and the sharing system. This intermediary handles the recording and stream generation universally across different games and platforms, eliminating the need for each game to implement its own custom recording software. This mediator approach greatly expands platform compatibility while simplifying the overall distribution process.
4Ease of operation
If gameplay is shared only through dedicated service servers, then centralized control is achieved, but user flexibility and direct peer-to-peer sharing are limited
Solution Approach 1:
The system merges the advantages of centralized server management with decentralized peer-to-peer sharing capabilities. Users can access gameplay through centralized servers for simplified access and reliability, while simultaneously maintaining the ability to share directly with other users in various formats. This combination provides both ease of operation through centralized interfaces and adaptability through multiple sharing pathways and formats.
Data Source
AI summary
Users are arranged to employ gameplay terminals which including computing hardware for executing one or more software products The users share gameplay experiences byincluding in the one or more software products a host game software application for implementing one or more games on one or more of the terminals, andappending one or more software components to the host game software application for providing control of the host game software application on a real-time basis for recording gameplay experiences for sharing amongst the users based upon one or more of: game view, sub-game view, sensor data employed to control the game, video camera views of one or more users playing the game, game events occurring during playing the game. A software development kit is also described.