Phantom Gaming in Broadcast Media System
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current video games fail to provide a realistic sporting experience as they feature computer-generated virtual competitors without any connection to actual events or performances, lacking the dynamic interaction with real-time sporting events.
Innovation Solution
A system and method that allows viewers to become 'phantom participants' in live sporting events by integrating video games with broadcast feeds, using set-top boxes and video game units to receive event data, enabling virtual competition with actual event participants, and merging game footage with recorded broadcasts to create a seamless participation illusion.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If video games use computer-generated virtual competitors, then the games can be played continuously and consistently, but the realism and connection to actual sporting events are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates virtual copies of real athletes with identical names, appearances, and performance characteristics. These phantom players are generated by copying actual competitor data from broadcast events, allowing the game to maintain realism while enabling continuous gameplay. The virtual competitors replicate the statistical performance and visual appearance of real athletes without being constrained by actual event schedules.
Solution Approach 2:
The system pre-generates phantom players and their performance data before the actual sporting event occurs. By creating virtual representations of competitors in advance, the game can simulate events with realistic opponents without waiting for actual broadcast footage, thus maintaining both realism and gameplay continuity.
2Loss of information
If video games integrate with live broadcast events, then realism and viewer engagement are improved, but the complexity of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a phantom player generation system as an intermediary between actual broadcast events and video game simulation. This mediator receives data from real events, creates virtual representations, and feeds them into the game engine, simplifying the integration process by decoupling the direct connection between broadcast and game systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system is designed to work with multiple broadcast events and game titles through a universal interface. The phantom player generation mechanism can adapt to different sports and events without requiring custom integration for each case, reducing overall system complexity through standardized multi-functional design.
3Adaptability or versatility
If viewers become phantom participants in events, then engagement and immersion are enhanced, but the synchronization between game play and broadcast timing becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic timing adjustment where phantom player turns are synchronized to match the pacing of actual broadcast events. The system dynamically adjusts game turn durations and transitions to align with broadcast timing, allowing viewers to participate as phantom competitors while maintaining synchronization with the live event flow.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses periodic turn-based gameplay where each phantom player's turn is timed to correspond with specific moments in the broadcast event. By structuring game turns as periodic actions that mirror the rhythmic nature of sporting events, the system maintains synchronization while enabling viewer participation.
Data Source
AI summary
This invention provides a system and method of integrating video games into live sporting events, or the converse, in an interactive way. In a preferred embodiment of the invention, a viewer watching a broadcast sporting event can elect to become a “phantom participant” in an event. At one or more designated points in the event (e.g., a golf tournament), the viewer's set-top box will switch from feeding the broadcast event to the viewer's television screen to feeding a stream from a video game unit to the same television screen. The video game unit is configured to receive information from the broadcast feed that includes information such as, but not limited to, the event location, the hole being played (in the golf example), the participants, and statistics related to the performance of the participants. This information may be used by the video game unit to present the viewer with the opportunity to “virtually” compete with the participants in the broadcast event.