Apple Patents Personalized Videogame Comic Books

Dobrev

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This sounds like a really great idea. But it would be just general stuff and will not capture the gaming experience. In Mass Effect 2 for example, my most memorable moments were not the story twists. It was several fights where I was outnumbered and outgunned. Standstill shootings in alleys lasting several minutes, where I hop from cover to cover trying to gain position or land a special power hit. That's what gaming is for me and it can't be quantified by a spreadsheet of statistics.
 

manaman

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Ekonk said:
This seems kinda dumb. How well would a comic book translate a game, what with 'kill 8 X' and the like.
Most likely in games with branching choice structures there will be whole pages, or just panels of pre-prepared illustrations and text for those choices. More likely there will be only a few dozen real difference and the rest will just be mixed up a bit because you did it in a different order.

I think the idea behind this is intriguing. The execution however probably won't be.
 

CanadianWolverine

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Whatever, I like sketching, inking and colouring my own comic books, far more enjoyable than having someone retell me the story choices in a game I just saw. And I can do that for a lot less than someone selling me the same story twice.

Now, if they can convince me that there is going to be some serious artistic license taken with it for more imaginative narratives, maybe I would see it being worth something.
 

LunarCircle

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Jarrid said:
This is certainly a much better idea than Sony's "degrading demo," but why is Apple the one pitching it? They're not even in the ballpark of a game company; are they just trying to get the patent themself so that if anyone else thinks it's a good idea, they'll have to go through them?
You might be on to something. While Apple is more likely to possibly use this tech, there are companies who don't manufacture any products but purchase patents in order to generate revenue through infringement lawsuits.

What shows the sad state of the US patent office is that it allows companies to patent broad ideas, especially when dealing with software (i.e. something like "Use colors to display images on a mobile device"). It would've been fine if Apple patented the specific way that they'd code and process this idea, but in gaining a patent for the idea itself, they've effectively cut off any future attempts for other companies doing the same.
 

RowdyRodimus

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LunarCircle said:
Jarrid said:
This is certainly a much better idea than Sony's "degrading demo," but why is Apple the one pitching it? They're not even in the ballpark of a game company; are they just trying to get the patent themself so that if anyone else thinks it's a good idea, they'll have to go through them?
You might be on to something. While Apple is more likely to possibly use this tech, there are companies who don't manufacture any products but purchase patents in order to generate revenue through infringement lawsuits.

What shows the sad state of the US patent office is that it allows companies to patent broad ideas, especially when dealing with software (i.e. something like "Use colors to display images on a mobile device"). It would've been fine if Apple patented the specific way that they'd code and process this idea, but in gaining a patent for the idea itself, they've effectively cut off any future attempts for other companies doing the same.
Not neccessarily. If I remember my law classes right, you can patent an improvement of a patented idea without the original patent holder having any rights to income derived from the newer patent. The key is to demonstrate that the new patent has enough of a change that it requires it's own patent, so if it's an idea then if someone patents the actual tech to do it then Apple is SOL, unless the person who patents the tech is scared of going toe to toe with the cult of Apple.

Just look at the smart phones that do the same things, but all have different patents based around a specific thing (antenna placement and the like).
 

V8 Ninja

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While it's not a bad idea, I'm wondering about the logistics of it all. How will it turn game actions into natural-flowing text? So many questions, so many questions...
 

Altorin

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May 16, 2008
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My first thought when reading this headline was "Wow, it's like in that movie Big.".. but it's nothing like that, and I'm a little sad.
 

Thorvan

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May 15, 2009
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I'm assuming that it would record conversations and the like, and have simple, relatively pre-scripted bits for the combat. In which case, I'd totally "Shepard." "Wrex." after every mission.
 

Loonerinoes

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Apr 9, 2009
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Butbutbutbut...that means I won't spend hours upon hours of wasted time at the computer, replaying my RPGs so as to try and form my ideal story by playing through them again and again. :(

Seriously, this is actually a damn fine idea. One that'd save a lot of time too for all the roleplaying nuts like me to be honest. Go figure Apple snatches the patenting rights for it.
 

SillyNilly

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T-Bone24 said:
My Mass Effect comic book will involve ten pages of the same image of Shepard standing in front of someone whilst I make a sandwich. Gripping stuff.
And it shall be titled..

AFK: COMIC of THE GAME!

On Topic: I still want to play Mass Effect and Fallout 3. I feel left out.
Personalized comics sound like a fine idea for RPG fans. Getting attached to a character has its rewards, and now you can share the experience! Sounds neat.
 

samsonguy920

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So it's basically machinima put into book form. Way to think outside the box, Apple.
(I would have to have had one hell of an epic game session to want to spend the extra dough to have it recorded like that. Otherwise I can save the money and just keep it in my brain.)
CanadianWolverine said:
Whatever, I like sketching, inking and colouring my own comic books, far more enjoyable than having someone retell me the story choices in a game I just saw. And I can do that for a lot less than someone selling me the same story twice.

Now, if they can convince me that there is going to be some serious artistic license taken with it for more imaginative narratives, maybe I would see it being worth something.
Are you thinking what I think you are thinking? [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98977-Hey-Everybody-Its-the-God-of-War-III-Sex-Scene-NSFW] (Applied to Mass Effect even...)
 

CanadianWolverine

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samsonguy920 said:
CanadianWolverine said:
Whatever, I like sketching, inking and colouring my own comic books, far more enjoyable than having someone retell me the story choices in a game I just saw. And I can do that for a lot less than someone selling me the same story twice.

Now, if they can convince me that there is going to be some serious artistic license taken with it for more imaginative narratives, maybe I would see it being worth something.
Are you thinking what I think you are thinking? [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98977-Hey-Everybody-Its-the-God-of-War-III-Sex-Scene-NSFW] (Applied to Mass Effect even...)
Heck, that didn't even cross my mind I am ashamed to say, when I was thinking artistic license I was thinking sorta along the lines of those Penny Arcade online comics that were done for Fallout 3 [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Al4w5Bmn6Pg].

If they could show my Predator/Indiana Jones sort of character sneaking around and poking his nose into everything and assassinating with a whisper from my Perferator while cloaked in the Chinese Stealth Suit any thing that go bump in the Capital Wastes nights left and right but with ridiculous artistic license rather than a Let's Play series of youtube videos, then they might have something, otherwise its repackaging of story bits I got from the characters already, sorta like as if it was cut scenes from the FPS XIII or something.

Ok see, stuff like this [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuOnhniCEhE] and the Penny Arcade strips, if there was a whole freaking book made like that based on your character from Fallout, that would be worth something even to other people just from the artistic creative and storytelling merit inherent in comics.
 

Alar

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Dec 1, 2009
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I would probably get that for StarCraft 2. Especially my first play-through (which I consider to be my favorite).
 

RatRace123

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Dec 1, 2009
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That's actually really cool. I'd definitely get a comic version of my Mass Effect playthrough.
 

Giftmacher

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Jul 22, 2008
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Hmm I think we're going to need to see more complicated games before this is worth while doing. A few RPGs might fit the bill, but I'd not want to shell out cash to get a comic, even for the games I've really enjoyed; nothing feels unique enough to me yet.

Anyway, does this mean Mr. Jobs is finally taking games seriously? I guess the app store profits finally woke him up...

Gift.