Apple Patents Tech That Turns Video Game Choices Into Comics
Ever finished a video game and then immediately wanted to read a comic about that game -- not just the one you bought, but the one you played, with all the choices you made? Way back in 2009, Apple developers apparently wanted the same thing, filing for a patent on a technology that would do just that. The company illustrated the concept with the image above, among others, presumably under the belief the potential of a comic starring an extremely unhappy Commander Shepard with a very phallic gun would sell the idea.
It seems to have worked. The United States Patent and Trademark Office finally granted the patent Wednesday.
Here's how it would work: Game data from a console or PC would go into the cloud, where an algorithm would process factors such as game progress, character options, achievements and dialogue choices into a comic. Then that comic could download to a variety of devices, including tables, PCs and smart TVs.
So where exactly could this technology be put to use? It's kind of hard to say, considering that Apple has a big share of the tablet market, but not much to offer in the realm of game consoles and storytelling-driven video game IP. After all, the patent filing had to use a BioWare series to illustrate its concept.
Whether comics and video game fans will be reading digital-comic-book versions of their Batman: Arkham Origins or Walking Dead campaigns on their iPads anytime soon is anyone's guess, but it's a pretty cool idea.
[Via Endgadget]
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