Method of creating video in a virtual world and method of distributing and using same

Abstract

A video of a virtual world is created utilizing stored gameplay data and game states. The gameplay data is used to re-create a given gameplay sequence in order to create video of the gameplay sequence. The gameplay sequence may be re-created using enhanced graphics to create new video files from any number of visual perspectives.

Description

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS[0001]The present application is a continuation-in-part, claiming priority from U.S. Provisional Patent 60 / 915,073, filed Apr. 30, 2007, and entitled METHOD OF CREATING VIDEO IN A VIRTUAL WORLD AND METHOD OF DISTRIBUTING AND USING SAME.BACKGROUND[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to computer software and more specifically to a method of creating video in a virtual world and a method of distributing and using same. The present invention generally describes a novel method of creating a video presentation of an interactive video game (video of other virtual worlds may also be created) using data that has been created and stored as the interactive video game is played.[0004]2. Description of the Related Art[0005]There exist other systems and methods whereby a video presentation of interactive video games may be created. For example, there are numerous software products available which simply “record” the actions take...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011]The present invention provides a method of creating a video record of virtual worlds and a method of distributing and using same. The preferred embodiment of the present invention provides numerous benefits over the prior art.

[0012]The present invention generally provides a means by which a stand-alone or “add-in” software tool may be employed in two parts to re-create from stored data a three dimensional gameplay experience (or other rendition of a three-dimensional world) after it has occurred. The experience or sequence of events may then be stored in a video format after-the-fact, reproducing the event faithfully, but allowing for much more thoughtful pre-production, post-production and point of view, lighting, and sound placement.

[0015]The second application is an application designed in conjunction with the game software in the preferred embodiment, but in alternative embodiments it may stand alone, as well, to recreate the event exactly as it originally occurred during the game play. This application also provides the secondary functions of allowing a user to see the event at whatever speed desired, to place a virtual camera (or multiple virtual cameras) throughout the recreated gameplay sequence, and to similarly place virtual sound receivers or virtual lighting effects in various places throughout the gameplay sequence. This software is capable of moving through the gameplay sequence both in time and space, so as to provide the best possible recreation of the event for “filming” and to provide a subsequent “director” of the filming with the most resources to recreate and edit the event in a compelling manner.

[0016]The first benefit is the ability to drastically improve rendering quality. Most video capture software captures only the quality of the image displayed on the player's screen (and only from the player's perspective). As it turns out, in order to increase response time, many gamers intentionally degrade the quality of the graphics displayed by the game. Similarly, they intentionally degrade the video capture software's resolution so that it does not needlessly hinder the gameplay experience by spending CPU cycles transcoding video in real time.

[0019]A second benefit of the present invention is to allow a “director” of the video file or virtual film creation to review the sequence and to select, much like a director would for a television or movie sequence, the best angles and virtual camera locations (POV). The “director” composing the subsequent film creation may be any user of the software, from a game player to a game software manufacturer to a third party media creator or an interactive entertainment competition organizer. The ability to direct, allows the most compelling or “best angles” for exciting moments in the game to be selected by the director, resulting in substantially better quality and more compelling video files being created.

[0020]An additional benefit is that the director of a video file or film creation based upon the gameplay sequence may also create multiple virtual cameras for use in capturing different angles and various times. Cutting between angles and scenes is an excellent way for a director to make lengthy gameplay sequences more exciting to watch and to provide the best angles for multiple different events or actions. The present invention provides the only current method whereby virtual camera locations and virtual camera angles (including multiple virtual cameras) may be used to record an event, other than scripting an event prior to recording or capture. Scripting is rarely desirable in gaming competitions or other similar situations.

Problems solved by technology

This provides the functionality necessary for recording video game gameplay, but it is not designed specifically with the re-creation of video game gameplay in mind.

However, these programs are generally only capable of creating video presentation of exactly what was displayed on a given player's screen (or a portion thereof).

From a television or video production standpoint, this results in a substantial limitation on the ability to create compelling “replays” or even compelling video presentations of gameplay events.

While the gameplay or action within the game may be very exciting to a player or to a group of players, it makes post-production videos based upon the gameplay or action very dull.

A very rudimentary understanding of video production and post-production informs content-creators that a single perspective of an entire event is, generally, uninteresting.

The existing software programs are not capable, absent some substantial pre-planning, of providing this functionality.

Furthermore, the existing programs often result in user-created videos that are substantially inferior in quality.

In contrast, video game manufacturer's videos of their own games are often of very high quality, but take a substantial amount of time and resources to create, due to the need to generate multiple perspectives, to plan and orchestrate beforehand in pre-production the ways in which various “shots” will be laid out and other relevant factors.

There are no means by which a game player or game manufacturer can easily create compelling videos based upon an interactive video game “match” or gameplay sequence.

Further there are no means by which videos may be created after a gameplay sequence has taken place.

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