Sony patents eSport events where fans' cheers give players in-game power-ups
Sony describes a system where spectators in eSport events can influence the game by sending signals, such as pressing buttons or using cameras. When a specific number of fans participate, the system automatically gives the player a helpful item or power-up, or a hindrance, based on the crowd's engagement level.
In the filing’s own words
The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods to for encouraging spectator participation by permitting audience participation to provide different types of in-game help or hindrance to eSport players or teams when certain tiers or thresholds of spectator engagement are reached. In one example, a player's fanbase may cheer by pressing a button or providing other input/feedback. When a specific number of spectators or a level of participation is reached, a helpful object, power-up, or other in-game advantage may be given to the player. Conversely, a harmful item, loss of an object, or other in-game hindrance may be given to the player.
What exactly they claim (claim 1)
1. A system for generating custom views during an eSport event in response to spectator participation at one or more entertainment devices; the system comprising: a server having memory and a processor that executes instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor causes the server to: initiate a group participation activity; wherein the group participation activity defines a threshold for a group participation response; receive the group participation response from a camera device of the one or more entertainment devices; distribute an in-game item to a player of the eSport event when the group participation response exceeds the threshold; generate a custom view comprising event data of the eSport event after the in-game item is distributed to the player based on one or more views from one or more streams of the eSport event, wherein generating the custom view is based on metadata associated with the one or more streams and machine learning; and provide the custom view over a communication network to at least one of the one or more entertainment devices.
Facts
- Company
- Sony (SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC)
- Official title
- Triggering virtual help or hindrance based on audience participation tiers
- Patent number
- US12766425B2
- Application number
- 18917167
- Filed
- Oct 16, 2024
- Granted
- Oct 20, 2026
- Inventors
- 5
- Claims
- 17
Classified under
A63F 13/86 Human necessitiesMore from Sony in Games & media
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Summaries are simplified from the filing’s own abstract and first claim. A patent filing is not a product announcement.
Patent data and drawings: U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). Nebula is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO.