Celebrity Voices in a Video Game

• US 20070218986A1
• Filed: 03/29/2007
• Published: 09/20/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Leviathan Entertainment, LLC
• Original Assignee: Leviathan Entertainment, LLC
• Inventors: Van Luchene, Andrew, Alderucci, Dean, Mueller, Raymond
• Application Number:
  US11/693,543
• Publication Number:
  US 20070218986A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/30
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/424 involving acoustic input signals, e.g. by using the results of pitch or rhythm extraction or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/54 involving acoustic signals, e.g. for simulating revolutions per minute [RPM] dependent engine sounds in a driving game or reverberation against a virtual wall
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

Virtual environments in which players are able to select synthetic voices for their characters are described. The voices may be celebrity voices or impersonations of celebrity voices. A player may provide a spoken message to the game server, which converts the spoken message into a text message and then outputs the text message in audible form using a celebrity voice.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a virtual environment accessible by a plurality of players, wherein the players are able to interact with the virtual environment and each other via avatars;

receiving a text message from a first player;

associating the text message with a synthetic voice message;

outputting the synthetic voice message to a second player.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising

receiving a voice message from the first player and

converting the voice message into a text message.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the synthetic voice message is a recording of a celebrity voice.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a plurality of synthetic voices.

5. The method of claim 4 further comprising receiving a synthetic voice selection from the first player.

6. The method of claim 5 wherein receiving a synthetic voice selection comprises receiving a fee from the first player in return for the ability of have the selected synthetic voice associated with text messages provided by the first player.

7. The method of claim 6 wherein the synthetic voice selection is for a limited period of time.

8. The method of claim 6 further comprising:

receiving an offer from the first player of a fee in return for the ability of have the selected synthetic voice associated with text messages provided by the first player;

receiving an offer from a second player of a fee in return for the ability of have the selected synthetic voice associated with text messages provided by the second player; and

associating the synthetic voice with only one of the first and second players, based on the offers.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

recording game related messages in a plurality of different voices; and

identifying each different voice as a different synthetic voice.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein at least one of the voices is a voice that is a celebrity voice.

11. A method comprising:

providing a virtual environment accessible by a plurality of players, wherein the players are able to interact and play games with the virtual environment and each other via avatars;

receiving a text message from a first player;

displaying the text message in a game;

storing the text message;

outputting the text message in the form of a fixed media presentation.

12. The method of claim 11 wherein the fixed media presentation is a literary work.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the literary work is a comic book.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the comic book contains screen capture images from the game.

15. The method of claim 11 wherein the fixed media presentation is a movie.

16. The method of claim 11 further comprising:

associating the text message with a synthetic voice message; and

outputting the synthetic voice message to a second player.

17. The method of claim 16 further comprising:

receiving a voice message from the first player; and

converting the voice message into a text message.

18. The method of claim 16 further comprising providing a plurality of synthetic voices.

19. The method of claim 18 further comprising receiving a synthetic voice selection from the first player.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein receiving a synthetic voice selection comprises receiving a fee from the first player in return for the ability of have the selected synthetic voice associated with text messages provided by the first player.