Responsive Cutscenes in Video Games

• US 20080318676A1
• Filed: 06/21/2007
• Published: 12/25/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/21/2007
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Ham, Richard Allen
• Granted Patent: US 8,622,831 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/35
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/47 involving branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible scenarios at a given point in time
• 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 2300/632 by branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible story developments at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character

Abstract

A determination is made that a player'"'"'s avatar has performed an action while an audio signal representing a narrative of a non-player character is being produced. The action is mapped to an impression, which is mapped to a response. The audio signal is stopped before it is completed and the response is played by providing audio for the non-player character and/or animating the non-player character. After the response is played, steps ensure that critical information in the narrative has been provided to the player.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

retrieving a file comprising dialog for a non-player character in a game, the dialog forming at least part of a complete narrative comprising critical information and stylistic information to be conveyed to a player;

producing an audio signal representing speech from the non-player character based on the dialog in the retrieved file;

determining that the player'"'"'s avatar has performed an action while the audio signal is being produced;

mapping the action to an impression the non-player character has of the action;

mapping the impression to a response, the response comprising at least one of a group comprising dialog and movements;

stopping the audio signal for the retrieved file before all of the dialog in the retrieved file has been produced as an audio signal;

producing at least one of a group comprising an audio signal representing speech from the non-player character and animations on a display showing movement of the non-player character based on the response; and

ensuring that the critical information of the narrative is provided to the player.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein multiple actions are mapped to a single impression.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein ensuring that the critical information of the narrative is provided to the player comprises restarting the audio signal representing speech from the non-player character based on the dialog in the retrieved file.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein restarting the audio signal comprises reproducing at least part of the audio signal that was produced before the audio signal was stopped.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein restarting the audio signal comprises restarting the audio signal at the beginning of the dialog in the retrieved file.

6. The method of claim 4 further comprising producing an audio signal as a transition between an audio signal of the response and the reproduction of the audio signal for the dialog in the retrieved file.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the retrieved file comprises one of a plurality of files that together form the complete narrative.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the action comprises an instruction to summarize the narrative and wherein the response comprises a summarized version of the complete narrative that comprises the critical information and wherein ensuring that the critical information is conveyed to the user comprises producing an audio signal based on the summarized version of the complete narrative.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the retrieved file further comprises movements for the non-player character and the method further comprises producing animated movement of the displayed non-player character based on the movements in the retrieved file, and wherein producing animations on a display showing movement of the non-player character based on the response comprises integrating the animations of the response with the animations of the retrieved file.

10. A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:

accessing a file containing data representing an audio signal and animated movements for a non-player character in a game;

generating an audio signal representing speech from the non-player character and generating animations on a display showing movement of the non-player character based on the data in the file;

determining that a player'"'"'s avatar in the game has performed an action;

mapping the action to an impression;

mapping the impression to a response comprising an animated movement for the non-player character designed to convey the impression;

combining the animated movements in the file with the animated movement of the response to form modified animations;

continuing the audio signal of the file without interruption while displaying the modified animations.

11. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein mapping an action to an impression comprises mapping the action to an impression that is not limited to being mapped to by only one action.

12. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the action comprises a movement of the avatar.

13. The computer-readable medium of claim 12 wherein the movement comprises attacking the non-character player.

14. The computer-readable medium of claim 10 wherein the impression indicates that the action was impolite.

15. A method comprising:

determining that a player'"'"'s avatar has performed an action;

determining that a non-player character that is providing a narrative to the player should respond to the action;

having the non-player character stop the narrative;

having the non-player character respond to the action;

having the non-player character provide a verbal segue between the response and continuation of the narrative; and

having the non-player character continue with the narrative.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein determining that a non-player character should respond to an action comprises mapping the action to an impression and mapping the impression to a response.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the response comprises an audio signal representing speech from the non-player character.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the response further comprises an animation that conveys the impression of the action.

19. The method of claim 15 wherein the narrative provided by the non-player character is stored in a plurality of files and wherein continuing with the narrative comprises starting from the beginning of a file that was interrupted when the non-player character stopped the narrative.

20. The method of claim 15 wherein the action comprises the player'"'"'s avatar moving more than a threshold distance away from the non-player character.