Microsoft's Online Spectator Patent

Next Generation reports on Microsoft's 5000th patent: an online spectator mode for competitive games. From the article: "The system will allow online viewers who are not involved in actual gameplay to view game highlights and instant replays, as well as let them control camera perspectives. A statement from Microsoft also describes 'A portal such as a Web site to access spectator-related services such as schedules and information on multiple games and events as well as the number of spectators and participants in each. The portal allows the spectator to find the most popular games to watch, preview the action, and then connect to the desired game or event.'"

Comments

XBox port of HLTV?

[christian.elliott]

I see no one at Microsoft has every played CounterStrike. This idea just sounds like an XBox port of HLTV. If this patent is only for the XBox version of this system, power to them, they should have control over this. However, if this is an attempt to get the PC Patent for this same idea, they may have another thing coming.

Done before?

[evilNomad]

Hm, I could have sworn that HLTV, done by Valve does just this, and that it has been out for the past 5 years.. And not only that, then i also happen to run the biggest portal for HLTV doing exactly what Microsoft wants their portal to do.. I wonder if my 4 year old portal is now patented, and i should be paying royalties to Microsoft.. Good thing I live in Europe I guess :-)

Re:Yep, another live one

[freshman_a]

Yeah, because nobody has ever done that before *cough* Unreal Tournament *cough*.

True, but Quake 1 had it even before that. Way before 2001, which was when MS filed for this patent.

Microsoft's 5000th patent?

[vertinox]

Golly... If my calculations are correct, Microsoft will have patented every idea possible by the year 2030.

On the bright side, all possible ideas will be public domain by 2047.

No, the system IS broken.

[OmniGeek]

I must disagree; the patent system IS broken if it results in the granting of large numbers of invalid patents. The USPTO admits that this is the case, and even admits that their examiners are subject to perverse incentives to let stuff through (though they don't explicitly admit the perversity of this.)

Defending against a bogus patent in court is WAY beyond the means of most mortals; justice overpriced is justice denied. Preventing worthless patents in the first place is the way the system is intended to work, and getting it back there is, alas, the only real solution to the present idiot situation.

Re:Anti-patent and proud of it

[theJML]

Yeah, that's a good idea... I did that too... unfortunatley now there are two things I'm missing out on:

Income from these ideas
Proof that I ever had such ideas first

Right motivation, wrong goal...

[Spy der Mann]

from TFA "Microsoft's goal is to file 3,000 patents per year."

I'd rather have them fix 3,000 bugs per year.

patent defense is expensive

[Ender Ryan]

Defending yourself against a patent claim is expensive. Considering that you don't have to even be making any money to violate a patent, that already means the patent system is not setup to do what it was intended to do, hence, broken.

Add to that the ridiculous patents being awarded today, and we are completely fucked by this shit.

An even better idea!

[malsdavis]

Wouldn't it be even cooler if people could spectate on games like Counter-strike and the Quake series. How about allowing different spectating camera angles e.g.: follow player and free flying. They could even place a small top-down map in the corner to show the players position relative to enemies and teammates!

Hope no-one has thought of this already else prior art might invalidate any patents.