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Google Might Get Into Hosted Gaming Via YouTube

Posted by Soulskill on from the chrome-console dept.

bizwriter writes "A recent patent application from Google describes a way to provide 'the collaborative generation of interactive features for digital videos, and in particular to interactive video annotations enabling control of video playback locations and creation of interactive games.' Get into the description and you find it's about building games on top of video submissions, making it sound that Google plans to extend its YouTube site into an associated gaming site."

6 of 36 comments (clear)

  1. Newgrounds... by Lord+Lode · · Score: 2, Insightful

    It seems like they reinvented Newgrounds (which is 14 years old and still kicking!).

    1. Re:Newgrounds... by Draele · · Score: 2, Interesting

      I was just thinking that. Being something of a regular Newgrounds user, I kinda felt my heart sink when I saw that. It doesn't look like it's quite the same, but it still bothers me that this is happening. All I can hope is that it's different enough to leave Newgrounds some space, or, failing that, its expanded fanbase will keep it alive. If it doesn't, Google is officially one small step closer to total domination of the internet.

  2. interactive video annotations by cstdenis · · Score: 2, Insightful

    "interactive video annotations" sounds like Nico Nico Douga.

    --
    1984 was not supposed to be an instruction manual.
  3. Can't Decide which is better by TheLazySci-FiAuthor · · Score: 3, Funny

    a) people exploiting this and thus gaming google gaming....or a game in which you do this titled, "gaming google gaming game." and therefore if you cheat in said game you are gaming gaming google gaming....buffallo buffalo buffalo buffalo....

    b) in soviet russia, google games you...tube!.....

    it's been a while.

    --
    Read my Very Short "Stories"
  4. Previously advertised by raving+griff · · Score: 4, Informative

    Back when annotations first came to Youtube, the site advertised that the annotations could be used to make interactive videos and games by linking together videos. They included a magic trick video as an example in which you would select a particular card or something to that effect and you would be linked to the magician doing a trick specifically based on that card. The description of the patent sounds very similar to the language they used when describing it, so I don't believe we can expect any innovation (covered by this patent at the very least) beyond what Youtube already has.

  5. You may have already seen it by TheModelEskimo · · Score: 4, Informative

    Stuff like this video illustrates the point better than TFA. Basically you can use Google's annotations tool to turn videos into "Choose your own Adventure" games or even full multimedia presentations. From TFA it sounds like Google want to make it possible to do this all within a single video. Not a bad idea.

    I think it would be a great idea for Google to spin off a Youtube-like site for videos of this type that tell interactive stories.