Microsoft applies for patent on TV achievements

[Valigarmander]

http://www.gamesindustry.biz/articles/2 ... hievements

Xbox One is intended to combine users' gaming and TV watching in a single device, but Microsoft's plan to merge the two goes beyond sticking them in the same plastic casing. Last November, the company applied for a patent on an Xbox 360-like achievements system for watching TV.

"Television viewing tends to be a passive experience for a viewer, without many opportunities for the viewer to engage or have interactive experiences with the presented content," the application states. "To increase interactive viewing and encourage a user to watch one or more particular items of video content, awards and achievements may be tied to those items of video content."

Two examples given include doling out achievements for watching a single event like the Super Bowl, or for watching an entire series of a single show.

"Additionally, by tying the awards and achievements to particular items of video or advertising content, viewers may be encouraged to increase their viewership of the content, thus increasing advertising opportunities," according to the application.

Microsoft also envisioned using the Kinect motion-sensing camera in tandem with this system. For example, achievements may be tied to viewers performing specific actions while they watch a show. The system can make sure the user is simply in the room while it plays, or it can tell the user to hold up a specific product. The camera would then scan the item held up and reward the user with an achievement.

The patent application details a variety of possible rewards, including points for a GamerScore-like tally that is viewable by other users, new clothes and props for an avatar, virtual money for a game, or even physical rewards.

Uhhh, hmmm.

[Apiary Tazy]

Ummmm, huuuh, errrrr, ehhhhhhh.

[X-3]

Next step: the fabled real-life achievement.

[I REALLY HATE POKEMON!]

Sounds like a great idea to me. Physical rewards, especially.

[Booyakasha]

So, like, someone please unpack the concept of achievements in a passive medium like TV. Because I sort of can't reconcile 'passive' and 'achieve', anymore than I can imagine a hypercube.

Like, there are valid criticisms to be made of achievements in gaming, but at least in gaming you're an active participant. If there's one thing people don't need, it's yet another incentive to sit passively in front of the noise box, eating cookies and mouth-breathing. "Yes! 1000/1000 in 'Long Island Medium'!" Ish da, my brain just threw up a little.

[I REALLY HATE POKEMON!]

Thet gave good examples. The Kinect can make it interactive, for example. I see potential.

[Jesus]

Here's a tv achievement. Watch five straight hours of "Here Comes Honey Boo Boo" without wanting to shoot yourself in the face. This vaguely promotes laziness in a finer art form. As the article suggests, it's a gimmick in order to increase advertising revenue.

[Deku Tree]

This will unmake existence.

[Kil'jaeden]

This sounds like a joke. I just can't take it seriously. So what, I get a little gamer trophy or an icon saying I have watched 1000 hours of Lifetime if I do that, or maybe one for completing a season of whatever doctor show is most popular. I can just see trophies like "Renter (purchased 100 pay per view events), "Archivist (recorded over 1000 programs over time)", Pornomaster (self explanatory), "Otaku (100 hours of anime)". I bet they could even make them postable to Facebook. Show your friends how many seasons of Doctor Who you marathoned through on one Saturday!

Though it does say awards? For what, an X-box avatar or something? How can you even get physical rewards? Maybe full X-Box live service, for free, for a year.

[Sim Kid]

Achievement Unlocked: The Patience of a Saint

Sat through all of American Idol.

[X-3]

Achievement Unlocked: She's Thinking About Depp (do lewd things with your significant other while watching the Pirates of the Caribbean series in front of Microsoft Kinect™)

[Deepfake]

goddamnit balmer you had one job

The balding man with a log is Microsoft's new target audience, I see.

[Wicked Witch of the Crest]

One of the few things that actually sounds good about the Xbox One. The other is streaming Porn. ;)

[Kargath]

I can see where this is going: gamificatin of watching commercials.

[Bomby]

I think the TV watching achievements are supposed to be sarcastic and condescending and make you feel bad about yourself.

[X-3]

If you fastforward through a Microsoft commercial, you will actually lose about 100 Viewing Score.

[Sim Kid]

The balding man with a log is Microsoft's new target audience, I see.

Achievement Unlocked: It's better than bad it's wood!

Watch Ren & Stimpy rerun

[Bad Dragonite]

That's stupid.