Gaming Everything

Microsoft filed a patent following the release of Halo: Combat Evolved Anniversary – which was just published today – for games “having a plurality of game engines.” Engadget points out that the company could be looking to protect technology found in remade games that allows players to switch between the original game and the update.

The patent notes:

“A game having a plurality of engines is described. In one or more implementations, a computing device displays an output of a first engine of a game by a computing device. An input is received by the computing device to switch from the output of the first engine of the game to an output of a second engine of the game, the first and second engines being executed concurrently by the computing device.”

It goes on to mention “remakes of games” that “attempt to captivate their audiences by leveraging emotions associated with the initial game.”

343 Industries is listed as the patent’s main author. Daniel Ayoub is mentioned first, with other staffers coming after.

Source, Source

Ah. Like Halo anniversary where 2 engines run at the same time.

Amazing patent for remakes, kudos MS, you just cornered the remake genre.

Microsoft is doing some serious things for next gen. I can see sony following in their footsteps.

Correct me if Im wrong, but didnt The Secret of Monkey Island Special Edition do this first?

It did, you could switch between classic and new view at any point.
It's a vague patent anyway. Lot's of games use tons of different engines. The actual claim is:

1. A method comprising: displaying an output of a first engine of a game by a computing device that includes a processor; receiving an input by the computing device to switch from the output of the first engine of the game to an output of a second engine of the game, the first and second engines being executed concurrently by the computing device, the first and second game engines each including a corresponding engine renderer; and responsive to the receiving, switching, at the computing device, from the displaying of the output of the first engine of the game to displaying the output of the second engine of the game.

Software patents are pretty pointless. Switching between front and rear mirror view in racing games would already apply.

And 2 as well. What is MS smoking trying to patent this?

I hope they fail with this. Companies wouldn't even be allowed to use their own engines anymore. That's patent trolling, nothing more.