As video games become more graphically realistic it becomes difficult for developers to design a game world in a way that is totally representative of any real-world inspiration for the location, while also keeping players focused and clear on where they are meant to go and what they are able to interact with. There are many tricks that developers use to try and keep the player moving in the right direction which are built into the game’s world itself, including following light sources or having climbable objects accented with a specific color like in theTomb RaiderandUnchartedgames.
However, these guiding paths can often get lost among the overwhelming set dressing and environmental details that it is now possible to create in video games. Alternatively, game developers can use what is referred to as dynamic digital assets to help communicate instructions or messages directly to the player within the game world itself. This has the added benefit of not cluttering up the player’s UI with hints and directions.
RELATED:Activision Patents Could Lead to More Realistic Movement in First-Person Games
An example of a dynamic digital asset would be the virtual racing lines that can be found in manyracing games likeForza Motorsport. For many games these assets, although dynamic in nature, are fixed parts of the game that are rarely altered after the game is published. But nowActivisionhas patented a computer-implemented system that may allow these dynamic assets to be changed to more optimum positions and timings in response to collated player data.
TheActivisionpatent also describes a method of modifying these dynamic assets in real-time to reflect the real-time changes during multiplayer games. This could lead to dynamic and complex multiplayer maps which players can still navigate easily as the game uses its assets to make the route towards the action clearer to the player. A battle royal game likeCall of Duty: Warzonemight be able to take the most advantage of this technology.
Battle royal games likeCall of Duty: Warzonetake place over a massive map, and players are tasked with finding or escaping combat with each other. The game already gives the player many audiovisual cues as to the actions and positions of other players, but a system like the one in Activation’s patent could lead to far more subtle and yet clearer in-game cues for the player as to the current state of the of their multiplayer match.
Game design for modern AAA games has become about integrating the conceits of a video game as seamlessly as possible intoa fleshed out and living video game world. The Activision patent’s player collected data could be used to determine where these seams are most often found, and the dynamic assets can be used to guide players away from them more subtly.
