EA May Add A Replay Editor To Its Games

Video game publishers are often trying to one-up each other by securing unique patents for their franchises. EA is no different. A new patent published by the company now wants to add an exclusive replay editor to its games. The editor in question will allow users to make all sorts of modifications and other edits to the captured content. It will also allow players to re-render views of the gameplay, like changing camera angles and the like.

The patent dubbed “REPLAY EDITOR IN VIDEO GAMES” is pretty straightforward in its approach. If you’re like me, then you might already be familiar with what a replay editor looks like in games. The patent wants to take it a step ahead of the current competition by adding features that can modify characters, objects, or even environments to make the captured gameplay ready for sharing online without additional required changes.

An editing user may utilize a replay editor to subsequently re-render the view of the gameplay presented to the player or to render a modified view of the gameplay […] The replay editor may allow the user to modify the simulation state data such that characters, objects or the environment in a simulated game world and the appearances thereof may be manipulated,” reads the patent.

The patent argues that the current trend of players sharing their gameplay experiences is causing frustration because of a lack of built-in replay customization. It can be quite a hassle to deal with the default replays that we see in games. Players often have to use editing software to make them ready for online sharing. Additionally, these editing software do not allow users to easily modify gameplay moments.

EA wants to solve this dilemma by adding its own replay editing tool to games so that users can modify nearly anything in the captured gameplay without any restrictions and with ease.

With eSports and general game spectating, games are becoming more than just a playing experience with players wishing to share their gameplay experiences. For example, some games and systems may provide for video capture of gameplay. However, frustration may arise due to the lack of customization and enhancement available for video captures of gameplay.”

I reckon EA will use this tool in competitive multiplayer titles, such as Apex Legends and EA Sports FC. It’s also worth noting that Activision already published a similar patent to customize replays—likely for its Call of Duty franchise—about two years ago. 

It is certainly not the first time EA has patented an innovative idea for its various IPs. The company earlier secured plans to let players play as videographers in games. Additionally, it also published a patent to add a personalized and animated coaching system to its titles.