Sony Patents Dynamic Audio System That Can Change Music Depending On Gameplay

The beats and pitch of the music could perfectly reflect gameplay moments.

Story Highlights

  • Sony has published a new patent that wants to add a dynamic audio system that can modify in-game music to reflect different moments in gameplay using a trained AI model.
  • A game may modify the playing music to a more intense version while fighting with enemies and calm it down during calm or romantic moments in the gameplay. It is something akin to the feature in FFXVI.
  • The in-game music may change in pitch, key, tempo, instrument, or addition of notes, catering to every game moment with an appropriate track to set the mood.
  • The magnitude or complexity of an in-game moment will result in a smaller or a bigger change in the music track. The system seems to be an upgrade over the one used in Final Fantasy 16.

Sony is among the front runners in bringing new innovative concepts into the gaming industry, and its latest patent may prove to be a really immersive addition to the entree of AAA entries. The giant conglomerate recently published a new patent to introduce an ingenious dynamic audio system. The brief legal document talks about a method that can modify in-game music depending on certain gameplay moments.

A system for modifying a music track of a video game comprising a trained machine learning system which modifies a music track in response to game state data and an audio processor operable to output the modification,” mentions the patent.

The patent dubbed “AUDIO MODIFICATION SYSTEM AND METHOD” wants to add an enchanting audio system that is capable of changing in-game music to reflect battles or other gameplay tropes more appropriately. In other words, a Sony game would change the playing music to a more intense version while fighting with enemies and calm it down during calm or romantic moments in the gameplay.

The game play data may relate to an image of a scene, character dialogue, image capture, metadata, a scene location or user control input including the magnitude or complexity.”

Sony mentions that the music may change in pitch, key, tempo, instrument, or addition of notes, catering to every game moment with an appropriate track to set the mood. Moreover, the magnitude or complexity of an in-game moment will result in a smaller or a bigger change in the music track.


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While the patent sounds great and all on paper, it may rob us of hilarious moments we see in different games. For instance, calm and tranquil music playing in the background while mauling innocent NPCs or enemies could no longer happen and instead will change to an action-packed track to make us go into the zone. Sony states that the AI-trained system will make it easier to provide music that fits the gameplay.

The modification to the music may be a change in pitch, key, tempo or instrument or the addition of notes. Metadata may be descriptive of a mood, genre or beat of the track and the lyrics may also be an input.”

We have already seen a system like this in the newly-released Final Fantasy 16; it edits the music in real-life during combat and adjusts the volume and speed of the music to match each player’s gameplay. The music starts amping up to the nines as soon as Clive engages in battles, adding more to the overall immersion offered in the game.

Final Fantasy 16 features enthralling visuals with a hearty story.
Final Fantasy 16 features enthralling visuals with a hearty story.

Sony mentions a similar system in the patent but includes a variety of more instances where the music can change, such as dialogue interactions, different scenes, and much more. It likely wants to secure the idea for its huge arsenal of games after seeing its potential. We may see the company implement the dynamic music system in its upcoming AAA releases in the future.

Sony has been publishing a slew of enticing patents in the past to upgrade the audio tech in games. For instance, a recently published patent wants to produce in-game sound generation based on user environments. A patent to improve in-game voice chat was also recently published for disabled gamers. To add more, the PlayStation brand may also start punishing players for immoral in-game voice chat behavior.

Similar Reads: Pokemon Scarlet And Violet DLC Trailer Apparently Used Fan-Made Music Without Permission.

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Source
Patentscope

Shameer Sarfaraz is a Senior News Writer on eXputer who loves to keep up with the gaming and entertainment industries devoutly. He has a Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science and several years of experience reporting on games. Besides his passion for breaking news stories, Shahmeer loves spending his leisure time farming away in Stardew Valley. VGC, IGN, GameSpot, Game Rant, TheGamer, GamingBolt, The Verge, NME, Metro, Dot Esports, GameByte, Kotaku Australia, PC Gamer, and more have cited his articles.

Experience: 4+ Years || Education: Bachelor in Computer Science.

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