Sony leads the worldwide gaming giants by way of submitting for patents across the globe, in keeping with a examine by Anaqua’s AcclaimIP patent search and analytics software program.
Anaqua mentioned international gaming giants, significantly Sony Interactive Leisure, have emerged as main gamers in patent filings, fueling innovation throughout a number of sides of gaming.
The truth is, Sony filed over 5 instances the variety of patents as its closest opponents final yr, with 117 patent functions. Firms like Activision and Digital Arts (EA) path with 22 and 21 functions, respectively.
Khyle Eaton, senior supervisor for IP Counsel at Anaqua, mentioned in a weblog publish that the important thing areas driving the online game business ahead are cell and hand-held gadgets, streaming and latency applied sciences, and cybersecurity measures. This patent exercise is a transparent reflection of the path by which the gaming business is shifting – in the direction of transportable, seamless, and safer gaming experiences, Eaton mentioned.
Be part of us for GamesBeat Subsequent!
GamesBeat Subsequent is connecting the following era of online game leaders. And you may be a part of us, arising October twenty eighth and twenty ninth in San Francisco! Reap the benefits of our purchase one, get one free move provide. Sale ends this Friday, August sixteenth. Be part of us by registering right here.
The evolving panorama
Cell and hand-held gaming has not too long ago emerged as the most well-liked phase of the business. Final yr alone, the worldwide cell gaming market generated $184 billion in income (in keeping with market researcher Newzoo), underscoring its large development over the previous decade.
Anaqua checked out cell and hand-held gaming-related patent filings from 2001 to 2024. Whereas
the chart contains information for 2021 and past, it’s necessary to notice a short lived decline in patent
illustration, as filings have but to be made public. Nonetheless, the numbers as much as 2021 spotlight the revolutionary momentum driving this sector.
Spine patent
This rise in reputation is fueled by a number of components. First, cell gaming provides a excessive stage of variety. Gamers can change between aggressive first-person shooters, stress-free puzzle video games, and digital poker tournaments – all from the identical gadget. The accessibility of smartphones has additionally performed a pivotal position, with reasonably priced gadgets like Samsung’s gaming-friendly smartphones bringing high-quality gaming to the lots, Anaqua mentioned.
Moreover, the enlargement of 5G networks has created new potentialities in cell gaming, enabling seamless connectivity and decreasing latency points. Anaqua’s annual patent report discovered the U.S. granted 55,263 5G-related patents in 2023, up 3% yr over yr. This improved infrastructure has paved the way in which for international aggressive gaming on cell gadgets, with esports leagues just like the Conflict Royale League and Name of Obligation Cell Championship gaining traction, Anaqua mentioned.
Current patents showcase the continued evolution of cell gaming {hardware}. Hand-held consoles just like the Steam Deck and controllers such because the Spine are additional blurring the strains between conventional console gaming and cell experiences. Sony’s PlayStation Portal is one other instance, providing gamers the flexibility to proceed gaming on the go with out sacrificing the standard of the console expertise.
Streaming and latency patents
As gaming has moved in the direction of cell and cross-platform play, streaming applied sciences and latency discount have change into more and more necessary. That is essential for the rising pattern of cloud gaming, the place efficiency hinges on low-latency connections.
Patents on this area are geared toward enhancing the efficiency of video games throughout numerous platforms, together with VR headsets, sensible TVs, and consoles. These improvements are important for decreasing lag and
making certain clean gameplay, significantly for streamed and multiplayer video games, Anaqua mentioned.
For instance, Sony’s patented system (JP2024111022 A) adjusts video encoding in real-time based mostly on a
participant’s web bandwidth, optimizing cloud gaming efficiency. Likewise, AT&T’s technique (US20240216800 A1) streamlines recreation transitions by downloading important content material whereas eradicating pointless information, serving to to scale back interrupted gameplay. These improvements in streaming are essential to delivering high-quality gaming experiences with out counting on highly effective native {hardware}, Anaqua mentioned.
As extra corporations file patents in these areas, competitors will change into much more intense, with giants like Sony, Tencent, Amazon, and Microsoft main the cost in latency and streaming expertise. The way forward for gaming, significantly cloud-based and VR gaming, is being formed by these improvements, Anaqua mentioned.
Patents geared toward stopping cyberbullying
Gaming could be an immersive and optimistic expertise, however it’s also susceptible to unfavorable parts, akin to cyberbullying, Anaqua mentioned. With 70% of youths beneath the age of 18 enjoying video video games, and 65% of all gamers partaking in multiplayer video games, the chance of on-line harassment is prevalent.
The commonest type of on-line harassment entails offensive name-calling, which surged in the course of the COVID-19 pandemic as video gaming, significantly multiplayer video games, noticed a pointy enhance in exercise. To handle this subject, corporations like Sony Interactive are submitting patents geared toward combating cyberbullying inside gaming communities. For instance, Sony’s patent (US20240017177 A1) introduces a system that flags disruptive habits throughout gameplay and notifies moderators with video clips for evaluation.
Main builders like Riot Video games and Ubisoft are additionally engaged on AI-driven instruments to detect dangerous behaviors in real-time, with tasks like Zero Hurt in Comms utilizing AI to research in-game communications for indicators of harassment.
