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On December 17, 2009, Microsoft filed trademark and patent protection in the U.S. for Avatars to be “Individualized by Physical Characteristics.” In other words, a new element to the Avatar system could be added to reflect the appearance and health status of gamers so that the virtual personas will more accurately reflect their real-life counterparts. The system could go so far as to take your image from Natal and even incorporate health data “from a third party health data collection repository, a healthcare smart card, a real-time physiological sensor (blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose, peak flow, pedometer, etc.)” While many in the gaming community see this to be a simple case of making the virtual world more real, it likely won’t be that limited. In fact, Microsoft even points out that individualized Avatars will actually promote better online behaviors through rewards and more realistic representation of the individual. Furthermore, such real-life Avatar integration could also be Microsoft’s answer to WiiFit. While we’re sure such a system would be optional, it will likely be encouraged by Microsoft and the community at-large. Check out the trademark “Abstract” featured below, or you can click HERE and read through the application in its entirety.
Abstract: An avatar generator for a virtual environment reflects a physiological characteristic of the user, injecting a degree of reality into the capabilities or appearance. Thereby, many of the incentives of the real world are replicated in a virtual environment. Physiological data that reflect a degree of health of the real person can be linked to rewards of capabilities of a gaming avatar, an amount of time budgeted to play, or a visible indication. Thereby, people are encouraged to exercise. Physiological data that reflect the health and perhaps also mood also improve social interaction in virtual environments. People seeking to meet and become acquainted with particular types of people are not thwarted by the artificiality of avatars. The physiological data can be gleaned from a third party health data collection repository, a healthcare smart card, a real-time physiological sensor (e.g., blood pressure, heart rate, blood glucose, peak flow, pedometer, etc.) |
