Recently, a patent that was applied for in 2021 by EA was finally published, directly detailing plans to create a ‘videographer mode’ in online games. There are visions that this will be an all-new mode present in EA’s multiplayer titles – like Apex Legends and Skate – that’ll allow specially selected users named ‘videographers’ to capture and edit gameplay on the fly.
In the documents that make up the patent application, there are references to a reputation system, driven by videographers picking up scores based on the quality of their captures and edits. On paper, it’s an invention that could aid content creation and esports broadcasts, and through the simplicity of the patent, it seems like something that could be implemented very easily.
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Thanks to Exputer.com, this patent filing surfaced days after it was published, but it was first submitted back in 2021. According to the documentation, the inventor of the videographer ‘mode’ is Garrett Knights, a long-serving EA employee (from what we could see online) with credits such as Plants vs. Zombies, Mass Effect: Andromeda, and various NHL titles.
In the patent documentation, the videographer role is broken down. It’ll essentially be separate from whatever game is being played, being offered a unique GUI and various tools to assist with video capture and editing, all while the game unfolds before the videographer’s eyes. It looks like the plan would be to have the videographers essentially matchmake alongside other players, create their content, and receive feedback based on their ‘performance’.
It isn’t mentioned by name, but EA’s patent for the videographer mode references ‘an online skateboard game’ – Skate 4, perhaps? It goes on to explain how the users in this ‘virtual skate park’ could link up with videographers and discuss their individual needs as a content creator, with the videographer then attempting to capture exactly what they’re looking for, securing reputation points in the process.
There are similar mechanics that exist in the industry already, though. For instance, Call of Duty boasts a ‘CODcaster’ role on its multiplayer platforms. With this role, users access a unique interface to cover an entire match as it unfolds, and it’s what’s used to track and broadcast esports matches, particularly those found in the Call of Duty League.
It’ll be interesting to see exactly how EA’s product differs from that.
For more Insider Gaming news, check out our coverage of the refer-a-friend Game Pass scheme revealed by Microsoft.
