PlayStation May Soon Use Voice to Text Software to Display Stream Viewers' Feedback

gamerant.com:

Live-streaming video games is a very popular form of online entertainment with many sub-communities continually popping up around different streamers and genres of games. Big streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube Gaming did see a drop in hours viewed recently, though this was likely due to the winding down of the COVID-19 pandemic which had inflated the number of users across many online media platforms. But what separates streaming from all other forms of media is the relationship between the streamer and the audience.

For gaming streamers, the game itself is usually the main point of focus for both the streamer and the viewer. There will also usually be a chat window open a for viewers to chime in with their thoughts, and so the streamer and the chat can have a constant back and forth. The most successful streamers on Twitch have built their audiences on a process of “come for the game, but stay for the personality.”

Sony Patents System For Tracking How Players Interact With Certain In-Game Items and Scenarios

Sony has now patented a new system which could see this streamer and audience interaction become even more intertwined through the game itself. The patent specifies a system that would allow the audience of a live-stream to have their verbal responses appear as text in the streamer’s game. Sony's patent seems to suggest this system would be best applied to a game that already has a virtual crowd, such as Madden NFL or MLB The Show. The live-stream chat would then be cast as members of the virtual crowd with their comments appearing scattered around the stadium, but without drowning out what the streamer is saying.

This is a system that could work but would be difficult to implement into a game without it being