Responsive cut scenes in video games

Abstract

A determination is made that a player's avatar has performed an action while an audio signal representing a narrative of a non-player character is being produced. The action is mapped to an impression, which is mapped to a response. The audio signal is stopped before it is completed and the response is played by providing audio for the non-player character and/or animating the non-player character. After the response is played, steps ensure that critical information in the narrative has been provided to the player.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-readable storage medium having computer-executable instructions for performing a method comprising:
 accessing a file containing data representing an audio signal and animated movements for a non-player character in a game, the audio signal and the animated movements corresponding to the non-player character speaking to a player's avatar;   generating an audio signal representing speech from the non-player character and generating animations on a display showing movement of the non-player character while speaking to the player's avatar based on the data in the file;   determining that the player's avatar in the game has performed an action;   retrieving a response, from a set of stored responses, based on the action, the retrieved response comprising an animated movement for the non-player character;   determining if the retrieved response is a microreaction;   if the retrieved response is a microreaction:
 combining the animated movements in the file with the animated movement of the retrieved response to form modified animations for the non-player character; and 
 displaying the modified animations of the non-player character such that the non-player character continues to speak without interruption and the animated movements of the non-player character are not interrupted; and 
   if the retrieved response is not a microreaction:
 stopping the animations of the non-player character and the audio generated from the data in the file; and 
 displaying animated movements of the non-player character based on the retrieved response and generating an audio signal based on the retrieved response. 
   
     
     
         2 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , the method further comprising:
 mapping the action to an impression; and   mapping the impression to the retrieved response.   
     
     
         3 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 2 , wherein the animated movement of the retrieved response is designed to convey the impression. 
     
     
         4 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 2 , wherein mapping the action to the impression comprises mapping the action to an impression that is not limited to being mapped to by only one action. 
     
     
         5 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 4 , wherein multiple actions are mapped to a single impression. 
     
     
         6 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 2 , wherein the impression indicates that the action was impolite. 
     
     
         7 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the action comprises a movement of the player's avatar. 
     
     
         8 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , wherein the movement comprises the player's avatar attacking the non-character player. 
     
     
         9 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 1 , the file comprises dialog for the non-player character in the game, the dialog forming at least part of a complete narrative comprising critical information and stylistic information to be conveyed to the player. 
     
     
         10 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein the animations of the non-player character and the audio are stopped before all of the dialog in the retrieved file has been produced as an audio signal, the method further comprising ensuring that the critical information of the narrative is provided to the player. 
     
     
         11 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 10 , wherein ensuring that the critical information of the narrative is provided to the player comprises restarting the audio signal representing speech from the non-player character based on the dialog in the retrieved file. 
     
     
         12 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein restarting the audio signal comprises reproducing at least part of the audio signal that was produced before the audio signal was stopped. 
     
     
         13 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , wherein restarting the audio signal comprises restarting the audio signal at the beginning of the dialog in the retrieved file. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 12 , the method further comprising producing an audio signal as a transition between an audio signal of the response and the reproduction of the audio signal for the dialog in the retrieved file. 
     
     
         15 . A computer-implemented method comprising:
 receiving a player input that triggers a cutscene;   retrieving one of a plurality of cutscene clips that together constitute the cutscene, each cutscene clip having a start and an end;   producing, using a computer processor, an audio signal and an animation for a non-player character from the retrieved cutscene clip;   determining that a player's avatar has performed an action;   determining that the non-player character should respond to the action;   stopping the cutscene clip before reaching the end of the cutscene clip;   having the non-player character respond to the action;   upon completing the response to the action, determining if the player is ready to continue hearing the cutscene clip based on the distance between the player's avatar and the non-player character;   if the player is not ready to continue hearing the cutscene clip, setting a timer;   if the player's avatar returns to the non-player character before the timer expires, producing a verbal segue as a transition to restarting the cutscene clip and then restarting the cutscene clip from the start of the cutscene clip; and   if the timer expires before the player's avatar returns to the non-player character, unloading the cutscene such that the player's avatar will need to retrigger the cutscene.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein determining that a non-player character should respond to an action comprises mapping the action to an impression and mapping the impression to a response. 
     
     
         17 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 16 , wherein the response comprises an audio signal representing speech from the non-player character. 
     
     
         18 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 17 , wherein the response further comprises an animation that conveys the impression of the action. 
     
     
         19 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein the narrative provided by the non-player character is stored in a plurality of files and wherein continuing with the narrative comprises starting from the beginning of a file that was interrupted when the non-player character stopped the narrative. 
     
     
         20 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein the action comprises the player's avatar moving more than a threshold distance away from the non-player character.