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Microsoft owns patent on in-game soundtracks, says site

According to this, Microsoft filed a patent in 2006 to "own" in-game soundtrack functionality. According to that report, the patent covers:

  • receiving a request to launch a game in a gaming system;
  • determining whether the game has a user-associated soundtrack;
  • if the game has a user-associated soundtrack:
  • launching the game; and
  • playing the user-associated soundtrack;
  • if the game does not have a user-associated soundtrack:
  • allowing a user of the gaming system to select a soundtrack to play while the game is executed; and
  • playing a default soundtrack if the user of the gaming system does not select a soundtrack.

That article concludes that Sony hasn't been allowing custom soundtracks because of the above. Apart from in a few games. Which are magically exempt from the patent. Remember all that stuff about Nintendo owning a patent on rumble technology? No? That's because that didn't make any difference either.

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Patrick Garratt avatar

Patrick Garratt

Founder & Publisher (Former)

Patrick Garratt is a games media legend - and not just by reputation. He was named as such in the UK's 'Games Media Awards', the equivalent of a lifetime achievement award. After garnering experience on countless gaming magazines, he joined Eurogamer and later split from that brand to create VG247, putting the site on the map with fast, 24-hour a day coverage, and assembling the site's earliest editorial teams. He retired from VG247, and the games industry, in 2017.

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