Celebrity Voices in a Video Game

Abstract

Virtual environments in which players are able to select synthetic voices for their characters are described. The voices may be celebrity voices or impersonations of celebrity voices. A player may provide a spoken message to the game server, which converts the spoken message into a text message and then outputs the text message in audible form using a celebrity voice.

1 . A method comprising: 
 providing a virtual environment accessible by a plurality of players, wherein the players are able to interact with the virtual environment and each other via avatars;    receiving a text message from a first player;    associating the text message with a synthetic voice message;    outputting the synthetic voice message to a second player.    
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising 
 receiving a voice message from the first player and    converting the voice message into a text message.    
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the synthetic voice message is a recording of a celebrity voice.  
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing a plurality of synthetic voices.  
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising receiving a synthetic voice selection from the first player.  
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 5  wherein receiving a synthetic voice selection comprises receiving a fee from the first player in return for the ability of have the selected synthetic voice associated with text messages provided by the first player.  
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 6  wherein the synthetic voice selection is for a limited period of time.  
   
   
       8 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising: 
 receiving an offer from the first player of a fee in return for the ability of have the selected synthetic voice associated with text messages provided by the first player;    receiving an offer from a second player of a fee in return for the ability of have the selected synthetic voice associated with text messages provided by the second player; and    associating the synthetic voice with only one of the first and second players, based on the offers.    
   
   
       9 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising: 
 recording game related messages in a plurality of different voices; and    identifying each different voice as a different synthetic voice.    
   
   
       10 . The method of  claim 9  wherein at least one of the voices is a voice that is a celebrity voice.  
   
   
       11 . A method comprising: 
 providing a virtual environment accessible by a plurality of players, wherein the players are able to interact and play games with the virtual environment and each other via avatars;    receiving a text message from a first player;    displaying the text message in a game;    storing the text message;    outputting the text message in the form of a fixed media presentation.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the fixed media presentation is a literary work.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 12  wherein the literary work is a comic book.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 13  wherein the comic book contains screen capture images from the game.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 11  wherein the fixed media presentation is a movie.  
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 11  further comprising: 
 associating the text message with a synthetic voice message; and    outputting the synthetic voice message to a second player.    
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising: 
 receiving a voice message from the first player; and    converting the voice message into a text message.    
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 16  further comprising providing a plurality of synthetic voices.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  further comprising receiving a synthetic voice selection from the first player.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein receiving a synthetic voice selection comprises receiving a fee from the first player in return for the ability of have the selected synthetic voice associated with text messages provided by the first player.