Xbox gamers are given the chance to earn achievements and trophies based on their in-game performance. Microsoft is hoping to adapt this system of rewards in order to change the way that people watch television by offering similar rewards for what choices a viewer makes with his or her remote control.
The company has applied for a patent that would allow them to reward viewers with Xbox Live achievements and rewards if they complete a television series or sit through commercials through a system they are calling "Awards and Achievements Across TV Ecosystem."
Programmers can set viewing goals and if the viewer completes them, he or she is rewarded. For example, if someone watches the entire first season of a show, he or she might be rewarded with a fan T-shirt for his or her in-game avatar or a trophy that their Xbox Live friends can see in order to show off that they're a fan.
With the recent announcement of the Xbox One and the numerous features that the Kinect will offer, many believe that this patent is something that Microsoft hopes to enable with the new console system.
The listing, which can be found on the US Patent and Trademark website, outlines how it hopes to change the way that people watch TV.
"Television viewing tends to be a passive experience for a viewer, without many opportunities for the viewer to engage or have interactive experiences with the presented content. To increase interactive viewing and encourage a user to watch one or more particular items of video content, awards and achievements may be tied to those itemsof video content."
With the Kinect system able to identify if a viewer is still in the room when commercials play, not only will viewers be rewarded for what shows they watch, they'll be rewarded for not changing the channel during a commercial break or getting up to fix a snack. Microsoft hopes this will increase the value of advertisements on television.
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