Google wants to obtain a patent for a technology that can let its online video portal YouTube become an interactive gaming portal as well. They applied for the patent earlier in 2009.
 
The description of the patent is “Web-based System for Generation of Interactive Games Based on Digital Videos”. This patent details a system where the procedure of creating video annotations can be used for game like mechanics and video behavior change. The system can alter the appearance and even behavior of on-line videos. The system also provides for authentication based control over the annotation abilities that a user can acquire.

Now you may already be familiar with the YouTube video annotations as they are today. However they are fairly simple when you compare them to the patent they are applying for.  The new technology that Google wants to patent will allow users to create a game that can switch between different videos based on specific conditions such as different user responses etc. And users will also have the ability to control playback.

So if they win the patent, can you imagine what that will do to Google’s Youtube usage, not to mention advertisement revenue? And if they even charge a small subscription fee of $1 per application (like the one Apple charges for many of its ITouch apps), the sky’s the limit given the huge video game-loving audience out there.