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Using YouTube may become a much less passive experience in the near future.  Google's received applied for a patent on a "Web-based system for [the] generation of interactive games based on digital videos," and several facts point to the search giant moving ahead with the idea.

Let's start with an overview of the patent.  As explained in the official application (hat tip to Erik Sherman), "The present invention includes systems and methods for modifying playback of online hosted videos via interactive annotations, allowing the creation of interactive games."

The application later added, "Some examples of annotations are graphical text box annotations, which display text at certain locations and certain times of the video, and pause annotations, which halt playback of the video at a specified time within the video. Some annotations, e.g. a graphical annotation (such as a text box annotation) comprising a link to a particular portion of a target video, are associated with a time of the target video, which can be either the video with which the annotation is associated, or a separate video."

Considering that YouTube can already handle annotations and time markers, this concept would be easy enough to implement.  That's one possible hurdle down.

Another factor is that interest in "choose your own adventure"-type uses of YouTube is high.  People have been writing about the subject on a regular basis since at least late 2008, meaning YouTube hasn't prepared to meet a demand that doesn't exist.

Finally, YouTube filed for the patent on February 19th, and since patent applications can get tied up for years, it's important that this one isn't too dusty.

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