A software application for teaching literacy through customized stories with gamification elements. Existing or new stories are created and customized for particular audiences and include text, animations, images, and sounds to produce an interactive multimedia story for presentation on a computing device with a display and audio output. Reading comprehension questions and games are provided to accompany the stories and the reader of the stories can earn rewards based on performance. The reader's performance is analyzed and reported to track progress.

A virtual image generation system for use by an end user comprises memory, a display subsystem, an object selection device configured for receiving input from the end user and persistently selecting at least one object in response to the end user input, and a control subsystem configured for rendering a plurality of image frames of a three-dimensional scene, conveying the image frames to the display subsystem, generating audio data originating from the at least one selected object, and for storing the audio data within the memory.

A virtual image generation system for use by an end user comprises memory, a display subsystem, an object selection device configured for receiving input from the end user and persistently selecting at least one object in response to the end user input, and a control subsystem configured for rendering a plurality of image frames of a three-dimensional scene, conveying the image frames to the display subsystem, generating audio data originating from the at least one selected object, and for storing the audio data within the memory.

Provided are a control device that prevents performance of a process different from a desired process in response to a voice input, a control method, a program, and an information storage medium. A voice acceptance section accepts voice. An output control section performs control such that voice accepted by the voice acceptance section is output to a program capable of performing a process using the voice. The output control section performs control such that if it is recognized that the voice accepted by the voice acceptance section represents given information, voice accepted by the voice acceptance section thereafter is not output to the program capable of performing the process using the voice.

A system for coordinating reactions of a virtual character with script spoken by a player in a video game or presentation, comprising an internet-connected server executing software and streaming video games or presentations to a player's computerized device. The system senses start of a dialogue between the player and the virtual character, displays a script for the player on a display of the computerized platform, prompts the player to speak the script. A timer then starts, or the system tracks an audio stream of the spoken script, determines where the player is in the script by the timer or the audio stream, and causes specific actions and responses of the virtual character according to pre-programmed association of actions and responses of the character to points of time or specific variations in the audio stream.

An interface device for a computerised system, the interface device including an engagement element configured for operable engagement with a region on a touchscreen of the computerised system to enable interfacing with the computerised system via the touchscreen, wherein the engagement element includes a viewing surface configured to allow a representation of content that is displayed at the region on the touchscreen with which the engagement element is operably engaged, to be visible through the viewing surface.

Provided are a control apparatus, a control method, a program, and an information storage medium that are configured, if an execution of processing based on speech recognition is disabled, to make a user recognize that, if recognition of an accepted speech is successful, the execution of processing based on speech recognition is disabled. A speech acceptance block accepts a speech. An execution block executes processing according to a result of recognition of the speech. An output control block executes control so that information indicative that execution of processing based on speech recognition is disabled is outputted. In accordance with success in the recognition of the speech, one of the execution of the processing according to the result of the recognition of the speech and the output control of the information indicative that the execution of processing based on speech recognition is disabled is executed.

Provided are a control apparatus, a control method, a program, and an information storage medium that are configured, if an execution of processing based on speech recognition is disabled, to make a user recognize that, if recognition of an accepted speech is successful, the execution of processing based on speech recognition is disabled. A speech acceptance block accepts a speech. An execution block executes processing according to a result of recognition of the speech. An output control block executes control so that information indicative that execution of processing based on speech recognition is disabled is outputted. In accordance with success in the recognition of the speech, one of the execution of the processing according to the result of the recognition of the speech and the output control of the information indicative that the execution of processing based on speech recognition is disabled is executed.

Embodiments of the present invention are generally directed towards software based controllers. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention are configured to provide a software based controller capable of utilization with games provided through a console, handheld device or other computing device.

Embodiments of the present invention are generally directed towards software based controllers. Specifically, embodiments of the present invention are configured to provide a software based controller capable of utilization with games provided through a console, handheld device or other computing device.