Would you game with Google? The search giant, according to data sussed out by bnet, filed for a patent back in February that would allow “interactive video annotations enabling control of video playback locations and creation of interactive games.” Hmm.

On the surface, this sounds as though flash games may be embedded directly into YouTube clips of skateboarders taking nut shots, but probing a bit deeper reveals an eyebrow-raising section:

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. Selecting such annotations causes playback of the target video to begin at the associated time. Such annotations can be used to construct interactive games using videos, such as a game in which clicking on different portions of a video leads to different outcomes.

What do you think? A choose-your-own-adventure game, or something with animated sequences like Dragon’s Lair or Space Ace? It would certainly bring a new element to the popular video repository, and may be, just may birth a new wave of video game creation; imagine being able to create a popular diversion using just wit and a web cam.

[Hat tip: bnet]