Secondary-game-mode sessions based on primary-game-mode arrangements of user-controlled elements

• US 10,016,688 B1
• Filed: 02/03/2017
• Issued: 07/10/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 07/15/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Inventors: Kim, John, Tsao, Bryan, Akpan, Inyang, Chanthasiriphan, Kevin, Wei, Albert, McNeill, David
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin Y
• Application Number:
  US15/423,897
• Time in Patent Office: 522 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/56 Computing the motion of game characters with respect to other game characters, game objects or elements of the game scene, e.g. for simulating the behaviour of a group of virtual soldiers or for path finding
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/95 Storage media specially adapted for storing game information, e.g. video game cartridges
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/207 for accessing game resources from local storage, e.g. streaming content from DVD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/208 for storing personal settings or data of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/57 details of game services offered to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6036 for offering a minigame in combination with a main game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 : for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8076 : Shooting
• CPC Class Codes: G06N 5/02 : Knowledge representation; Symbolic representation

Abstract

Approaches for secondary-game-mode sessions based on primary-game-mode arrangements of user-controlled elements are provided. Actions by user-controlled elements of a first user or other game-space elements in a primary game mode of a game space may be managed. A session request for a session in a secondary game mode of the game space may be received from the first user. A first session for the first user may be executed in the secondary game mode such that: (i) the first session involves artificial-intelligence-controlled elements as opponents against the user-controlled elements; (ii) an arrangement of the user-controlled elements at a beginning of the first session is the same as an arrangement of the user-controlled elements in the primary game mode at a time of the session request; and (iii) impacts on the user-controlled elements during the first session in the secondary game mode are not reflected in the primary game mode.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating secondary-game-mode sessions based on primary-game-mode arrangements of user-controlled elements, the system comprising:

one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to;

execute an instance of a game space, and to facilitate transmission of state information regarding the game space to client computing platforms that causes presentation of views of the game space to users on the client computing platforms, wherein the game space is configured to facilitate interaction of the users with the game space and/or each other by performing operations in the game space in response to commands received from the users, and to determine the state information for transmission to reflect performance of such operations;

manage a plurality of user-controlled elements existing within realms associated with the users in the game space that are controlled by, positioned by, or associated with the users, wherein the users include a first user, and wherein the plurality of user-controlled elements include one or more first user-controlled elements existing within a realm associated with the first user in the game space that are controlled by, positioned by, or associated with the first user;

manage a plurality of actions by the one or more first user-controlled elements, one or more opponent elements, and/or one or more other elements in a primary game mode of the game space, wherein the plurality of actions include attacks by the one or more first user-controlled elements on the one or more other user-controlled elements within one or more realms associated with one or more other users or attacks by the one or more other user-controlled elements on the one or more first user-controlled elements within the realm associated with the first user,

wherein impacts of the attacks to the one or more first user-controlled elements within the realm associated with the first user and the other user-controlled elements within the one or more realms associated with the one or more other users are persistent within the primary game mode such that impacts of the attacks to the one or more first user-controlled elements and the one or more other user-controlled elements are persistently reflected in the instance of the game space across multiple encounters between the one or more first user-controlled elements and the one or more other user-controlled elements; and

receive a session request from the first user for a session in a secondary game mode of the game space, and to execute a first session for the first user in the secondary game mode such that;

(i) the first session involves the one or more opponent elements against the one or more first user-controlled elements within the realm associated with the first user;

(ii) an arrangement of the one or more first user-controlled elements within the realm associated with the first user at a beginning of the first session is the same as an arrangement of the one or more first user-controlled elements in the primary game mode at a time of the session request; and

(iii) impacts on the one or more first user-controlled elements during the first session in the secondary game mode are not reflected for the one or more first user-controlled elements in the primary game mode.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the plurality of user-controlled elements include structures, character units, or items controlled by, positioned by, or associated with the users.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the game space includes a plurality of areas, wherein the plurality of areas include a first area associated with the first user, wherein the one or more first user-controlled elements include one or more of first structures, first character units, or first items controlled by, positioned by, or associated with the first user, and wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions such that the first structures, the first character units, or the first items come into existence with respect to the game space in the first area.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions such that one or more of the first structures, the first character units, or the first items defend the first area in the primary game mode and during the first session in the second game mode.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the session request includes information identifying one or more secondary-game-mode parameters for a session in the secondary game mode, and wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to select the one or more opponent elements for the one or more first user-controlled elements for the first session based on a determination that the one or more secondary-game-mode parameters correspond to the one or more first secondary-game-mode parameters.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are is configured by machine-readable instructions such that managing the plurality of actions includes managing a plurality of opponent actions by the one or more opponent elements against the one or more first user-controlled elements within the realm associated with the first user, wherein the plurality of opponent actions during the first session include one or more of:

(i) attacking the one or more first user-controlled elements in accordance with one or more first formations;

or (ii) defending against the one or more first user-controlled elements in accordance with one or more second formations.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to:

receive another session request from the first user for a session in the secondary game mode that is to occur after the first session, wherein the other session request includes information identifying one or more other secondary-game-mode parameters for a session in the secondary game mode;

execute the second session such that (i) an arrangement of the one or more first user-controlled elements at a beginning of the second session is an arrangement of the one or more first user-controlled elements at a time of the other session request; and

(ii) one or more other impacts on the one or more first user-controlled elements during the second session in the secondary game mode are not reflected for the one or more first user-controlled elements in the primary game mode.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein second actions performed by the one or more opponent elements during the second session include one or more of:

(i) attacking the one or more first user-controlled elements in accordance with one or more third formations of the one or more opponent elements;

or (ii) defending against the one or more first user-controlled elements in accordance with one or more fourth formations of the one or more opponent elements, and wherein the one or more third formations are different than the one or more first formations or the one or more fourth formations are different than the one or more second formations.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more impacts include a modification to one or more hit point statuses of the one or more first user-controlled elements that relates to one or more actions of the one or more first user-controlled elements or the one or more opponent elements during the first session, and wherein the modification is reflected for the one or more first user-controlled elements in the secondary game mode while not reflected for the one or more first user-controlled elements in the primary game mode.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the modification includes an increase to at least one of the one or more hit point statuses of at least one of the one or more first user-controlled elements, or a decrease to at least another one of the one or more hit point statuses of at least another one of the one or more first user-controlled elements.

11. A computer-implemented method of facilitating secondary-game-mode sessions based on primary-game-mode arrangements of user-controlled elements, the method being implemented on a computer system that includes one or more physical processors, the method comprising:

executing an instance of a game space;

facilitating transmission of state information regarding the game space to client computing platforms that causes presentation of views of the game space to users on the client computing platforms, wherein the game space is configured to facilitate interaction of the users with the game space and/or each other by performing operations in the game space in response to commands received from the users, and to determine the state information for transmission to reflect performance of such operations;

managing a plurality of user-controlled elements existing within realms associated with the users in the game space that are controlled by, positioned by, or associated with the users, wherein the users include a first user, and wherein the plurality of user-controlled elements include one or more first user-controlled elements existing within a realm associated with the first user in the game space that are controlled by, positioned by, or associated with the first user;

managing a plurality of actions by the one or more first user-controlled elements, one or more opponent elements, and/or one or more other elements in a primary game mode of the game space, wherein the plurality of actions include attacks by the one or more first user-controlled elements on the one or more other user-controlled elements within one or more realms associated with one or more other users or attacks by the one or more other user-controlled elements on the one or more first user-controlled elements within the realm associated with the first user,

wherein impacts of the attacks to the one or more first user-controlled elements within the realm associated with the first user and the other user-controlled elements within the one or more realms associated with the one or more other users are persistent within the primary game mode such that impacts of the attacks to the one or more first user-controlled elements and the one or more other user-controlled elements are persistently reflected in the instance of the game space across multiple encounters between the one or more first user-controlled elements and the one or more other user-controlled elements; and

receiving a session request from the first user for a session in a secondary game mode of the game space; and

executing a first session for the first user in the secondary game mode such that;

(i) the first session involves the one or more opponent elements against the one or more first user-controlled elements within the realm associated with the first user;

(ii) an arrangement of the one or more first user-controlled elements within the realm associated with the first user at a beginning of the first session is the same as an arrangement of the one or more first user-controlled elements in the primary game mode at a time of the session request; and

(iii) impacts on the one or more first user-controlled elements during the first session in the secondary game mode are not reflected for the one or more first user-controlled elements in the primary game mode.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the plurality of user-controlled elements include structures, character units, or items controlled by, positioned by, or associated with the users.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the game space includes a plurality of areas, wherein the plurality of areas include a first area associated with the first user, wherein the one or more first user-controlled elements include one or more of first structures, first character units, or first items controlled by, positioned by, or associated with the first user, and wherein the first structures, the first character units, or the first items come into existence with respect to the game space in the first area.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein one or more of the first structures, the first character units, or the first items defend the first area in the primary game mode and during the first session in the second game mode.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the session request includes information identifying one or more secondary-game-mode parameters for a session in the secondary game mode, the method further comprising:

selecting the one or more opponent elements for the one or more first user-controlled elements for the first session based on a determination that the one or more secondary-game-mode parameters correspond to the one or more first secondary-game-mode parameters.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein managing the plurality of actions further comprises managing a plurality of opponent actions by the one or more opponent elements against the one or more first user-controlled elements within the realm associated with the first user, wherein the plurality of opponent actions during the first session include one or more of:

(i) attacking the one or more first user-controlled elements in accordance with one or more first formations;

or (ii) defending against the one or more first user-controlled elements in accordance with one or more second formations.

17. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more impacts include a modification to one or more hit point statuses of the one or more first user-controlled elements that relates to one or more actions of the one or more first user-controlled elements or the one or more opponent elements during the first session, and wherein the modification is reflected for the one or more first user-controlled elements in the secondary game mode while not reflected for the one or more first user-controlled elements in the primary game mode.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the modification includes an increase to at least one of the one or more hit point statuses of at least one of the one or more first user-controlled elements, or a decrease to at least another one of the one or more hit point statuses of at least another one of the one or more first user-controlled elements.