Systems and methods for making game content from a single online game accessible to users via multiple platforms

• US 10,134,227 B1
• Filed: 02/19/2016
• Issued: 11/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Inventors: Wakeford, Kent, Huttula, Tomi
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Application Number:
  US15/048,947
• Time in Patent Office: 1,005 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3206 Player sensing means, e.g. presence detection, biometrics
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3211 Display means
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3286 Type of games

Abstract

A system and method that makes game content from a single online game accessible to users via multiple platforms. The multiple platforms may include virtual reality platforms and non-virtual reality platforms. Amounts of gameplay of the online game by the users via the virtual reality platforms may be monitored. The gameplay of the online game via the virtual reality platforms may be limited. As such, responsive to the amounts of gameplay by the users reaching gameplay thresholds, access to the online game through the first platform is restricted for the users until corresponding requirements are satisfied. The users may be able to play the online game via the non-virtual reality platforms while the gameplay of the online game via the virtual reality platforms is restricted.

Claims

1. A multi-platform gaming system comprising:

one or more data stores configured to store;

computer-executable instructions;

user account information including user preferences and game state information associated with one or more user accounts; and

content rendering instructions for rendering content for a single online game on a plurality of platforms, which include a first platform and a second platform, wherein the first platform is configured to simulate immersion within online games and is different from the second platform;

a network interface configured to communicate with a plurality of network service devices; and

one or more physical computer processors in communication with the one or more data stores, wherein the computer-executable instructions, when executed, configure the one or more processors to;

receive, via the network interface, an electronic request associated with a first client computing device to access and play a first online game, the electronic request comprising;

an electronic indication of a user account associated with a first user; and

platform identifying information;

obtain, via the one or more data stores, based on the electronic request, first user account information associated with the first user including first game state information associated with the first online game;

determine whether the electronic request is associated with the first platform or the second platform based at least in part on the platform identifying information;

if the electronic request is from the first platform;

obtain content rendering instructions pertaining to the first platform from the one or more data stores;

generate first platform content based at least in part on the obtained content rendering instructions and the obtained first game state information, wherein the first platform content includes first platform specific settings associated with the first platform including a set of motion inputs, views, and visibility, and the first platform content is further configured to be displayed stereoscopically;

transmit the first platform content to the first client computing device for display and interaction;

track movements of the first client computing device in a physical space;

automatically match the tracked movements to a virtual space in which the first online game is played such that the tracked movements in the physical space correspond to movements of a character or viewpoint within the virtual space;

transmit the first platform content to the first client computing device for display and interaction;

if the electronic request is from the second platform;

obtain the content rendering instructions pertaining to the second platform from the one or more data stores;

generate second platform content based at least in part on the obtained content rendering instructions and the obtained first game state information, wherein the second platform content includes second platform specific settings associated with the second platform including a set of motion inputs, views, and visibility and is different than the first platform specific settings, and the second platform content is adjusted to depict operations in the associated game instance in response to commands received over the network interface from the first client computing device;

transmit the second platform content to the first client computing device for display and interaction.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first platform supports additional or an increased set of motion inputs, views, and visibility than the second platform.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the movements of the first client computing device are tracked via head or eye tracking of the first user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first platform content and second platform content are different based on one or more of:

dimension differences, location differences within the virtual space, or character differences.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more data stores further comprises game instance information which is configured to be used to generate game state information.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein game instance information is persistent and can continue on whether or not individual users are currently logged in or participating in the online games.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual space comprises topography information.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine readable instructions to:

if the first platform content is being transmitted to the first client computing device for display and interaction, restrict access to the first platform content by other client computing devices;

if the second platform content is being transmitted to the second client computing device for display and interaction, restrict access to the second platform content by other client computing devices.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine readable instruction to:

based on the tracked movements, effectuate presentation of a notification to the first user via the first client computing device.

10. A computer-implemented method of providing gaming content in an online game to multiple platforms, the computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, via a network interface, an electronic request associated with a first client computing device to access and play a first online game, the electronic request comprising;

an electronic indication of a user account associated with a first user; and

platform identifying information;

obtaining, via one or more data stores, based on the electronic request, first user account information associated with the first user including first game state information associated with the first online game;

determining whether the electronic request is associated with the first platform or the second platform based at least in part on the platform identifying information;

if the electronic request is from the first platform;

obtaining content rendering instructions pertaining to the first platform from the one or more data stores;

generating first platform content based at least in part on the obtained content rendering instructions and the obtained first game state information, wherein the first platform content includes first platform specific settings associated with the first platform including a set of motion inputs, views, and visibility, and the first platform content is further configured to be displayed stereoscopically;

transmitting the first platform content to the first client computing device for display and interaction;

tracking movements of the first client computing device in a physical space;

automatically matching the tracked movements to a virtual space in which the first online game is played such that the tracked movements in the physical space correspond to movements of a character or viewpoint within the virtual space;

transmitting the first platform content to the first client computing device for display and interaction;

if the electronic request is from the second platform;

obtaining the content rendering instructions pertaining to the second platform from the one or more data stores;

generating second platform content based at least in part on the obtained content rendering instructions and the obtained first game state information, wherein the second platform content includes second platform specific settings associated with the second platform including a set of motion inputs, views, and visibility and is different than the first platform specific settings, and the second platform content is adjusted to depict operations in the associated game instance in response to commands received over the network interface from the first client computing device;

transmitting the second platform content to the first client computing device for display and interaction.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the first platform supports additional or an increased set of motion inputs, views, and visibility than the second platform.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the movements of the first client computing device are tracked via head or eye tracking of the first user.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the first platform content and second platform content are different based on one or more of:

dimension differences, location differences within the virtual space, or character differences.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein one or more data stores further comprises game instance information which is configured to be used to generate game state information.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine readable instructions to:

if the first platform content is being transmitted to the first client computing device for display and interaction, restricting access to the first platform content by other client computing devices;

if the second platform content is being transmitted to the second client computing device for display and interaction, restricting access to the second platform content by other client computing devices.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine readable instruction to:

based on the tracked movements, effectuating presentation of a notification to the first user via the first client computing device.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, configure the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:

receiving, via a network interface, an electronic request associated with a first client computing device to access and play a first online game, the electronic request comprising;

an electronic indication of a user account associated with a first user; and

platform identifying information;

obtaining, via one or more data stores, based on the electronic request, first user account information associated with the first user including first game state information associated with the first online game;

determining whether the electronic request is associated with the first platform or the second platform based at least in part on the platform identifying information;

if the electronic request is from the first platform;

obtaining content rendering instructions pertaining to the first platform from the one or more data stores;

generating first platform content based at least in part on the obtained content rendering instructions and the obtained first game state information, wherein the first platform content includes first platform specific settings associated with the first platform including a set of motion inputs, views, and visibility, and the first platform content is further configured to be displayed stereoscopically;

transmitting the first platform content to the first client computing device for display and interaction;

tracking movements of the first client computing device in a physical space;

automatically matching the tracked movements to a virtual space in which the first online game is played such that the tracked movements in the physical space correspond to movements of a character or viewpoint within the virtual space;

transmitting the first platform content to the first client computing device for display and interaction;

if the electronic request is from the second platform;

obtaining the content rendering instructions pertaining to the second platform from the one or more data stores;

generating second platform content based at least in part on the obtained content rendering instructions and the obtained first game state information, wherein the second platform content includes second platform specific settings associated with the second platform including a set of motion inputs, views, and visibility and is different than the first platform specific settings, and the second platform content is adjusted to depict operations in the associated game instance in response to commands received over the network interface from the first client computing device;

transmitting the second platform content to the first client computing device for display and interaction.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the first platform supports additional or an increased set of motion inputs, views, and visibility than the second platform.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine readable instructions to:

if the first platform content is being transmitted to the first client computing device for display and interaction, restricting access to the first platform content by other client computing devices;

if the second platform content is being transmitted to the second client computing device for display and interaction, restricting access to the second platform content by other client computing devices.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine readable instruction to:

based on the tracked movements, effectuating presentation of a notification to the first user via the first client computing device.