Systems and methods for regulating access to game content of an online game

• US 10,232,271 B2
• Filed: 02/26/2018
• Issued: 03/19/2019
• 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:
  US15/905,549
• Publication Number:
  US 20180178116A1
• Time in Patent Office: 386 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5255 according to dedicated instructions from a player, e.g. using a secondary joystick to rotate the camera around a player's character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/847 Cooperative playing, e.g. requiring coordinated actions from several players to achieve a common goal
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8082 Virtual reality

Abstract

Online games may include game content that may be played cooperatively by groups of users. The game content may include a group roles set for the users in individual groups. Users of an online game may interact with the online game via client computing platforms. The client computing platforms may include virtual reality platforms and non-virtual reality platforms. Access to the game content of the online game may be regulated by determining whether the users are attempting to play a game instance of the online game via the virtual reality platforms or the non-virtual reality platforms. A first set of group roles may be presented to users attempting to play the game instance via the virtual reality platforms. A second set of group roles may be presented to users attempting to play the game instance via the non-virtual reality platforms.

Claims

1. A system that regulates access to game content of an online game, the system comprising:

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

execute a game instance of the online game and use the game instance to generate game state information that is transmitted to client computing platforms over a network, the game state information facilitating presentation of views of the online game to users via the client computing platforms, wherein execution of the game instance further enables interaction by the users with the online game and/or each other by performing operations in the game instance in response to commands received over the network from the client computing platforms, wherein the client computing platforms include virtual reality platforms and non-virtual reality platforms, the online game including the game content that is played cooperatively by groups of users and includes roles for the users in individual groups, wherein the roles include a first role and a second role, the first role differing from the second role;

determine whether the users of the online game are attempting to play the game instance via the virtual reality platforms or the non-virtual reality platforms;

responsive to determination that an individual user is attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the virtual reality platforms, effectuate presentation of the first role to such individual user; and

responsive to determination that an individual user is attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms, effectuate presentation of the second role to such individual user.

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

determine changes in the client computing platforms used by the users to interact with the online game;

responsive to determination that an individual user changed from playing the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms to the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms, effectuate presentation of the second role to such individual user; and

responsive to determination that an individual user changed from playing the online game via the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms to the one or more of the virtual reality platforms, effectuate presentation of the first role to such individual user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first role is characterized by a first type of gameplay and the second role is characterized by a second type of gameplay, the first type of gameplay differing from the second type of gameplay.

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

receiving selection of the first role by the individual user attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the virtual reality platforms; and

implementing the selected role for the individual user attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the virtual reality platforms.

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

selecting the first role for the individual user attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the virtual reality platforms; and

implementing the selected role for the individual user attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the virtual reality platforms.

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

receiving selection of the second role by the individual user attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms; and

implementing the selected role for the individual user attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms.

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

selecting the second role for the individual user attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms; and

implementing the selected role for the individual user attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual reality platforms include a virtual reality headset display.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the virtual reality platforms include a motion controller.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the virtual reality platforms include a haptic generator.

11. A method that regulates access to game content of an online game, the method comprising:

executing a game instance of the online game and using the game instance to generate game state information that is transmitted to client computing platforms over a network, the game state information facilitating presentation of views of the online game to users via the client computing platforms, wherein execution of the game instance further enables interaction by the users with the online game and/or each other by performing operations in the game instance in response to commands received over the network from the client computing platforms, wherein the client computing platforms include virtual reality platforms and non-virtual reality platforms, the online game including the game content that is played cooperatively by groups of users and includes roles for the users in individual groups, wherein the roles include a first role and a second role, the first role differing from the second role;

determining whether the users of the online game are attempting to play the game instance via the virtual reality platforms or the non-virtual reality platforms;

responsive to determination that an individual user is attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the virtual reality platforms, effectuating presentation of the first role to such individual user; and

responsive to determination that an individual user is attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms, effectuating presentation of the second role to such individual user.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine readable instruction to:

determining changes in the client computing platforms used by the users to interact with the online game;

responsive to determination that an individual user changed from playing the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms to the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms, effectuating presentation of the second role to such individual user; and

responsive to determination that an individual user changed from playing the online game via the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms to the one or more of the virtual reality platforms, effectuating presentation of the first role to such individual user.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first role is characterized by a first type of gameplay and the second role is characterized by a second type of gameplay, the first type of gameplay differing from the second type of gameplay.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving selection of the first role by the individual user attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the virtual reality platforms; and

implementing the selected role for the individual user attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the virtual reality platforms.

15. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting the first role for the individual user attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the virtual reality platforms; and

implementing the selected role for the individual user attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the virtual reality platforms.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

receiving selection of the second role by the individual user attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms; and

implementing the selected role for the individual user attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

selecting the second role for the individual user attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms; and

implementing the selected role for the individual user attempting to play the game instance via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms.

18. The method of claim 11, wherein the virtual reality platforms include a virtual reality headset display.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the virtual reality platforms include a motion controller.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein the virtual reality platforms include a haptic generator.