Automatic game comparison and recommendation

• US 10,238,974 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2017
• Issued: 03/26/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/04/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Inventors: Webster, Matthew, Ross, Paul, Cuss, Steve
• Primary Examiner(s): Renwick, Reginald A
• Application Number:
  US15/458,588
• Publication Number:
  US 20170182424A1
• Time in Patent Office: 742 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/67 adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• 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 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5566 by matching opponents or finding partners to build a team, e.g. by skill level, geographical area, background, play style
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking

Abstract

Methods and apparatus for automatic game generation are described. The method may include collecting, by a hardware processor of a server over a network, first information associated with a first video game player, second information associated with a second video game player related to the first video game player, and a plurality of events that the first video game player and the second video game player have participated in. The method may also include creating a comparison tree for each of a plurality of event types associated with the plurality of events. The method may further include evaluating the comparison tree against a plurality of video game results to determine outcomes that are satisfied, and for each of the outcomes, generating a plurality of templates.

Claims

1. A method, comprising:

collecting, by a hardware processor of a server over a network, first information associated with a first video game player, second information associated with a second video game player related to the first video game player, and a plurality of events that the first video game player and the second video game player have participated in;

creating, by the hardware processor of the server, a comparison tree for each of a plurality of event types associated with the plurality of events;

evaluating, by the hardware processor of the server, the comparison tree against a plurality of video game results to determine outcomes that are satisfied; and

for each of the outcomes, generating, by the hardware processor of the server, a plurality of templates.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of templates has an associated priority and wherein the method further comprises:

choosing, by the hardware processor of the server, one of the plurality of templates with a highest priority from all satisfied outcomes of the evaluated comparison tree;

sending, by the hardware processor of the server over the network, the one of the plurality of templates to a video game console of the first video game player; and

causing display of, by the hardware processor of the server, the one of the plurality of templates to the first video game player.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the plurality of templates comprises parameters and wherein choosing one of the plurality of templates further comprises modifying the parameters.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the parameters comprise a leader board position.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the plurality of events are available with a particular video game and the method further comprises recommending, by the hardware processor of the server, a portion of the plurality of events that have been unlocked by at least one of first video game player or the second video game player.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising selecting, by the hardware processor of the server, the portion of the plurality of events in which the first video game player has an opportunity to beat a game play time of the second video game player.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium with an executable program stored thereon, wherein the program instructs a hardware processor of a server to:

collect, by the hardware processor of the server over a network, first information associated with a first video game player, second information associated with a second video game player related to the first video game player, and a plurality of events that the first video game player and the second video game player have participated in;

create, by the hardware processor of the server, a comparison tree for each of a plurality of event types associated with the plurality of events;

evaluate, by the hardware processor of the server, the comparison tree against a plurality of video game results to determine outcomes that are satisfied; and

for each of the outcomes, generate, by the hardware processor of the server, a plurality of templates.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein each of the plurality of templates has an associated priority and wherein the hardware processor further to:

choose, by the hardware processor of the server, one of the plurality of templates with a highest priority from all satisfied outcomes of the evaluated comparison tree;

send, by the hardware processor of the server over the network, the one of the plurality of templates to a video game console of the first video game player; and

cause display of, by the hardware processor of the server, the one of the plurality of templates to the first video game player.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the plurality of templates comprises parameters and wherein to choose the one of the plurality of templates, the hardware processor is further to modify the parameters.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the parameters comprise a leader board position.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 7, wherein the plurality of events are available with a particular video game and the hardware processor is further to recommend a portion of the plurality of events that have been unlocked by at least one of first video game player or the second video game player.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the hardware processor further to select the portion of the plurality of events in which the first video game player has an opportunity to beat a game play time of the second video game player.

13. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the recommendation is based on how recent the portion of the plurality of events occurred.

14. A server, comprising:

a memory;

a communications interface; and

a hardware processor, operatively coupled with the memory and the communications interface, to;

collect, via the communications interface over a network, first information associated with a first video game player, second information associated with a second video game player related to the first video game player, and a plurality of events that the first video game player and the second video game player have participated in;

create a comparison tree for each of a plurality of event types associated with the plurality of events;

evaluate the comparison tree against a plurality of video game results to determine outcomes that are satisfied; and

for each of the outcomes, generate, by the hardware processor of the server, a plurality of templates.

15. The server of claim 14, wherein each of the plurality of templates has an associated priority and wherein the hardware processor is further to:

choose, one of the plurality of templates with a highest priority from all satisfied outcomes of the evaluated comparison tree;

send the one of the plurality of templates to a video game console of the first video game player; and

cause display of the one of the plurality of templates to the first video game player.

16. The server of claim 15, wherein the plurality of templates comprises parameters and wherein to choose the one of the plurality of templates, the hardware processor is further to modify the parameters.

17. The server of claim 16, wherein the parameters comprise a leader board position.

18. The server of claim 14, wherein the plurality of events are available with a particular video game and the hardware processor is further to recommend a portion of the plurality of events that have been unlocked by at least one of first video game player or the second video game player.

19. The server of claim 18, wherein the hardware processor further to select the portion of the plurality of events in which the first video game player has an opportunity to beat a game play time of the second video game player.

20. The server of claim 18, wherein the recommendation is based on how recent the portion of the plurality of events occurred.