Computer game with game saving including history data to allow for play reacquaintance upon restart of game
First Claim
1. A computer game system including a user input module for receiving user input, at least one processor, and a display output module for outputting a game display, wherein the output game display is at least in part dependent upon the received user input, the game system comprising:
- game history storage for storing game events over a finite, nonzero time span;
means for replaying a game history using the stored game events upon loading of a saved game or resumption of a paused game and prior to turning over control of the game to the user.
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Abstract
In a computer game, game state is saved when indicated and a history of previous game play is also recorded. Upon resumption, the history of previous game play is presented to the user and the game does not accept user input to alter the replaying game sequence. Then, once the replay is at an end, the game resumes with user control and with the saved game state. In this manner, the user can be refamiliarized with the particular instance of the game that was saved before having to take control of the game. The games might be fantasy games, sports games, adventure games, or other types of games. In a specific embodiment, as the game is played, the events of the game are stored in a circular buffer of some determined time period. The determined time period might be user settable or set by the game designer based on memory available and the type of game. Thus, for example, a chess game might have a history comprising the last seven moves, while a soccer game might have a history comprising a buffer of the last five seconds of game play. In each case, the circular buffer would be such that at any time a game save is triggered the circular buffer contains the most recent history of the game. In the example of the soccer game, the history data in the buffer would be continually overwritten as that data comes to represent events that happened more than five seconds before the current time.
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Citations
29 Claims
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1. A computer game system including a user input module for receiving user input, at least one processor, and a display output module for outputting a game display, wherein the output game display is at least in part dependent upon the received user input, the game system comprising:
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game history storage for storing game events over a finite, nonzero time span;
means for replaying a game history using the stored game events upon loading of a saved game or resumption of a paused game and prior to turning over control of the game to the user. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 24)
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6. A computer-implemented method of refamiliarizing a user with game events occurring during gameplay of a computer game prior to a restart of a saved game configuration, the method comprising:
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storing game events over a finite, nonzero time span during gameplay;
receiving an instruction to save gameplay;
in response to an instruction to resume gameplay, replaying at least a portion the stored game events on a display without allowing user input control of gameplay; and
immediately thereafterreturning game control to the user and resuming gameplay. - View Dependent Claims (7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 25, 26, 27)
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15. A computer readable medium including code for controlling a processor to refamiliarize a user with game events occurring during gameplay of a computer game prior to a restart of a saved game configuration, the code including instructions to:
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store game events over a finite, nonzero time span during gameplay;
receive a command to save gameplay;
in response to a command to resume gameplay, replay at least a portion the stored game events on a display without allowing user input control of gameplay; and
immediately thereafter return game control to the user and resume gameplay. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 28, 29)
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Specification