MULTIPLE-PLAYER COLLABORATIVE CONTENT EDITING

• US 20090275412A1
• Filed: 05/05/2008
• Published: 11/05/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 05/05/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Green, Tyson
• Granted Patent: US 8,202,166 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3274 wherein the players cooperate, e.g. team-play

Abstract

An arrangement is provided for multiplayer collaborative content editing which allows players to edit content and enjoy a social collaborative process. The arrangement provides a gameplay environment for custom or “honor rule” gametypes, and allows multiple users to participate in a full-featured game environment. The multiple user editing scenarios may be employed on, e.g., a single game console in a splitscreen version, over a LAN with multiple game consoles, or over the internet. Users may toggle between a “Player Mode”, with a similar appearance and capabilities as a player in a traditional multiplayer game, and an “Edit Mode”, which may have different appearance and capabilities. The Edit Mode presents the user with editing functionality and a suitable user interface, as well as a number of additional abilities beyond that of a user in Player Mode.

Claims

1. In a multiplayer game environment in which game content may be both edited and consumed, a method of game content editing, comprising:

a. placing a game server in signal communication with a network, the network accessible by a plurality of game clients, the game server and game clients defining a multiplayer environment;

b. transferring from the game server to the plurality of game clients a game playing application, the game playing application at least allowing a user to play a multiplayer game in the multiplayer environment; and

c. transferring from the server to at least one of the plurality of clients a game content editing application, the game content editing application at least enabling one user to edit game content in the multiplayer environment;

d. in which the enabling includes enabling a user to add, delete, or edit game items or game properties or game maps.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a user interface for the game content editing application, and in which the enabling further comprises enabling an addition, deletion, or edit of game items, properties, or maps using the user interface.

3. The method of claim 1, in which the transferring from the game server to the plurality of game clients includes transferring from the game server to a plurality of game consoles.

4. The method of claim 1, in which the game playing application and the game content editing application are each part of a single application.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

a. defining at least one client of the plurality of game clients as an administrator; and

b. providing a capability to the administrator game client, for each of the other game clients with the game content editing application, to enable or disable the game content editing application.

6. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

a. displaying a user interface for the game playing application; and

b. displaying a toggle switch, in which by selecting the toggle switch the user switches between the user interface for the game playing application and the user interface for the game content editing application.

7. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

a. displaying a user interface for the game playing application;

b. such that the user interface for the game playing application occupies a first portion of a display screen and in which the user interface for the game content editing application occupies a second portion of a display screen.

8. The method of claim 2, wherein the user interface for the game content editing application includes two windows, a first content editing window occupying a first portion of a display screen and a second content editing window occupying a second portion of a display screen, such that two users are enabled to edit content using the same user interface.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising providing a chat channel between at least two users.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying a game budget, and if a user adds or deletes items using the game content editing application, further comprising updating the game budget.

11. In a multi-user environment in which content may be both edited and consumed, a computer-readable medium containing instructions for causing a computer to perform the steps of:

a. arrange a server in signal communication with a network, the network accessible by a plurality of clients, the server and clients defining a multi-user environment;

b. transfer from the server to the plurality of clients a first application, the first application at least allowing a user to consume content in the multi-user environment; and

c. transfer from the server to at least one of the plurality of clients a second application, the second application at least allowing a user to edit content in the multi-user environment.

12. The medium of claim 11, in which the instructions further cause a computer to provide a user interface with each of the first and second applications.

13. The medium of claim 11, in which the first and second applications are combined into a single application, and in which the transfer of the first application and the transfer of the second application are combined into a transfer of the single application.

14. The medium of claim 13, in which the instructions further cause a computer to:

a. define at least one of the plurality of clients as an administrator, in which the administrator client can enable or disable the second application on each of the other clients of the plurality.

15. The medium of claim 13, in which the first and second applications each include a user interface, and in which the instructions further cause a computer to:

a. display the user interface of the first application on a first portion of a display screen; and

b. display the user interface of the second application on a second portion of a display screen.

16. The medium of claim 13, in which the first and second applications each include a user interface, and in which the instructions further cause a computer to:

a. display the user interface of the first application on a display screen; and

b. upon user activation of a toggle switch, display the user interface of the second application on the display screen.

17. The medium of claim 11, in which the instructions further cause a computer to enable a chat channel between at least two users who are editing content in the multi-user environment.

18. A user interface for game playing and game content editing, comprising:

a. a first window, the first window providing means to play a multiplayer game or to edit content in the multiplayer game; and

b. a second window, the second window providing means to play a multiplayer game or to edit content in the multiplayer game.

19. The user interface of claim 18, in which the first window provides means to play the multiplayer game, and the second window provides means to edit the multiplayer game, and further comprising a toggle switch button, a selection of which switches a display between the first window and the second window.

20. The user interface of claim 18, in which the first window provides means to edit the multiplayer game, and the second window provides means to edit the multiplayer game, in which the first and second windows occupy first and second portions, respectively, of a display.