METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR PROVIDING A GAME CENTER HAVING PLAYER SPECIFIC OPTIONS AND GAME ACCESS

• US 20110250949A1
• Filed: 09/20/2010
• Published: 10/13/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 04/07/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Original Assignee: Apple Inc.
• Inventors: Lampell, Mike, van Os, Marcel
• Application Number:
  US12/886,535
• Publication Number:
  US 20110250949A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• 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 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/57 details of game services offered to the player

Abstract

Described herein are methods and systems for providing a game center having player specific options and game access. For example, in at least certain embodiments, in response to a selection of a friend from a list of friends provided by a game center module, data is sent for presenting to a graphical user interface (GUI). The data is indicative of details of a selected friend including a list of games owned by the friend that the user does not own. The system can then provide the user with an option to access one or more games on the list. In another embodiment, a user receives a game invite from a friend of the user to play a game. The system can determine whether the user owns the game and can cause the GUI to present an option to access the game if the user does not own the game.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving a selection of a friend from a list of friends provided by a game center module;

in response to the selection, sending data for presenting to a graphical user interface of the system, the data indicative of details of the selected friend including a list of games owned by the friend that a user does not own; and

providing the user with an option to access one or more of the games on the list.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically directing the user to an application service to purchase the selected game in response to the selection of one of these games.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically directing, in response to the selection of one of these games, the user to an application service to access for free a fully functional version of the game for a limited time period.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically directing, in response to the selection of one of these games, the user to an application service to access for free a limited functionality version of the game.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the friend details of the selected friend further comprises a list of games played together between the friend and the user and a list of other games in common between the friend and the user.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the list of games owned by the friend that the user does not own further comprises for each game in the listing a selectable option that displays a graphical icon for the game, a game manufacturer for the game, a game name, a rating for the game, and a price for purchasing the game.

7. A computer-readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a computing system cause said system to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a selection of a friend from a list of friends provided by a game center module;

in response to the selection, sending data for presenting to a graphical user interface of the system, the data indicative of details of the selected friend including a list of games owned by the friend that a user does not own; and

providing the user with an option to access one or more of the games on the list.

8. The medium of claim 7, the method further comprising:

automatically directing the user to an application service to purchase the selected game in response to the selection of one of these games.

9. The medium of claim 7, the method further comprising:

automatically directing, in response to the selection of one of these games, the user to an application service to access for free a fully functional version of the game for a limited time period.

10. The medium of claim 7, the method further comprising:

automatically directing, in response to the selection of one of these games, the user to an application service to access for free a limited functionality version of the game.

11. The medium of claim 7, wherein the friend details of the selected friend further comprises a list of games played together between the friend and the user and a list of other games in common between the friend and the user.

12. The medium of claim 7, wherein the list of games owned by the friend that the user does not own further comprises for each game in the listing a selectable option that displays a graphical icon for the game, a game manufacturer for the game, a game name, a rating for the game, and a price for purchasing the game.

13. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving a game invite from a user'"'"'s friend to play a specific game;

determining whether the user owns the specific game; and

causing a graphical user interface of a system to present an option to access the specific game if the user does not own the specific game.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising:

automatically directing the user to an application service to purchase the specific game in response to a selection of the option.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising:

automatically directing, in response to the selection of one of these games, the user to an application service to access for free a fully functional version of the game for a limited time period or to access for free a limited functionality version of the game.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising:

causing the graphical user interface to present an option to accept the invitation and an option to decline the invitation if the user does own the specific game.

17. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, further comprising:

causing the graphical user interface to present an option to download the game and an option to decline the invitation if the user does own the specific game on a different system.

18. The computer-implemented method of claim 13, wherein the game invite comprises at least one of a graphical icon for the game, a game manufacturer for the game, a game name, a rating for the game, and a price for purchasing the game.

19. A computer-readable medium containing executable computer program instructions which when executed by a computing system cause said system to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a game invite from a user'"'"'s friend to play a specific game;

determining whether the user owns the specific game; and

causing a graphical user interface of a system to present an option to access the specific game if the user does not own the specific game.

20. The medium of claim 19, the method further comprising:

automatically directing the user to an application service to purchase the specific game in response to a selection of the option.

21. The medium of claim 19, further comprising:

automatically directing, in response to the selection of one of these games, the user to an application service to access for free a fully functional version of the game for a limited time period or to access for free a limited functionality version of the game.

22. The medium of claim 19, further comprising:

causing the graphical user interface to present an option to accept the invitation and an option to decline the invitation if the user does own the specific game.

23. The computer-implemented method of claim 19, further comprising:

causing the graphical user interface to present an option to download the game and an option to decline the invitation if the user does own the specific game on a different system.

24. The medium of claim 19, wherein the game invite comprises at least one of a graphical icon for the game, a game manufacturer for the game, a game name, a rating for the game, and a price for purchasing the game.

25. A system, comprising:

a computer-readable medium to store a game center module;

one or more processing units coupled to the computer-readable medium,; and

an input/output device coupled to the one or more processing units, wherein the one or more processing units are configured to receive a selection of a friend from a list of friends provided by a game center module, in response to the selection, to send data for presenting to the input/output device, the data indicative of details of the selected friend including a list of games owned by the friend that a user does not own, and to provide the user with an option to access one or more of the games on the list.

26. The system of claim 25, wherein the one or more processing units are configured to automatically direct the user to an application service to purchase the selected game in response to the selection of one of these games.

27. The system of claim 25, wherein the input/output device to present an option to accept the invitation and an option to decline the invitation if the user does own the specific game.

28. The computer-implemented method of claim 25, wherein the input/output device to present an option to download the game and an option to decline the invitation if the user does own the specific game on a different system.