INTERACTIVE ASYNCHRONOUS GAME BUCKETING FACILITY

• US 20120122552A1
• Filed: 01/24/2011
• Published: 05/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 12/15/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tetris Online, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Tetris Online, Inc.
• Inventors: Youm, Eui-Joon
• Application Number:
  US13/012,761
• Publication Number:
  US 20120122552A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/23
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/497 Partially or entirely replaying previous game actions
• 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 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/554 by saving game or status data
• 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 2300/634 for replaying partially or entirely the game actions since the beginning of the game

Abstract

Improved capabilities are described for managing prior game play data for asynchronous computer game play, comprising: providing fast response searchable memory for storage of game play data having a data search and data retrieval speed that is substantially faster than a data search and data retrieval speed from a structured database; receiving game play data from a live participant; identifying a game attribute; providing a plurality of game play data buckets in the fast response searchable memory, forming a bucket attribute corresponding to each bucket; and storing the game play data in one of the buckets where the bucket attribute and the game attribute substantially match, such that, upon receipt of a gaming request that includes a desired attribute, the desired attribute can be used as a basis for identifying a bucket from the buckets in which to search for prior game data to be used to simulate an opponent.

Claims

1. A method of managing prior game play data for asynchronous computer game play, comprising:

a. Providing fast response searchable memory for storage of game play data, the memory having a data search and data retrieval speed that is substantially faster than a data search and data retrieval speed from a structured database;

b. Receiving, at a server, game play data from a live gaming participant;

c. Identifying an attribute of at least one of the live gaming participant and the game play data, forming a live game attribute;

d. Providing a plurality of game play data buckets in the fast response searchable memory, wherein each bucket includes data relating to a different attribute, forming a bucket attribute corresponding to each bucket; and

e. Storing the game play data in one of the plurality of buckets where the bucket attribute and the live game attribute substantially match, such that, upon receipt of a gaming request that includes a desired attribute, the desired attribute can be used as a basis for identifying a bucket from the plurality of buckets in which to search for prior game data to be used to simulate an opponent in a multi-player game environment where the live gaming participant can play against and have two-way interactions with an apparently live opponent, the apparently live opponent'"'"'s interaction being based on the prior game play data.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the live game attribute is a name.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the live game attribute is a skill level.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the live game attribute is an age.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the live game attribute is a gender.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the live game attribute is a geographic region.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the live game attribute is at least in part based on third-party website information.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the third party website is a social networking website.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the live game attribute is at least in part based on third-party application information.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the third party application is a social networking application.

11. A system for managing prior game play data for asynchronous computer game play, comprising:

a computer game facility with fast response searchable memory for storage of game play data, the memory having a data search and data retrieval speed that is substantially faster than a data search and data retrieval speed from a structured database;

receiving, at a server, game play data from a live gaming participant;

identifying an attribute of at least one of the live gaming participant and the game play data, forming a live game attribute;

providing a plurality of game play data buckets in the fast response searchable memory, wherein each bucket includes data relating to a different attribute, forming a bucket attribute corresponding to each bucket; and

storing the game play data in one of the plurality of buckets where the bucket attribute and the live game attribute substantially match, such that, upon receipt of a gaming request that includes a desired attribute, the desired attribute can be used as a basis for identifying a bucket from the plurality of buckets in which to search for prior game data to be used to simulate an opponent in a multi-player game environment where the live gaming participant can play against and have two-way interactions with an apparently live opponent, the apparently live opponent'"'"'s interaction being based on the prior game play data.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the live game attribute is at least one of a name, a skill level, an age, a gender, a geographic region, and at least in part based on third-party website information.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the third party website is a social networking website.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the live game attribute is at least in part based on third-party application information.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the third party application is a social networking application.

16. A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computers, performs the steps of:

a. In response to receiving asynchronous game play data, identifying a category for which the asynchronous game play data belongs through an assessment of information associated with the asynchronous game play data; and

b. storing the asynchronous game play data in memory along with an association with the category such that the asynchronous game play data can be retrieved based on a request for asynchronous game play with an opponent that substantially matches attributes of the category.

17. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the attribute is at least one of a name, a skill level, an age, a gender, a geographic region, and at least in part based on third-party website information.

18. The computer program product of claim 17, wherein the third party website is a social networking website.

19. The computer program product of claim 16, wherein the attribute is at least in part based on third-party application information.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, wherein the third party application is a social networking application.