METHOD AND SYSTEM TO VALIDATE IN-GAME ACTIONS IN A MULTIPLAYER ONLINE GAME

• US 20130053150A1
• Filed: 09/26/2011
• Published: 02/28/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/23/2011
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Malle, Nimai, Miller, Scott G., Anderson, Robert
• Application Number:
  US13/244,928
• Publication Number:
  US 20130053150A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• 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: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players

Abstract

This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods to validate in-game actions performed in a multiplayer online game. Subsequent to performance of one or more in-game actions by a game engine that includes game code on a client-side client system, one or more corresponding validation actions may be performed by a validation engine on a server-side validation system, the validation engine having validation code that is identical to the game code. Results of execution of the validation actions may be compared to provisional game state information resulting from performance of the in-game actions, to validate the in-game actions.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method to validate in-game actions performed in a computer-implemented game, the method comprising:

executing at a server-side device one or more validation actions corresponding to one or more in-game actions performed at a client-side device in an instance of the computer-implemented game, the one or more validation actions being executed using validation code identical to game code used to execute the one or more in-game actions; and

invalidating at least one of the one or more in-game actions responsive to malperformance of at least one corresponding validation action.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein execution of at least some of the one or more validation actions includes performing a prerequisite check to determine whether one or more predefined game state requirements for the corresponding in-game action are satisfied, malperformance of a particular one of the one or more validation action comprising failure of a corresponding prerequisite check for the particular validation action.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3, wherein the one or more validation actions comprises a sequence of validation actions corresponding to a sequence of in-game actions, failure of the prerequisite check for the particular validation action automatically resulting in nonperformance of validation actions following the particular validation action in the sequence of validation actions.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein execution of each of the one or more validation actions produces validation game state information, the method further comprising:

comparing, for each executed validation action, the validation game state information with corresponding provisional game state information associated with the corresponding in-game action; and

validating each one of the one or more in-game actions for which the provisional game state information and the corresponding validation game state information are identical.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein malperformance of the at least one validation action comprises determining that the provisional game state information and the validation game state information corresponding to the at least one validation action are not identical.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5, wherein the provisional game state information and the validation game state information comprises a game state delta that indicates one or more changes to a game state caused by performance of the associated in-game action and the associated validation action, respectively.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7, further comprising receiving a validation request that includes:

one or more action identifiers respectively indicating the one of more in-game actions to be validated; and

provisional game state information for each of the one or more in-game actions.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, wherein the validation request further includes prior game state information that indicates game state information corresponding to a most recent validated in-game action prior to performance of any of the one or more in-game actions indicated in the validation request.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, further comprising populating a game state library of a validation engine that includes the validation code with the prior game state information, execution of the one or more validation actions being performed by using the validation code in cooperation with the game state library.

2. (canceled)

11. A system to validate in-game actions performed in a computer-implemented game, the system comprising a server-side validation engine to:

execute one or more validation actions corresponding to one or more in-game actions performed at a client-side device in an instance of the computer-implemented game, the one or more validation actions being executed using validation code identical to game code used to execute the one or more in-game actions; and

invalidate at least one of the one or more in-game actions responsive to malperformance of at least one corresponding validation action.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the validation engine is configured such that execution of at least some of the one or more validation actions includes performing a prerequisite check to determine whether one or more predefined game state requirements for the corresponding in-game action are satisfied, malperformance of a particular one of the one or more validation action comprising failure of a corresponding prerequisite check for the particular validation action.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more validation actions comprises a sequence of validation actions corresponding to a sequence of in-game actions, the validation engine being configured such that failure of the prerequisite check for the particular validation action automatically results in nonperformance of validation actions following the particular validation action in the sequence of validation actions.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the validation engine is configured to produce validation game state information resulting from execution of each of the one or more validation actions, the system further comprising a comparison module to compare, for each executed validation action, the validation game state information with corresponding provisional game state information associated with the corresponding in-game action, the validation engine further being configured to validate each one of the one or more in-game actions for which the provisional game state information and the corresponding validation game state information are identical.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein malperformance of the at least one validation action comprises determination by the comparison module that the provisional game state information and the validation game state information corresponding to the at least one validation action are not identical.

17. The system of claim 15, wherein the provisional game state information and the validation game state information comprises a game state delta that indicates one or more changes to a game state caused by performance of the associated in-game action and the associated validation action, respectively.

18. The system of claim 17, further comprising a receiving module to receive a validation request that includes:

one or more action identifiers respectively indicating the one or more in-game actions to be validated; and

provisional game state formation for each of the one or more in-game actions.

19. The system of claim 18, wherein the validation request further includes prior game state information that indicates game state information corresponding to a most recent validated in-game action prior to performance of any of the one or more in-game actions indicated in the validation request.

12. (canceled)

20. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions which, when performed by a machine, cause the machine to:

execute at a server-side device one or more validation actions corresponding to one or more in-game actions performed at a client-side device in an instance of the computer-implemented game, the one or more validation actions being executed using validation code identical to game code used to execute the one or more in-game actions; and

invalidate at least one of the one or more in-game actions responsive to malperformance of at least one corresponding validation action.