COMPUTING PLATFORM FOR SUPPORTING MASSIVELY MULTI-PLAYER ONLINE GAMES

• US 20130274021A1
• Filed: 03/12/2013
• Published: 10/17/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 04/11/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Meteor Entertainment, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Meteor Entertainment, Inc.
• Inventors: Durgin, Cyrus, Novotny, Sarah, Herring, Nicholas
• Application Number:
  US13/797,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20130274021A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions

Abstract

A computing platform, system, and method for providing a massively multi-player online game (MMO, MMOG) is described. In some implementations, the platform provides an abstraction layer between client devices associated with players of a game and computing resources, such as cloud-based resources, that support and provide the game to the players.

Claims

1. A cloud-based gaming platform, comprising:

a platform manager module, wherein the platform manager module is configured to add or remove cloud-based computing resources providing an online game to players at client devices based on information associated with the online game; and

an information module, wherein the information module is configured to provide the information associated with the online game to the platform manager module.

2. The cloud-based gaming platform of claim 1, wherein the information module is configured to monitor the online game and provide information associated with a number of players playing the online game to the platform manager module.

3. The cloud-based gaming platform of claim 1, wherein the information module is configured to monitor the online game and provide information associated with a predicted number of players playing the online game to the platform manager module.

4. The cloud-based gaming platform of claim 1, wherein the information module is configured to monitor the online game and provide information associated with a predicted number of resources required to provide the online game to the platform manager module.

5. The cloud-based gaming platform of claim 1, wherein the information module is configured to monitor the online game and provide information associated with a cost of the computing resources providing the online game to the platform manager module.

6. The cloud-based gaming platform of claim 1, wherein the information module is configured to monitor the online game and provide information associated with a predicted number of resources required to provide the online game and a predicted location of the resources required to provide the online game to the platform manager module.

7. The cloud-based gaming platform of claim 1, wherein the information module is configured to monitor the online game and provide information associated with a geographical location of players playing the online game to the platform manager module.

8. A method for provisioning computing resources to a gaming platform, the method comprising:

receiving information associated with an online game running on a gaming platform; and

adding at least one additional computing resource to the gaming platform based on the received information.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving information associated with an online game running on a gaming platform includes receiving information identifying a number of players playing the online game, and wherein adding at least one additional resource to the gaming platform based on the received information includes selecting a computing resource based on a geographical location of the players playing the online game.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving information associated with an online game running on a gaming platform includes receiving information identifying a number of players predicted to play the online game, and wherein adding at least one additional resource to the gaming platform based on the received information includes selecting a computing resource based on a geographical location of the players playing the online game.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein receiving information associated with an online game running on a gaming platform includes receiving information identifying a cost to provide the online game, and wherein adding at least one additional resource to the gaming platform based on the received information includes selecting a computing resource based on a cost of the resource.

12. A computer-readable storage medium whose contents, if executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method for terminating use of a computing resource providing an online game to players at client devices, the method comprising:

receiving information associated with a currently playing online game; and

selecting a computing resource providing the online game to terminate based on the received information.

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein the selected computing resource is a cloud-based server instance providing the online game.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein selecting the computing resource providing the online game to terminate based on the received information includes selecting a computing resource based on a geographical location of the computing resource.

15. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 12, wherein selecting the computing resource providing the online game to terminate based on the received information includes selecting a computing resource based on a cost of the computing resource.

16. A cloud-based gaming platform, comprising:

a platform manager module, wherein the platform manager module is configured to add or remove cloud-based server instances providing an online game to players at client devices based on information associated with the online game; and

an information module, wherein the information module is configured to provide the information associated with the online game to the platform manager module.

17. The cloud-based gaming platform of claim 16, wherein the information module is configured to monitor the online game and provide information associated with a number of players playing the online game to the platform manager module.

18. The cloud-based gaming platform of claim 16, wherein the information module is configured to monitor the online game and provide information associated with a predicted number of players playing the online game to the platform manager module.

19. The cloud-based gaming platform of claim 16, wherein the information module is configured to monitor the online game and provide information associated with a predicted number of server instances required to provide the online game to the platform manager module.

20. The cloud-based gaming platform of claim 16, wherein the information module is configured to monitor the online game and provide information associated with a cost of the server instances providing the online game to the platform manager module.

21. The cloud-based gaming platform of claim 16, wherein the information module is configured to monitor the online game and provide information associated with a predicted number of server instances required to provide the online game and a predicted location of the resources required to provide the online game to the platform manager module.

22. The cloud-based gaming platform of claim 16, wherein the information module is configured to monitor the online game and provide information associated with a geographical location of server instances providing the online game to the platform manager module.

23. A method for provisioning game instances within a gaming platform, the method comprising:

receiving information associated with an online game running on a gaming platform; and

adding at least one game instance to the gaming platform based on the received information.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving information associated with an online game running on a gaming platform includes receiving information identifying a number of players playing the online game, and wherein adding at least one game instance to the gaming platform based on the received information includes selecting a game instance based on a geographical location of the players playing the online game.

25. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving information associated with an online game running on a gaming platform includes receiving information identifying a number of players predicted to play the online game, and wherein adding at least one game instance to the gaming platform based on the received information includes selecting a game instance based on a geographical location of the players playing the online game.

26. The method of claim 23, wherein receiving information associated with an online game running on a gaming platform includes receiving information identifying a cost to provide the online game, and wherein adding at least one game instance to the gaming platform based on the received information includes selecting a game instance based on a cost of the game instance

27. A computer-readable storage medium whose contents, if executed by a processor of a computing device, cause the computing device to perform a method for terminating use of a cloud-based server instance providing an online game to players at client devices, the method comprising:

receiving information associated with a currently playing online game; and

selecting a server instance providing the online game to terminate based on the received information.

28. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein selecting the server instance providing the online game to terminate based on the received information includes selecting the server instance based on a geographical location of the server instance.

29. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 27, wherein selecting the server instance providing the online game to terminate based on the received information includes selecting the server instance based on a cost of the server instance.