SYSTEMS AND METHODS FOR A UNIFIED GAME EXPERIENCE

• US 20140213363A1
• Filed: 03/31/2014
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 05/25/2012
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Inventors: Harvey, Roy, Do, Nghia
• Application Number:
  US14/231,455
• Publication Number:
  US 20140213363A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/355 Performing operations on behalf of clients with restricted processing capabilities, e.g. servers transform changing game scene into an encoded video stream for transmitting to a mobile phone or a thin client
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/49 Saving the game status; Pausing or ending the game
• 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 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/538 for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/554 by saving game or status data

Abstract

In some embodiments, a system comprises game state information, a first user device, a second user device, and a processing server. The first and second user devices may include a first and second user interface modules configured to receive first and second user selections, respectively, associated with gameplay of a multiplayer game. The processing server may include a communication module, a simulation module, and rendering module. The communication module may be configured to receive the first and second user selections. The simulation module may be configured to generate simulation results based on the game state information, game rules, and the first and second user selections. The rendering module may be configured to render a first video based on the simulation results and render a second video based on the simulation results, the first and second video to be displayed by the first and second user devices, respectively.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

game state information;

a processing server;

a first user device including;

a first user interface module configured to receive a first user selection associated with a first instance of gameplay of a game;

a first simulation module configured to generate first simulation results based on the game state information, game rules, and the first user selection, the first simulation module further configured to generate a current game state based, at least in part, on the first simulation results;

a first rendering module configured to render a first video based on the first simulation results; and

a first communication module configured to provide the current game state to the processing server;

a second user device including;

a second communication module configured to request the current game state from the processing server and to receive the current game state from the processing server;

a second user interface module configured to receive a second user selection associated with a second instance of gameplay of the game, the second instance being based on the current game state from the processing server;

a second simulation module configured to generate second simulation results based on the current game state, game rules, and the second user selection; and

a second rendering module configured to render a second video based on the second simulation results; and

the processing server including;

a game state module configured to receive the current game state from the first user device, to receive the request for the current game state from the second user device, and to provide the current game state based on the request to the second user device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing server further comprises an input module configured to receive the first user input from the first user device and update the current game state.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the game state module stores the current game state from the first user device.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the game state module associates the current game state with at least one of the following:

the first user device, a player of the first user device, an account associated with the first user device, an account associated with the player of the first user device, and a game associated with the current game state.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the processing server further comprises an authentication module configured to authenticate the request for the current game state from the second user device prior to providing the current game state.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the processing server further comprises an authentication module configured to authenticate the request for the current game state from the second user device prior to providing the current game state, the authentication being based on the at least one of the following:

the first user device, a player of the first user device, an account associated with the first user device, an account associated with the player of the first user device, and a game associated with the current game state.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein a player of the first user device is a player of the second user device.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the game is turn-based.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second rendering module configured to render the second video comprises the second rendering module configured to render the second video based, at least in part, on hardware specifications of the second user device.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the first rendering module configured to render the first video comprises the first rendering module configured to render the first video based, at least in part, on hardware specifications of the first user device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the request for the current game state is a game continuation request.

12. A method comprising:

receiving, by a first user device, a first user selection associated with a first instance of gameplay of a game;

simulating, by the first user device, first simulation results based on the game state information, game rules, and the first user selection;

generating, by the first user device, a current game state based, at least in part, on the first simulation results;

rendering, by the first user device, a first video based on the first simulation results;

providing, by the first user device, the current game state to the processing server;

requesting, by a second user device, the current game state from the processing server;

receiving, by the second user device, the current game state from the processing server;

receiving, by the second user device, a second user selection associated with a second instance of gameplay of a game, the second instance being based on the current game state from the processing server;

simulating, by the second user device, second simulation results based on the game state information, game rules, and the second user selection; and

rendering, by the second user device, a second video based on the second simulation results.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising receiving, by the processing server, the first user input from the first user device and updating the current game state.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising storing, by the processing server, the current game state from the first user device.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising associating, by the processing server, the current game state with at least one of the following:

the first user device, a player of the first user device, an account associated with the first user device, an account associated with the player of the first user device, and a game associated with the current game state.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising authenticating, by the processing server, the request for the current game state from the second user device.

17. The method of claim 15, further comprising authenticating, by the processing server, the request for the current game state from the second user device, the authentication being based on the at least one of the following:

the first user device, a player of the first user device, an account associated with the first user device, an account associated with the player of the first user device, and a game associated with the current game state.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein a player of the first user device is a player of the second user device.

19. The method of claim 12, wherein the game is turn-based.

20. The method of claim 12, rendering, by the second user device, is based, at least in part, on hardware specifications of the second user device.

21. The method of claim 12, rendering, by the first user device, is based, at least in part, on hardware specifications of the first user device.

22. A non-transitory computer readable medium comprising executable instructions, the instructions being executable by a processor to perform a method, the method comprising:

receiving a current game state from a first user device, the first user device being configured to receive a first user selection associated with a first instance of gameplay of a game, to simulate first simulation results based on game state information, game rules, and the first user selection, to generate the current game state based, at least in part, on the first simulation results, and to render a first video based on the first simulation results;

receiving a request for the current game state from a second user device; and

providing the current game state to the second user device based on the request, the second user device being configured to receive a second user selection associated with a second instance of gameplay of a game, the second instance being based on the current game state, to simulate second simulation results based on the current game state, game rules, and the second user selection, and to render a second video based on the second simulation results.