SOFT RESERVATION SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR MULTIPLAYER VIDEO GAMES

• US 20160001182A1
• Filed: 05/14/2015
• Published: 01/07/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/03/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: MARR, MICHAEL D., KAPLAN, KEITH S., LEWIS, NATHAN T.
• Granted Patent: US 10,286,326 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/847 Cooperative playing, e.g. requiring coordinated actions from several players to achieve a common goal
• 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 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3269 Timing aspects of game play, e.g. blocking/halting the operation of a gaming machine
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3272 Games involving multiple players

Abstract

A soft reservation system and method is provided facilitates an unrequested reservation of a gameplay session in multiplayer video games. A soft reservation may include a match between two or more players for one or more subsequent gameplay sessions that are reserved for the players. The system may, for instance, anticipate an interest by players in a gameplay session and make a soft reservation for the players, who may not have explicitly requested the reservation, to play in the gameplay session. A soft reservation may be made for a player based on a match score, a game profile, a player profile, and/or other information.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of reserving gameplay sessions for players in a multi-player game, the method being implemented by a host computer having one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more physical processors, cause the host computer to perform the method, the method comprising:

identifying, by the host computer, a first player for which an unrequested reservation to play in a gameplay session of a multiplayer game is to be made;

obtaining, by the host computer, first availability information associated with the first player, wherein the first availability information indicates an estimated time at which the first player will be available to play in the gameplay session;

identifying, by the host computer, a second player for inclusion in the gameplay session based on a potential match of the first player and the second player; and

generating, by the host computer, the unrequested reservation for the first player to play in the gameplay session with the second player based on the first availability.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the second player comprises:

generating a match score for the potential match of the first player and the second player; and

determining that the match score is sufficient to match the first player and the second player to play in the gameplay session.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

obtaining, by the host computer, a first gameplay preference of a first player, wherein the identification of the second player is based on the first gameplay preference.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the gameplay session caters to the first gameplay preference of the first player, and wherein identifying the second player comprises:

determining that the unrequested reservation for the second player to play in the gameplay session has already been made.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the first gameplay preference comprises a preference to play with one or more preferred players, and wherein identifying the second player comprises:

determining that the second player is among the one or more preferred players; and

determining that the second player is or will be available to play in the gameplay session.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein obtaining first availability information comprises:

predicting the estimated time at which the first player will be available to play in the gameplay session.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein predicting the estimated time at which the first player will be available to play in the gameplay session comprises:

determining that the first player is playing in a current gameplay session; and

determining an expected completion time of the current gameplay session, wherein the estimated time is based on the expected completion time.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein predicting the estimated time at which the first player will be available to play in the gameplay session comprises:

determining a logon time that the first player is expected to logon to play in one or more gameplay sessions.

9. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

providing an interim gameplay session to the first player until the gameplay session has started.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the interim gameplay session is associated with an expected completion time, the method further comprising:

determining a second expected completion time of a current gameplay session of the second player; and

identifying the interim gameplay session based on the expected completion time and the second expected completion time.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the expected completion time is on or before the second expected completion time.

12. A system for reserving gameplay sessions for players in a multi-player game, the system comprising:

a host computer having one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more physical processors, cause the host computer to;

identify a first player for which an unrequested reservation to play in a gameplay session of a multiplayer game is to be made;

obtain first availability information associated with the first player, wherein the first availability information indicates an estimated time at which the first player will be available to play in the gameplay session;

identify a second player for inclusion in the gameplay session based on a potential match of the first player and the second player; and

generate the unrequested reservation for the first player to play in the gameplay session with the second player based on the first availability.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein to identify the second player, the host computer is programmed to:

generate a match score for the potential match of the first player and the second player; and

determine that the match score is sufficient to match the first player and the second player to play in the gameplay session.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the host computer is programmed to:

obtain a first gameplay preference of a first player, wherein the identification of the second player is based on the first gameplay preference.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the gameplay session caters to the first gameplay preference of the first player, and wherein to identify the second player, the host computer is programmed to:

determine that the unrequested reservation for the second player to play in the gameplay session has already been made.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first gameplay preference comprises a preference to play with one or more preferred players, and wherein to identify the second player, the host computer is programmed to:

determine that the second player is among the one or more preferred players; and

determine that the second player is or will be available to play in the gameplay session.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein to obtain first availability information, the host computer is programmed to:

predict the estimated time at which the first player will be available to play in the gameplay session.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein to predict the estimated time at which the first player will be available to play in the gameplay session, the host computer is programmed to:

determine that the first player is playing in a current gameplay session; and

determine an expected completion time of the current gameplay session, wherein the estimated time is based on the expected completion time.

19. The system of claim 17, wherein to predict the estimated time at which the first player will be available to play in the gameplay session, the host computer is programmed to:

determine a logon time that the first player is expected to logon to play in one or more gameplay sessions.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the host computer is programmed to:

provide an interim gameplay session to the first player until the gameplay session has started.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the interim gameplay session is associated with an expected completion time, and wherein the host computer is programmed to:

determine a second expected completion time of a current gameplay session of the second player; and

identify the interim gameplay session based on the expected completion time and the second expected completion time.

22. The system of claim 21, wherein the expected completion time is on or before the second expected completion time.

23. A computer-readable medium having computer program instructions stored thereon for reserving gameplay sessions for players in a multi-player game, the computer program instructions, when executed by one or more physical processors of a host computer, cause the host computer to:

identify a first player for which an unrequested reservation to play in a gameplay session of a multiplayer game is to be made;

obtain first availability information associated with the first player, wherein the first availability information indicates an estimated time at which the first player will be available to play in the gameplay session;

identify a second player for inclusion in the gameplay session based on a potential match of the first player and the second player; and

generate the unrequested reservation for the first player to play in the gameplay session with the second player based on the first availability.