Game strategy analysis tool generating a two dimensional image overlaid with telemetry data

• US 7,500,916 B2
• Filed: 11/07/2005
• Issued: 03/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 11/07/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Gioconda, Thomas George, Timmins, Luke Wilson, Russell, Zachary Lewis, Lieberman, Aaron David
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones; Scott E
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shah; Milap
• Application Number:
  US11/267,193
• Publication Number:
  US 20080096663A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,219 Days
• Field of Search: 463/4, 463/30, 463/31, 463/42, 463/43
• US Class Current: 463/31
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• 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 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/497 Partially or entirely replaying previous game actions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/554 by saving game or status data
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/634 for replaying partially or entirely the game actions since the beginning of the game

Abstract

Methods and systems for recording and analyzing game session telemetry data are disclosed. A game console records telemetry data during a game session of a video game. The telemetry data may include location and time information for a player character performing various events in the video game. The telemetry data is sent to a title server corresponding to the video game, and the title server analyzes the data and stores the data in a database. A user, via a web site, can subsequently query the telemetry data stored in the database for user-specified criteria. A two-dimensional image of a view of the simulated environment within the video game is generated, overlaid with the location and time-based telemetry data, and is sent to the user for review and analysis.

Claims

1. In a computing network which includes one or more game consoles connectable to a secure private network on which players of an online video game can log on for purposes of playing the online video game and competing with one another, one or more computer-readable media storing computer-executable instructions for performing a method for collecting player telemetry data while the game is played and for analyzing the telemetry data recorded during a game session so that less skilled players have an opportunity to research tactics of more advanced players, wherein said video game comprises a simulated environment in which the game is played, and said telemetry data comprises location information corresponding to one or more events occurring within the simulated environment, and wherein said method is comprised of steps for:

at one or more of the player consoles, recording game session telemetry data by either

recording at least timestamp and location data for one or more predefined events which occur while the video game is being played, or

recording player inputs and periodically recording checkpoints which include all video game state data at the instant of each checkpoint;

once the video game is completed, automatically uploading to the secure private network the recorded game session telemetry data from the one or more player consoles at which the telemetry data was recorded, said game session telemetry data corresponding to at least a first player-character controlled by one of the players using one of said player consoles during the game session;

at the secure network, analyzing the game session telemetry data received from all player consoles at the conclusion of the game session so as to combine the game session telemetry data from each game console into a single game session file and so as to remove redundant telemetry data where possible;

storing the analyzed game session telemetry data in a database at the secure private network;

at least one of the players of the game session sending to the secure private network a query regarding how a particular feat by one of the other players was accomplished, and said private network thereafter querying the database for telemetry data matching the query; and

the private network generating a two dimensional image comprising a first view of the simulated environment overlaid with the queried telemetry data, wherein the overlaid telemetry data is placed in the two dimensional image at an approximate location of each event to which the overlaid telemetry data corresponds so that the query can be viewed and analyzed by the player submitting the query.

3. A method as defined in claims 1 or 2 wherein the one or more predefined events comprises a first player character killing a second character in the simulated environment of the video game, and wherein the overlaid telemetry data indicates an identity of a killer and an identity of a victim.

4. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein the game session telemetry data further comprises a weapon used by the first player character to kill the second character, and wherein the overlaid telemetry data further comprises an indication of the weapon used.

5. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein the second character compnses a second player character.

6. A method as defined in claims 1 or 2 wherein the query comprises a map.

7. A method as defined in claims 1 or 2 wherein the query comprises an identification of an allied group of users.

8. A method as defined in claims 1 or 2 wherein the one or more predefined events comprises the player character carrying an object usable in the video game to complete an objective.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the telemetry data comprises a location of the player character, determined at least once for a predetermined amount of time, while the player character is carrying the object usable in the video game to complete the objective.

10. A method as defined in claims 1 or 2 wherein the game session telemetry data corresponds to a player-character, said player-character controlled by a user of a game console, and said game session telemetry data comprising location information over time, each location corresponding to one or more events occurring during the game session.

11. A method as defined in claim 10 further comprising steps for

comparing the stored game session telemetry data against the physics of a game engine of the video game;

and

determining that a user corresponding to the telemetry data is a cheater when the stored game session telemetry data is adverse to the physics of the game engine.

12. A method as defined in claim 10 wherein the game session telemetry data comprises location information over time as the player character carries an object usable in the video game to complete an objective.

2. In a computing network which includes one or more game consoles connectable to a secure private network on which players of an online video game can log on for purposes of playing the online video game and competing with one another, a method for collecting player telemetry data while the game is played and for analyzing the telemetry data recorded during a game session so that less skilled players have an opportunity to research tactics of more advanced players, wherein said video game comprises a simulated environment in which the game is played, and said telemetry data comprises location information corresponding to one or more events occurring within the simulated environment, and wherein said method is comprised of steps for:

at one or more of the player consoles, recording game session telemetry data by either

recording at least timestamp and location data for one or more predefined events which occur while the video game is being played, or

recording player inputs and periodically recording checkpoints which include all video game state data at the instant of each checkpoint;

once the video game is completed, automatically uploading to the secure private network the recorded game session telemetry data from the one or more player consoles at which the telemetry data was recorded, said game session telemetry data corresponding to at least a first player-character controlled by one of the players using one of said player consoles during the game session;

at the secure network, analyzing the game session telemetry data received from all player consoles at the conclusion of the game session so as to combine the game session telemetry data from each game console into a single game session file and so as to remove redundant telemetry data where possible;

storing the analyzed game session telemetry data in a database at the secure private network;

at least one of the players of the game session sending to the secure private network a query regarding how a particular feat by one of the other players was accomplished, and said private network thereafter querying the database for telemetry data matching the query; and

the private network generating a two dimensional image comprising a first view of the simulated environment overlaid with the queried telemetry data, wherein the overlaid telemetry data is placed in the two dimensional image at an approximate location of each event to which the overlaid telemetry data corresponds so that the query can be viewed and analyzed by the player submitting the query.

13. A method as defined in 11 further comprising steps for

detecting when the user is attempting to log in to a web server;

and

when the user has been determined to be a cheater, causing a cookie indicating a cheater status to be stored on a computer corresponding to the user.

14. A method as defined in claim 13 further comprising steps for

checking for the presence of the cookie on a computer attempting to log in to the web site;

and

when the cookie is present, preventing anyone from logging in to the web site from the computer on which the cookie is stored.