Metrics-based gaming operations

• US 8,221,221 B2
• Filed: 09/15/2008
• Issued: 07/17/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 09/15/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sony Interactive Entertainment LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sony Computer Entertainment America LLC (Sony Group Corp.)
• Inventors: Riego, Joseph
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Arthur O.
• Application Number:
  US12/283,854
• Publication Number:
  US 20100069156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,401 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 23, 463 25- 33, 463 39- 43, 273/138.1, 273/139, 273/138.2, 273/141.A, 273454-456, 273/460, 705 56- 57, 705/64, 705/67, 705/72, 705 74- 75, 705 78- 79, 902 2- 3, 902/23, 902/38, 902/40
• US Class Current: 463/23
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• 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 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication

Abstract

Methods and systems for metrics-based gaming operations are provided. Information concerning game play for each play may be received and stored. Such information may be used to generate certain metrics. The generated metrics, in turn, may be used to determine how to customize a game operation. Such game operations may include providing training to a player, matching a player up with another player or with a team, adjusting a game event, etc.

Claims

1. A method for metrics-based game operations, the method comprising:

receiving information over a communication network concerning gameplay of a first player in an online game session, the information having been collected in accordance with a predefined benchmark of the online game session;

providing the received information to a database in memory for storage;

executing instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by a processor;

generates, during the online game session, a metric based on an analysis of the information concerning the gameplay of the first player in the online game session;

determines instructions for customizing a gameplay operation based on the generated metric; and

provides the determined instructions for use in customizing the gameplay operation during the online game session, or during subsequent online game sessions for the first player, wherein the customization adjusts or avoids a gameplay situation that falls outside a range of difficulty corresponding to a skill of the first player.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the predefined benchmark indicates that the information is sent in response to a trigger event in the gameplay of the first player.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the metric indicates a condition in the game environment.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the metric indicates a characteristic of the gameplay of the first player.

5. A system for metrics-based game operations, the system comprising:

a database in memory, the database for storing information concerning the gameplay of a first player in an online game session, the information having been collected in accordance with a predefined benchmark of the online game session;

a processor configured to execute instructions stored in memory, wherein execution of the instructions by the processor;

generates, during the online game session, a metric based on an analysis of the information concerning the gameplay of the first player in the online game session, and

determines instructions for customizing a gameplay operation based on the generated metric; and

a network interface configured to provide the determined instructions for use in customizing the gameplay operation for the first player during the online game session or during subsequent online game sessions for the first player, wherein the customization adjusts or avoids a gameplay situation that falls outside a range of difficulty corresponding to a skill of the first player.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the predefined benchmark indicates that the information is sent in response to a trigger event in the gameplay of the first player.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the metric indicates a condition in the game environment.

8. The system of claim 5, wherein the metric indicates a characteristic of the gameplay of the first player.

9. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a computer processor to perform a method for metrics-based game operations s, the method comprising:

receiving information concerning gameplay of a first player in an online game session, the information having been collected in accordance with a predefined benchmark of the online game session;

providing the received information to a database for storage;

generating, during the online game session, a metric based on an analysis of the information concerning the gameplay of the first player in the online game session;

determining instructions for customizing a gameplay operation based on the generated metric; and

providing the determined instructions for use in customizing the gameplay operation for the first player during the online game session or during subsequent online game sessions for the first player, wherein the customization adjusts or avoids a gameplay situation that falls outside a range of difficulty corresponding to a skill of the first player.

10. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the predefined benchmark indicates that the information is sent in response to a trigger event in the gameplay of the first player.

11. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the metric indicates a condition in the game environment.

12. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the metric indicates a characteristic of the gameplay of the first player.