Facilitating group play with multiple game devices
First Claim
Patent Images
1. A computer-implemented method to provide group play with multiple game devices, the method comprising:
- under the control of a group play coordinator computer system configured with executable instructions,for each of a plurality of game devices, obtaining eligibility information indicative of at least one characteristic related to a user of the game device;
based at least in part on the obtained eligibility information, determining which of at least some of the plurality of game devices qualify to participate in a group play event before the group play event is triggered;
based at least in part on a total number of game devices determined to qualify to participate in the group play event, determining an adjustment to a value that is indicative of a probability of triggering the group play event by any of the game devices qualified to participate in the group play event, where the adjustment to the value accommodates a variation over time in the total number of game devices that are determined to qualify to participate in the group play event by maintaining the probability of triggering the group play event constant regardless of the total number of game devices determined to qualify to participate in the group play event; and
causing an adjustment of at least one group play event generator based on the determined adjustment to the value.
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Abstract
Techniques are describe for providing group play events with multiple game devices. Group play events are triggered by any game device that qualifies to participate, so that when any qualifying game device triggers a group play event, all qualifying game devices participate in the group play event. In some situations, a probability for triggering a group play event is adjusted to accommodate for a dynamically changing number of game devices that qualify over time.
720 Citations
29 Claims
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1. A computer-implemented method to provide group play with multiple game devices, the method comprising:
under the control of a group play coordinator computer system configured with executable instructions, for each of a plurality of game devices, obtaining eligibility information indicative of at least one characteristic related to a user of the game device; based at least in part on the obtained eligibility information, determining which of at least some of the plurality of game devices qualify to participate in a group play event before the group play event is triggered; based at least in part on a total number of game devices determined to qualify to participate in the group play event, determining an adjustment to a value that is indicative of a probability of triggering the group play event by any of the game devices qualified to participate in the group play event, where the adjustment to the value accommodates a variation over time in the total number of game devices that are determined to qualify to participate in the group play event by maintaining the probability of triggering the group play event constant regardless of the total number of game devices determined to qualify to participate in the group play event; and causing an adjustment of at least one group play event generator based on the determined adjustment to the value. - View Dependent Claims (2, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 20, 22, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29)
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3. A computer-implemented method to provide group play with multiple game devices, the method comprising:
under the control of a group play coordinator computer system configured with executable instructions, for each of a plurality of game devices, obtaining eligibility information indicative of at least one characteristic related to a user of the game device; based at least in part on the obtained eligibility information, determining which of at least some of the plurality of game devices qualify to participate in a group play event before the group play event is triggered; based at least in part on a total number of game devices determined to qualify to participate in the group play event, determining an adjustment to a value that is indicative of a probability of triggering the group play event by any of the game devices qualified to participate in the group play event, where the adjustment to the value accommodates a variation over time in the total number of game devices that are determined to qualify to participate in the group play event; and causing an adjustment of at least one group play event generator based on the determined adjustment to the value, wherein the determining the adjustment to a value that is indicative of a probability of an occurrence of a group play event includes determining at least one adjustment value that makes an aggregate probability of any of the total number of the game devices triggering the group play event normalize towards a target probability, and wherein determining the at least one adjustment value that makes an aggregate probability of any of the total number of the game devices triggering the group play event normalize towards a target probability includes determining a respective adjustment value for each of the game devices. - View Dependent Claims (4, 5)
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19. A computer-implemented method to provide group play with multiple game devices, the method comprising:
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under the control of a group play coordinator computer system configured with executable instructions, for each of a plurality of game devices, obtaining eligibility information indicative of at least one characteristic related to a user of the game device; based at least in part on the obtained eligibility information, determining which of at least some of the plurality of game devices qualify to participate in a group play event before the group play event is triggered; based at least in part on a total number of game devices determined to qualify to participate in the group play event, determining an adjustment to a value that is indicative of a probability of triggering the group play event by any of the game devices qualified to participate in the group play event, where the adjustment to the value accommodates a variation over time in the total number of game devices that are determined to qualify to participate in the group play event; and causing an adjustment of at least one group play event generator based on the determined adjustment to the value; and under the control of a game device, assigning a value indicative of the determined adjustment to an occurrence of an outcome of an intermediate bonus game to be played by the user of the game device, the intermediate bonus game different from a primary game played by the user and different from the group play event; and indicating that the group play event has been triggered as a result of the occurrence of the outcome of the intermediate bonus game.
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21. A computer-implemented method to provide group play with multiple game devices, the method comprising:
under the control of a group play coordinator computer system configured with executable instructions, for each of a plurality of game devices, obtaining eligibility information indicative of at least one characteristic related to a user of the game device; based at least in part on the obtained eligibility information, determining which of at least some of the plurality of game devices qualify to participate in a group play event before the group play event is triggered; based at least in part on a total number of game devices determined to qualify to participate in the group play event, determining an adjustment to a value that is indicative of a probability of triggering the group play event by any of the game devices qualified to participate in the group play event, where the adjustment to the value accommodates a variation over time in the total number of game devices that are determined to qualify to participate in the group play event; and causing an adjustment of at least one group play event generator based on the determined adjustment to the value; and under the control of a game device, maintaining the eligibility information indicative of at least one characteristic related to the user of the game device; receiving information indicative of the determined adjustment; assigning a value indicative of the determined adjustment to an occurrence of a triggering event on the game device, the triggering event indicative of triggering the group play event; based at least in part on the triggering event occurring, providing an indication that the group play event has been triggered; receiving an indication that the group play event has been initiated; and executing the group play event for the user.
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23. A non-transitory computer-readable medium whose contents enable a computing device to provide group play with multiple game devices, by:
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for each of a plurality of game devices, obtaining eligibility information indicative of at least one characteristic related to a user of the game device; based at least in part on the obtained eligibility information, determining which of at least some of the plurality of game devices qualify to participate in a group play event before the group play event is triggered; based at least in part on a total number of game devices determined to qualify to participate in the group play event, determining an adjustment to a value that is indicative of a probability of an occurrence of the group play event on any of the game devices qualified to participate in the group play event, where the adjustment to the value accommodates a variation over time in the total number of game devices that are determined to qualify to participate in the group play event by maintaining the probability of triggering the group play event constant regardless of the total number of game devices determined to qualify to participate in the group play event; and causing an adjustment of at least one group play event generator based on the determined adjustment to the value.
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24. A group play coordinator computing system configured to provide group play with multiple game devices, comprising:
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at least one processor; and at least one memory having executable instructions stored thereon that, when executed on the at least one processor, cause the at least one processor to provide group play with multiple game devices, by; for each of a plurality of game devices, obtaining eligibility information indicative of at least one characteristic related to a user of the game device; based at least in part on the obtained eligibility information, determining which of at least some of the plurality of game devices qualify to participate in a group play event before the group play event is triggered; based at least in part on a total number of game devices determined to qualify to participate in the group play event, determining an adjustment to a value that is indicative of a probability of an occurrence of the group play event on any of the game devices qualified to participate in the group play event, where the adjustment to the value accommodates a variation over time in the total number of game devices that are determined to qualify to participate in the group play event by maintaining the probability of triggering the group play event constant regardless of the total number of game devices determined to qualify to participate in the group play event; and causing an adjustment of at least one group play event generator based on the determined adjustment to the value.
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Specification