Scheduled programmatic game content

• US 8,641,529 B2
• Filed: 06/27/2008
• Issued: 02/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 06/27/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Bronstein, Manuel, Gupta, Manoj, Alvarado, Ivann, Riley, Colin, Van Gorder, Matt, Chen, Hao, Hall, Gary
• Primary Examiner(s): Hall, Arthur O.
• Assistant Examiner(s): YOO, JASSON H
• Application Number:
  US12/163,410
• Publication Number:
  US 20090325711A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,048 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25, 463/29, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/48 Starting a game, e.g. activating a game device or waiting for other players to join a multiplayer session
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/86 Watching games played by other players
• 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 2300/5593 involving scheduling aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/577 for watching a game played by other players
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting

Abstract

Scheduled programmatic multiplayer game content in a console service is provided. A plurality of multiplayer game events is scheduled. Each event has a fixed start time and fixed end time. Requests from users to participate in event are received and a determination is made as to whether users electing to participate in the game are eligible to participate. If the user is eligible to participate in the game, instructions are provided to a console to allow the user to participate in the game. If the user is not eligible to participate in the game, instructions may be provided to a console to allow a user to view activity in the game.

Claims

1. A method for providing a multiplayer game to a plurality of users, at least a portion of the game executing on a client device coupled to a network, comprising:

(a) scheduling at least one multiplayer game event by a processor, the game event having a fixed start time and a fixed end time, said step (a) including the step of displaying a graphical user interface over a display for a user, the graphical user interface including a plurality of channels, and a plurality of time slots for multiplayer games scheduled on the plurality of channels, a friend channel of the plurality of channels displaying multiplayer game events scheduled by one or more friends of the user, the friend channel displaying a first time slot of the plurality of time slots, a first group of one or more friends of the user playing a game in the first time slot and one or more games the first group of friends are playing in the first time slot, and the friend channel displaying a second time slot of the plurality of time slots, a second group of one or more friends of the user playing a game in the second time slot and one or more games the second group of friends are playing in the second time slot,

(b) receiving requests from users to participate in the multiplayer game event;

(c) determining whether each of the users is eligible to participate in the multiplayer game by the processor based on when the users have selected to participate in the multiplayer game before the fixed start time;

(d) providing instructions by the processor to one or more consoles to allow at least a subset of the plurality of users to participate in the game;

(e) starting the game by the processor at the fixed start time; and

(f) ending the game by the processor at the fixed end time.

2. The method of claim 1 further including the steps of

providing a plurality of multiplayer games;

repeating steps (b)-(f) for each of the plurality of multiplayer games.

3. The method of claim 2 further including providing scheduling information to a console to display the plurality of multiplayer game events to a user.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of providing scheduling information includes scheduling a plurality of multiplayer game events into a sequence of timed events, and the step of providing scheduling information includes organizing multiple sequences of timed events by theme and presenting each sequence of timed events within one or more channels.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein the method further includes maintaining status information on each user request to participate in a game in advance of the fixed start time for the game.

6. The method of claim 5 further including the step of providing scheduling information for one or more games for which a user has made a request to participate in advance of the fixed start time for the game.

7. The method of claim 5 further including providing a reminder for the game.

8. The method of claim 5 further including the step of providing user-specific scheduling information in a separate channel rendered by the console.

9. The method of claim 5 further including the step of providing status information for friends of a user who have been determined eligible to participate in a game.

10. A method for providing multiplayer gaming experience in a multiplayer gaming environment, comprising:

scheduling a plurality of multiplayer game events by a processor, each event having a fixed start time and fixed end time, said scheduling step including the steps of displaying a graphical user interface over a display for a user, the graphical user interface including a plurality of channels, and a plurality of time slots for multiplayer games scheduled on the plurality of channels, a first channel of the plurality of channels displaying games scheduled by one or more friends of the user, the first channel displaying a first time slot of the plurality of time slots, a first group of one or more friends of the user playing a game in the first time slot and one or more games the first group of friends are playing in the first time slot, and the first channel displaying a second time slot of the plurality of time slots, a second group of one or more friends of the user playing a game in the second time slot and one or more games the second group of friends are playing in the second time slot, and a second channel of the plurality of channels displaying games scheduled already by the user, the second channel displaying a third time slot of the plurality of time slots and a first game the user is scheduled to play in the third time slot, and the second channel displaying a fourth time slot of the plurality of time slots and a second game the user is scheduled to play in the fourth time slot;

for each of the plurality of game events,

receiving requests from users to participate in the multiplayer game event up to the fixed end time;

determining whether each of the users is eligible to participate in the multiplayer game by the processor, said determining whether each of the user is eligible to participate in the multiplayer game event includes determining that each of the user has selected to participate in the multiplayer game event within a sufficient time before the fixed start time associated with the multiplayer game event;

if the user is eligible to participate in the game, providing instructions to a console to allow the user to participate in the game and if the user is not eligible to participate in the game, providing instructions to a console allowing the user to view activity in the game;

starting the game at the fixed start time; and

ending the game at a fixed end time.

11. The method of claim 10 further including the step of providing a common set of game instructions for the plurality of games to the console.

12. The method of claim 11 further including outputting game specific instructions to each console, the game specific instructions being provided in response to a determination that the user is eligible to participate in the game.

13. The method of claim 12 wherein the game specific instructions are ordered to first provide instructions for rendering portions of the game event before all elements of the game event are ready for game play by a user.

14. The method of claim 10 wherein the step of determining whether each of the users is eligible to participate in the multiplayer game determines a player is ineligible to play after the fixed start time for the game.

15. A method for providing live commentary in a gaming experience, comprising:

providing a plurality of multiplayer games including game play rules and instructions for a console to enable each of the plurality of multiplayer games on a console;

scheduling at least some of the plurality of multiplayer games by a processor into one or more sequences of timed events, each timed event having a fixed duration;

providing scheduling information to the console to display the plurality of multiplayer game events, said providing scheduling information includes the step of displaying a graphical user interface over a display for a user, the graphical user interface including a plurality of channels, and a plurality of time slots for the plurality of channels, a first channel of the plurality of channels displaying games scheduled by one or more friends of the user, the first channel displaying a first time slot of the plurality of time slots, a first group of one or more friends of the user playing a game in the first time slot and one or more games the first group of friends are playing in the first time slot, the first channel displaying a second time slot of the plurality of time slots, a second group of one or more friends of the user playing a game in the second time slot and one or more games the second group of friends are playing in the second time slot;

receiving requests from users to participate in ones of the timed events;

determining by the processor whether each of the users is eligible to participate in each of the timed events for which a request to participate is made, said determining whether each of the user is eligible to participate in each of the timed events for which a request to participate is made includes determining that each of the user has selected to participate in a time event within a sufficient time before a fixed start time associated with the time event;

providing a user an option to view a multiplayer game being played at a scheduled time if it is determined that the user is not eligible to join the multiplayer game;

providing instructions to a console to allow a user at the console to participate in the timed event for which a request to participate is made;

starting each game; and

ending each game after the fixed duration.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein each game event has a fixed start time and a fixed end time.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein multiple game events, each for a different multiplayer game, may be scheduled at the same start time.

18. The method of claim 17 wherein the method further includes maintaining status information on each user request to participate in a game in advance of the fixed start time for the game and providing status information for friends of a user who have scheduled to participate in game events.

19. The method of claim 18 further including the step of providing user-specific scheduling information in a separate channel rendered by the console.