Virtual competitive group management systems and methods

• US 8,684,820 B2
• Filed: 02/06/2013
• Issued: 04/01/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 02/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hothead Games Inc.
• Original Assignee: Hothead Games Inc.
• Inventors: DeYoung, Joel
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US13/761,014
• Publication Number:
  US 20130203480A1
• Time in Patent Office: 419 Days
• Field of Search: 463/6, 463/7, 463/9, 463/13, 463/23, 463/26, 463/28, 463/40, 463/41
• US Class Current: 463/23
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/20 Input arrangements for video game devices
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• 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 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• 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

Abstract

Virtual competitive group management systems and methods are provided herein. Exemplary systems may execute methods via one or more processors, which are programmed to compare one or more skill levels of a player to skill levels of a plurality of competitors, wherein a skill level is associated with player competitiveness within the interactive game, determine at least one of the plurality of competitors who have at least one skill level that is greater than the skill level of the player, and place the player and the at least one of the plurality of competitors into a competitive group such that the player is at a competitive disadvantage to at least one of the plurality of competitors.

Claims

1. A system for assigning a plurality of players to competitive groups in an interactive game, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution by the one or more processors and when executed operable to perform operations comprising;

evaluating one or more skill levels for each of the plurality of players, the one or more skill levels indicative of player performance relative to the interactive game;

providing skill levels of the plurality of players to an end user;

receiving a selection of one or more of the plurality of players;

facilitating a competition between the end user and the one or more of the plurality of players;

comparing the plurality of players to one another using their respective skill levels; and

grouping two or more of the plurality of players together into a competitive group based upon the comparison of skill levels.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein a competitive group comprises a subset of a total player population.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to perform operations comprising matching two or more competitive groups in competition within the interactive game based upon at least one game parameter of the interactive game.

4. The system according to claim 1, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to perform operations comprising registering a player as a competitor in such a way that the competitor is included in the plurality of players.

5. The system according to claim 1, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to perform operations comprising providing a ranked list of outcomes based upon competitions between two or more competitive groups.

6. A system for assigning a player to a competitive group in an interactive game, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution by the one or more processors and when executed operable to perform operations comprising;

comparing one or more skill levels of a player to skill levels of a plurality of competitors, wherein a skill level is associated with player competitiveness within the interactive game;

determining at least one of the plurality of competitors who have at least one skill level that is greater than the skill level of the player;

offering the player an equalizer that at least partially overcomes the competitive disadvantage; and

placing the player and the at least one of the plurality of competitors into a competitive group such that the player is at a competitive disadvantage to at least one of the plurality of competitors.

7. The system according to claim 6, wherein an ability of the equalizer to overcome the competitive disadvantage is proportional to a cost of the equalizer.

8. The system according to claim 6, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to perform operations comprising displaying an in game solicitation that entices the player to purchase the equalizer.

9. The system according to claim 6, wherein the competitive group comprises a subset of a total player population.

10. The system according to claim 6, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to perform operations comprising matching two or more competitive groups in competition within the interactive game based upon at least one game parameter of the interactive game.

11. The system according to claim 6, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to perform operations comprising registering a player as a competitor in such a way that the competitor is included in the plurality of players.

12. The system according to claim 6, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to perform operations comprising providing skill levels of the plurality of players to an end user;

receiving a selection of one or more of the plurality of players; and

facilitating a competition between the player and the one or more of the plurality of players.

13. The system according to claim 6, wherein the logic when executed is further operable to perform operations comprising providing a ranked list of outcomes based upon competitions between two or more competitive groups.

14. A system for assigning a plurality of players to competitive groups in an interactive game, the system comprising:

one or more processors; and

logic encoded in one or more tangible media for execution by the one or more processors and when executed operable to perform operations comprising;

receiving a selection from a player of the plurality of players, the selection associated with a competitive game mode option in the interactive game; and

assigning the player to one of a plurality of competitive groups, the assignment based upon one or more of a first attribute of the player, a second attribute of a game character associated with the player, and the first and the second attributes of other players from the plurality of players, each of the other players assigned to one competitive group of the plurality of competitive groups.

15. A method for assigning a plurality of players to competitive groups in an interactive game, the method comprising:

receiving information at a server about performance of each of the plurality of players;

evaluating one or more skill levels for each of the plurality of players using the received information, the one or more skill levels indicative of player performance relative to the interactive game;

providing the evaluated skill levels of the plurality of players to an end user;

receiving at the server a selection of one or more of the plurality of players from the end user;

facilitating a competition between the end user and the one or more of the plurality of players;

comparing the plurality of players to one another using their respective skill levels; and

grouping two or more of the plurality of players together into a competitive group based upon the comparison of skill levels.

16. A method for assigning a player to a competitive group in an interactive game, the method comprising:

receiving at a server one or more skill levels of a player;

comparing the one or more skill levels of the player to skill levels of a plurality of competitors using the server, wherein each skill level is associated with player competitiveness within the interactive game;

determining at least one of the plurality of competitors who have at least one skill level that is greater than the skill level of the player;

providing from the server an offer to the player, the offer comprising an equalizer that at least partially overcomes the competitive disadvantage; and

placing the player and the at least one of the plurality of competitors into a competitive group using the server, such that the player is at a competitive disadvantage to at least one of the plurality of competitors.

17. A method for assigning a plurality of players to competitive groups in an interactive game, the method comprising:

receiving at a server a selection from a player of the plurality of players, the selection associated with a competitive game mode option in the interactive game; and

assigning the player to one of a plurality of competitive groups using the server, the assignment based upon one or more of a first attribute of the player, a second attribute of a game character associated with the player, and the first and the second attributes of other players from the plurality of players, each of the other players assigned to one competitive group of the plurality of competitive groups.