Video game title profile awards

• US 8,920,245 B2
• Filed: 12/12/2013
• Issued: 12/30/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/31/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Cooper, Ryan B.
• Primary Examiner(s): TORIMIRO, ADETOKUNBO OLUSEGUN
• Application Number:
  US14/104,297
• Publication Number:
  US 20140100041A1
• Time in Patent Office: 383 Days
• Field of Search: 463/20, 463/25, 463/30, 463/31, 463/43, 463/47
• US Class Current: 463/43
• 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 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/609 for unlocking hidden game elements, e.g. features, items, levels

Abstract

Techniques for recognizing the accomplishments of a game player are disclosed herein. In particular, a user identification profile is provided so that digital items awarded to the user for meeting specified performance criteria in a video game or some other event may be associated with such user identification profile. The digital item may be something that is usable within the current video game title, in a later version or the next generation of a particular video game title, or even in a different video game by the same developer. One technique involves receiving an identification representative of the digital item awarded to the user, associating the digital item with the user identification profile corresponding to the user, and storing an indication that the digital item is associated with the user identification profile. In this way, the indication may be utilized to display the digital item in the user identification profile.

Claims

1. An electronic device for utilizing video game awards, comprising:

a storage device, the storage device stores a digital gaming object, the digital gaming object was awarded to a game player while the game player played a first video game; and

one or more processors in communication with the storage device, the one or more processors acquire the digital gaming object from the storage device, the one or more processors execute a second video game in which the digital gaming object is usable within the second video game, the first video game is associated with a first video game title, the second video game is associated with a second video game title different from the first video game title.

2. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the digital gaming object is usable by the game player in both the first video game and the second video game.

3. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the digital gaming object comprises a weapon.

4. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the digital gaming object comprises a jersey.

5. The electronic device of claim 1, wherein:

the first video game is associated with a particular video game title and the second video game is associated with a later version of the particular video game title.

6. A method for utilizing video game awards, comprising:

executing a first video game on a first gaming console, the first gaming console includes one or more processors and a storage device, the executing a first video game on the first gaming console includes executing the first video game using the one or more processors, the first video game awards a digital item other than points to a game player of the first video game;

storing a representation of the digital item in a user profile associated with the game player, the storing a representation of the digital item in a user profile includes storing the representation of the digital item within the storage device; and

executing a second video game, the digital item is usable by the game player within the second video game, the first video game is associated with a first video game title, the second video game is associated with a second video game title different from the first video game title.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the digital item is usable as a gaming object by the game player in both the first video game and the second video game.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the digital item comprises a weapon.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the digital item comprises a jersey.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the digital item provides access to a weapon in the second video game.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the executing a first video game includes awarding the digital item to the game player while the game player is playing the first video game, the digital item is awarded to the game player for an accomplishment in the first video game.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the executing a second video game includes enabling use of the digital item by the game player while the game player is playing the second video game.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the first video game is associated with a particular video game title and the second video game is associated with a later version of the particular video game title.

14. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the storage device includes a nonvolatile memory, the representation of the digital item and the user profile are stored in the nonvolatile memory.

15. The method of claim 6, wherein:

the executing a second video game includes executing the second video game using a second gaming console different from the first gaming console, the first gaming console is in communication with a server, the storing a representation of the digital item in a user profile includes transmitting the representation of the digital item to the server, the server the user profile, the storing a representation of the digital item in a user profile includes storing the representation of the digital item on the server, the server is in communication with the first gaming console and the second gaming console.

16. One or more storage devices containing processor readable code for programming one or more processors to perform a method for utilizing video game awards comprising the steps of:

acquiring a digital gaming object, the digital gaming object was awarded to a game player while the game player played a first video game, the digital gaming object was usable by the game player within the first video game; and

executing a second video game, the digital gaming object is usable by the game player within the second video game, the first video game is associated with a first video game title, the second video game is associated with a second video game title different from the first video game title.

17. The one or more storage devices of claim 16, wherein:

the acquiring a digital gaming object includes acquiring a representation of the digital gaming object from a user profile associated with the game player; and

the executing a second video game includes enabling use of the digital gaming object by the game player while the game player is playing the second video game.

18. The one or more storage devices of claim 16, wherein:

the digital gaming object comprises a weapon.

19. The one or more storage devices of claim 16, wherein:

the digital gaming object comprises a jersey.

20. The one or more storage devices of claim 16, wherein:

the first video game is associated with a particular video game title and the second video game is associated with a later version of the particular video game title; and

the executing a second video game includes executing the second video game using a gaming console.