System and method for facilitating access to an online game through a plurality of social networking platforms

• US 8,986,116 B1
• Filed: 03/27/2014
• Issued: 03/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Harrington, Clifford J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hoel, Matthew D
• Application Number:
  US14/228,195
• Time in Patent Office: 362 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/53 involving additional visual information provided to the game scene, e.g. by overlay to simulate a head-up display [HUD] or displaying a laser sight in a shooting game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• 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 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/57 details of game services offered to the player
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 51/52 for supporting social networking services
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/21 for social networking applications

Abstract

Participation in an online game through a plurality of different social network platforms may be facilitated. This may include enabling an individual user to log in to the online game, which may take place in a virtual space, through a plurality of different social network platforms, thereby extending the accessibility of the online game with respect to the individual user. The online game may be provided to users through different social network platforms such that a first user accessing the online game through a first social network platform may access a common instance of the online game (and/or the virtual space) with a second user accessing the online game through a second social network platform.

Claims

1. A system configured to facilitate play of an online game through a plurality of online platforms, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

an authentication module configured to receive authentication requests submitted by the users through online platforms, and to cause the one or more processors to compare the authentication requests submitted by the users with authentication information stored on one or more electronic storage devices associated with the system to authenticate the users in response to the authentication requests, wherein the authentication module is configured such that;

responsive to receiving a first valid authentication request submitted by a first user through a first online platform, the authentication module logs the first user into the online game to control a first character associated with the first user, and

responsive to receiving a second valid authentication request submitted by a second user through a second online platform, the authentication module logs the second user into the online game to control a second character associated with the second character; and

a space module configured to execute an instance of a virtual space in which the online game is played, and wherein the space module is configured such that responsive to the first user and the second user being logged into the online game by the authentication module, the space module (i) implements the instance of the virtual space to determine view information that defines a first view of the virtual space for presentation to the first user, and a second view of the virtual space for presentation to the second user, and (ii) transmits the first view of the virtual space to a display device of a client computing platform associated with the first user to facilitate presentation of the first view to the first user and transmits the second view of the virtual space to a display device of a client computing platform associated with the second user to facilitate presentation of the the second view to the second user,

wherein the first character under control of the first user is viewable in the second view, and wherein the second character under control of the second user is viewable in the first view.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer program modules comprise a user account module configured to manage user accounts associated with individual users, the user accounts comprising:

a first user account associated with the first user that includes character information for the first character, and

a second user account associated with the second user that includes character information for the second character.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the character information includes one or more of information that defines a visual appearance of a character, a progress level of a character in the online game, a status of a character in the online game, a score of a character in the online game, or an inventory of a character in the online game.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the space module is configured such that the instance of the virtual space is synchronous for the first user and the second user such that user controlled actions performed by the first character are reflected in the second view in real time or near real time.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer program modules further comprise an online platform information module configured to receive user information from the online platforms about the users such that user information about the first user and user information about the second user is received from the first online platform and from the second online platform.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer program modules further comprise a notification module configured to generate notifications to online platforms indicating activity by the users in the online game such that responsive to the first user performing an action in the online game that triggers a notification the notification module is configured to generate a first notification of the action for the first online platform and a second notification of the action for the second online platform.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the notification module is configured such that the first notification causes an indication of the first action to be displayed on a virtual wall associated with the first user in the first online platform, and such that the second notification causes an indication of the action to be displayed on a virtual wall associated with the first user in the second game platform.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer program modules further include a relationship module configured to manage one or more relationships between the users of the online game, such that the relationship module is configured to manage a first relationship between the first user of the online game and the second user of the online game.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the first relationship between the first user and the second user has a functional significance in the online game.

10. A method for facilitating play of an online game through a plurality of online platforms, the method to be performed on one or more physical computer processors configured by machine-readable instructions to perform the method, the method comprising:

receiving, using the one or more physical compute processors, authentication requests submitted by the users through online platforms,

authenticating, using the one or more physical compute processors, the users in response to the authentication requests, wherein authenticating the users includes comparing the authentication requests submitted by the users with authentication information stored on one or more electronic storage devices;

responsive to receiving a first valid authentication request submitted by a first user through a first online platform, logging, using the one or more physical compute processors, the first user into the online game to control a first character associated with the first user;

responsive to receiving a second valid authentication request submitted by a second user through a second online platform, logging, using the one or more physical compute processors, the second user into the online game to control a second character associated with the second character;

executing, using the one or more physical compute processors, an instance of a virtual space in which the online game is played,

responsive to the first user and the second user being logged into the online game;

(i) implementing, using the one or more physical compute processors, the instance of the virtual space to determine view information that defines a first view of the virtual space for presentation to the first user, and a second view of the virtual space for presentation to the second user, and

(ii) transmitting, using the one or more physical compute processors, the first view of the virtual space to a display device of a client computing platform associated with the first user to facilitate presentation of the first view of the first user and transmits the second view of the virtual space to a display device of a client computing platform associated with the second user to facilitate presentation of the second view to the second user,

wherein the first character under control of the first user is viewable in the second view, and wherein the second character under control of the second user is viewable in the first view.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising managing, using the one or more physical compute processors, user accounts associated with individual users, the user accounts comprising:

a first user account associated with the first user that includes character information for the first character, and

a second user account associated with the second user that includes character information for the second character.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the character information includes one or more of information that defines a visual appearance of a character, a progress level of a character in the online game, a status of a character in the online game, a score of a character in the online game, or an inventory of a character in the online game.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the instance of the virtual space is synchronous for the first user and the second user such that user controlled actions performed by the first character are reflected in the second view in real time or near real time.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising receiving, using the one or more physical compute processors, user information from the online platforms about the users such that user information about the first user and user information about the second user is received from the first online platform and from the second online platform.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating, using the one or more physical compute processors, notifications to online platforms indicating activity by the users in the online game such that responsive to the first user performing an action in the online game that triggers a notification a first notification of the action for the first online platform and a second notification of the action for the second online platform are generated.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the first notification causes an indication of the first action to be displayed on a virtual wall associated with the first user in the first online platform, and such that the second notification causes an indication of the action to be displayed on a virtual wall associated with the first user in the second game platform.

17. The method of claim 10, further comprising managing, using the one or more physical compute processors, one or more relationships between the users of the online game, such that the relationship module is configured to manage a first relationship between the first user of the online game and the second user of the online game.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first relationship between the first user and the second user has a functional significance in the online game.