Tracking game progress using player profiles

• US 9,005,017 B2
• Filed: 09/14/2012
• Issued: 04/14/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shepard, Isaac J., McCuller, Patrick G., Paleja, Ameesh
• Primary Examiner(s): YOO, JASSON H
• Application Number:
  US13/620,648
• Publication Number:
  US 20130012310A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• Field of Search: 717168-173, 726/29, 463/25, 463/29, 463 42- 43
• US Class Current: 463/29
• 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 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• 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 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5526 Game data structure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history

Abstract

In certain embodiments, computer systems and methods are provided that allow a game distribution platform to distribute, update and/or control copies of games published across multiple game portals. In some embodiments, copies of the games are maintained in data storage on the game distribution platform and distributed to game portals and/or gaming devices. Additional content for purchase may also be stored on the data storage and available for purchase during a gaming session. Advantageously, in certain embodiments the game distribution platform enables game portals and/or gaming devices to receive the latest version of a game and/or a player'"'"'s purchased content when a player selects to play the game.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for temporarily storing player account information, the method comprising:

receiving game information over a communication network for a first gaming session on a gaming device for a player not logged into any player account associated with the gaming device, the game information including an identifier for the gaming device;

creating an anonymous profile corresponding to the gaming device identifier, said anonymous profile not associated with any user-provided login information;

storing the game information in the anonymous profile on a computer data repository comprising physical computer storage;

receiving a download request including the gaming device identifier from the gaming device, the request generated during a second gaming session on the gaming device;

matching the gaming device identifier with the anonymous profile before preexisting game information is imported into a non-anonymous player account; and

transmitting the game information to the gaming device, in response to the download request, the game information allowing the gaming device to resume an anonymous gaming session by starting the second gaming session at a state of the game indicated by the game information;

presenting, to the player, a player account login page configured to permit the player to provide player account login information;

receiving player account login information;

comparing the player account login information to login information associated with a plurality of player accounts stored on the computer data repository in order to identify a player account corresponding to the player account login information; and

importing the game information associated with the anonymous profile into the player account associated with the player account login information.

2. A system for temporarily storing player account information, the system comprising:

a data repository configured to store gaming data for a game; and

one or more processors configured to;

receive gaming data for a first game session for the game over a communication network from an instance of a file loader module operating on a gaming device, wherein instances of the file loader module are deployed on a plurality of web sites and downloadable to gaming devices from the plurality of web sites;

determine whether the gaming data includes login information for any existing player account;

in response to determining that the gaming data does not include login information for any existing player account, generate an anonymous profile associated with the gaming device, said anonymous profile not associated with any user-provided login information;

store the gaming data on the data repository such that the gaming data is associated with the anonymous profile;

receive a download request including the gaming device identifier from the gaming device, the request generated during a second gaming session on the gaming device;

match the gaming device identifier with the anonymous profile before preexisting game information is imported into a non-anonymous player account;

transmit the game information to the gaming device in response to the download request, the game information allowing the gaming device to resume an anonymous gaming session by starting the second gaming session at a state of the game indicated by the game information;

present, to a player, a player account login page configured to permit the player to provide player account login information;

receive player account login information;

compare the player account login information to login information associated with a plurality of player accounts stored on the data repository in order to identify a player account corresponding to the player account login information; and

import the game information associated with the anonymous profile into the player account associated with the player account login information.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are configured to generate an anonymous profile associated with the gaming device by determining a gaming device identifier for the gaming device and associating the gaming device identifier with the anonymous profile.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the gaming device identifier is a network address.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the gaming device identifier is a hardware identifier.

6. The system of claim 3, wherein the gaming device identifier is provided by the file loader module operating on the gaming device.

7. A computer-implemented method for distributing a game to multiple gaming device types, the method comprising:

storing a first set of data files defining a game for a first gaming device type and a second set of data files defining the game for a second gaming device type, the first gaming device type utilizing a different computing platform than the second gaming device type;

receiving a first download request from an instance of a first file loader module associated with the game, the first file loader module operating on a first gaming device of the first gaming device type, wherein instances of the first file loader module are deployed on a plurality of web sites and downloadable to gaming devices from the plurality of web sites;

identifying the gaming device type of the first gaming device as corresponding to the first gaming device type based at least in part on the first download request from the instance of the first file loader module associated with the game;

transmitting, in response to the identification, the first set of data files defining the game to the first gaming device;

receiving game state data from the first gaming device in a format associated with the first gaming type and storing the game state data;

receiving a second download request from an instance of a second file loader module associated with the game, the second file loader module operating on a second gaming device of the second gaming device type, wherein instances of the second file loader module are deployed on a plurality of web sites and downloadable to gaming devices from the plurality of web sites;

identifying the gaming device type of the second gaming device as corresponding to the second gaming device type based at least in part on the second download request from the instance of the second file loader module associated with the game;

transmitting, in response to the identification, the second set of data files defining the game to the first gaming device; and

transmitting the game state data to the second device in a format associated with the second gaming type.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the first gaming device type comprises one of a mobile phone, console, PDA and computer and the second gaming device type is of a different device type than the first gaming device.

9. The method of claim 7, wherein the computing platform utilized by the second gaming device is incapable of running a version of the game written for the computing platform utilized by the first gaming device.

10. The method of claim 7, wherein identifying the gaming device type of the first gaming device comprises receiving device type information from the file loader module operating on the first gaming device.

11. The method of claim 7, wherein the file loader module is a micro-loader module.

12. A system for distributing a game to multiple gaming device types, the system comprising:

computer memory configured to store a first set of data files defining a game for a first gaming device type and a second set of data files defining the game for a second gaming device type, the first gaming device type utilizing a different computing platform than the second gaming device type; and

one or more processors configured to;

receive a first download request from an instance of a file loader module associated with the game, the file loader module operating on a first gaming device, wherein instances of the file loader module are deployed on a plurality of web sites and downloadable to gaming devices from the plurality of web sites;

determine the gaming device type of the first gaming device based at least in part on the first download request from the instance of the file loader module associated with the game; and

transmit either the first set of data files or the second set of data files to the file loader module based on the determination of the gaming device type;

receive game state data from the first gaming device in a format associated with the first gaming type and storing the game state data;

receive a second download request from an instance of a second file loader module associated with the game, the second file loader module operating on a second gaming device of the second gaming device type, wherein instances of the second file loader module are deployed on a plurality of web sites and downloadable to gaming devices from the plurality of web sites;

identify the gaming device type of the second gaming device as corresponding to the second gaming device type based at least in part on the second download request from the instance of the second file loader module associated with the game;

transmit, in response to the identification, the second set of data files defining the game to the first gaming device; and

transmit the game state data to the second device in a format associated with the second gaming type.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the first gaming device type comprises one of a mobile phone, console, PDA and computer and the second gaming device type is of a different device type than the first gaming device.

14. The system of claim 12, wherein the first gaming device type comprises a mobile phone and the second gaming device type is computer.

15. The system of claim 12, wherein the first gaming device type operates a mobile device operating system and the second gaming device type computer operating system.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the computing platform utilized by the second gaming device is incapable of running a version of the game written for the computing platform utilized by the first gaming device.

17. The system of claim 12, wherein the file loader module is a micro-loader module.