Conditional access to areas in a video game

• US 9,180,378 B2
• Filed: 05/17/2011
• Issued: 11/10/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 05/17/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Reiche, Paul
• Primary Examiner(s): Pierce, Damon
• Assistant Examiner(s): NGUYEN, ANH-VO V
• Application Number:
  US13/109,926
• Publication Number:
  US 20120295700A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,638 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 2300/609 for unlocking hidden game elements, e.g. features, items, levels

Abstract

A video game includes conditional access to areas of the game. An area may be unlocked when particular game characters are at an entrance to the area. An area may be unlocked for a particular character, for all characters, or for categories of characters. Categories of characters may include characters of a particular type, characters of a particular skill level, characters controlled by a particular game player, and characters previously played in the video game.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for use in providing a video game, comprising:

reading character information for a game player controllable game character from a toy proximate to a reader associated with the video game, the reader comprising one of the group of RFID reader circuitry, optical recognition circuitry, and communication transmitter or transceiver circuitry;

determining whether the game player controllable game character has moved, based on game player input provided by a game controller, to a particular entrance to a particular game area of a game world; and

when the game player controllable game character is at the particular entrance to the particular game area of the game world, determining whether presence of the game player controllable game character at the particular entrance to the particular game area of the game world should allow accessibility of the particular game area to game player controllable game characters;

when the particular game area of the game world should be accessible to game player controllable game characters, determining a set of game player controllable game characters for which the particular area of the game world should be accessible, the set of game player controllable game characters including at least a plurality of game player controllable game characters;

wherein the determined set of game player controllable game characters for which the particular game area of the game world should be accessible comprises game player controllable game characters that match a type of the game player controllable game character at the particular entrance to the particular game area of the game world; and

allowing access to the particular game area of the game world for the determined set of game player controllable game characters.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

commanding display of an indication of which game player controllable game characters are included in the set of game player controllable game characters allowed access to the game area of the game world that were previously disallowed access to the game area.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of game player controllable game characters is game player controllable game characters with a game level at or above a game level of the game player controllable game character that triggers accessibility of the particular game area.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of game player controllable game characters consists of game player controllable game characters that a current game player has already played in the video game.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of game player controllable characters is game player controllable game characters associated with toys proximate the reader associated with the video game.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the set of game characters is game player controllable game characters in a same subset as the game player controllable game character at the entrance to the particular game area of the game world.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the subset is game characters associated with toys proximate the reader associated with the video game and the object is a toy.

8. A computer implemented method for use in providing a video game, comprising:

reading character information for a game player controllable game character from a toy proximate to a reader associated with the video game, the reader comprising one of the group of RFID reader circuitry, optical recognition circuitry, and communication transmitter or transceiver circuitry;

determining whether a particular game area of a game world should be accessible to game characters when the game player controllable game character is at an entrance to the particular area of the game world;

when the game area of the game world should be accessible to game characters, determining a set of game characters for which the area of the game world should be accessible, the set of game characters including at least a plurality of game characters;

allowing access to the game area of the game world for the determined set of game characters; and

wherein the set of game characters comprises game characters that a current game player has not yet played in the video game, and excludes the game character at the entrance to the particular area of the game world.

9. A computer implemented method for use in providing a video game by a game console, comprising:

determining, by the game console, whether a game area of a game world should be accessible to game characters;

when the game area of the game world should be accessible to game characters, determining a set of game characters for which the area of the game world should be accessible, the set of game characters including at least a plurality of game characters;

allowing access to the game area of the game world for the determined set of game characters; and

wherein determining the set of game characters comprises;

reading character information for at least one game character from an object proximate to a reader associated with the game console, the reader comprising one of the group of RFID reader circuitry, optical recognition circuitry, and communication transmitter or transceiver circuitry;

transmitting a request, by the game console, to a server for additional information about accessibility of the area;

receiving, by the game console, the additional information;

including game characters indicated by the additional information in the set of game characters allowed access to the game area of the game world; and

determining whether to include the at least one game character associated with the toy in the set of game characters allowed access to the game area of the game world.

10. A non-transitory machine-readable medium for a video game, the machine-readable medium comprising program instructions for:

determining whether an area of the video game should be accessible to game player controllable game characters;

determining an extent of unlocking of access to the area of the game when the area of the video game should be accessible, wherein the extent of unlocking is unlocking access to the area for game player controllable game characters of a type associated with the game player controllable game character that triggers the unlocking;

unlocking access to the area of the video game to the determined extent;

wherein the program instructions for determining whether an area of the video game should be accessible to game player controllable game characters comprise program instructions for;

reading character information for a game player controllable game character from an object proximate to a reader associated with the video game, the reader comprising one of the group of RFID reader circuitry, optical recognition circuitry, and communication transmitter or transceiver circuitry;

determining whether the game player controllable game character is at an entrance to the area of the video game; and

when the game player controllable game character is at the entrance to the game area of the video game, determining whether the game player controllable game character at the entrance to the area of the video game should trigger unlocking of access to the area.

11. The medium of claim 10, wherein the extent of unlocking is unlocking access to the area for game player controllable game characters above a game level associated with the game player controllable game character that triggers the unlocking.

12. The medium of claim 10, wherein the extent of unlocking is unlocking for game player controllable game characters that a game player playing the game player controllable game character that triggers unlocking has played in the video game.

13. The medium of claim 10, wherein the extent of unlocking is unlocking for game characters that the game player playing the game character that triggers unlocking has not played in the video game.

14. The medium of claim 10, wherein the extent of unlocking is unlocking for game player controllable game characters in a same subset as the game player controllable game character that triggers the unlocking.

15. The medium of claim 14, wherein the subset is game player controllable game characters associated with toys proximate the reader associated with the video game.

16. A non-transitory machine-readable medium for a video game, the machine-readable medium comprising program instructions for:

reading character information for a game player controllable game character from an object proximate to a reader associated with the game console, the reader comprising one of the group of RFID reader circuitry, optical recognition circuitry, and communication transmitter or transceiver circuitry;

determining whether an area of the video game should be accessible to the game player controllable game character;

determining an extent of unlocking of access to the area of the game when the area of the video game should be accessible; and

unlocking access to the area of the video game to the determined extent;

wherein the medium further comprises program instructions for;

commanding transmission of a request to a server for additional information about unlocking the area, and reading received additional information about unlocking the area; and

wherein the extent of unlocking is the character that triggers the unlocking and characters specified in the received additional information.