Online game with animal-breeding mechanic for combining visual display parameters
First Claim
1. A method of breeding virtual animals in an online game that is accessed through a website of game networking system that supports the online game, the method comprising:
- receiving instructions for initiating an animal breeding in the online game, the instructions being received through a game interface of a user machine corresponding to a player in the online game, the game interface being enabled by communications with the website of the game networking system that supports the online game, the instructions including a selection of a male animal and a female animal of a virtual animal type, and each of the selected animals being visually characterized by a corresponding parameter set that includes one or more color parameters;
generating, with at least one computer, a plurality of potential-offspring-animal parameter sets from the male-animal parameter set and the female-animal parameter set, the potential-offspring-animal parameter sets visually characterizing a corresponding plurality of potential offspring animals of the virtual animal type;
selecting from the potential-offspring-animal parameter sets an offspring-animal parameter set that visually characterizes an offspring animal of the virtual animal type;
changing at least one parameter in the offspring-animal parameter set based on a comparison of the at least one parameter with a parameter record that includes a predetermined number of parameters corresponding to previously generated offspring-animal parameter sets, the at least one parameter being changed in response to a threshold test for a number of occurrences of the at least one parameter within the parameter record, and the parameter record being stored in a computer-readable medium in the at least one computer;
providing values from the offspring-animal parameter set to the user machine corresponding to the player in the online game after changing the at least one parameter in the offspring-animal parameter set; and
providing a source artwork for the offspring animal to the user machine to enable generating a display of the offspring animal at the game interface of the user machine by substituting combinations of color-channel values corresponding to the offspring-animal parameter set for color-channel values in the source artwork.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An animal-breeding mechanic enables the generation of an offspring virtual animal in an online game system by combining features of a male virtual animal and a female virtual animal. Multiple candidates for the offspring virtual animal may be generated, and a selection or identification can then be made from the multiple candidates. Relevant features may include a base color and optional pattern markings with a corresponding pattern color. Additional game aspects may include options for enhancing the likelihood of generating a successful offspring, decreasing the time for generating the offspring, and nurturing the offspring to maturity. Parameterized color values for a specific virtual animal may be substituted into source artwork to generate a variety of distinctive displays.
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Citations
26 Claims
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1. A method of breeding virtual animals in an online game that is accessed through a website of game networking system that supports the online game, the method comprising:
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receiving instructions for initiating an animal breeding in the online game, the instructions being received through a game interface of a user machine corresponding to a player in the online game, the game interface being enabled by communications with the website of the game networking system that supports the online game, the instructions including a selection of a male animal and a female animal of a virtual animal type, and each of the selected animals being visually characterized by a corresponding parameter set that includes one or more color parameters; generating, with at least one computer, a plurality of potential-offspring-animal parameter sets from the male-animal parameter set and the female-animal parameter set, the potential-offspring-animal parameter sets visually characterizing a corresponding plurality of potential offspring animals of the virtual animal type; selecting from the potential-offspring-animal parameter sets an offspring-animal parameter set that visually characterizes an offspring animal of the virtual animal type; changing at least one parameter in the offspring-animal parameter set based on a comparison of the at least one parameter with a parameter record that includes a predetermined number of parameters corresponding to previously generated offspring-animal parameter sets, the at least one parameter being changed in response to a threshold test for a number of occurrences of the at least one parameter within the parameter record, and the parameter record being stored in a computer-readable medium in the at least one computer; providing values from the offspring-animal parameter set to the user machine corresponding to the player in the online game after changing the at least one parameter in the offspring-animal parameter set; and providing a source artwork for the offspring animal to the user machine to enable generating a display of the offspring animal at the game interface of the user machine by substituting combinations of color-channel values corresponding to the offspring-animal parameter set for color-channel values in the source artwork. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15)
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16. A non-transitory computer-readable medium that stores a computer program for breeding virtual animals in an online game that is accessed through a website of game networking system that supports the online game, the computer program including computer-program instructions that, when executed by at least one computer, cause the at least one computer to perform operations comprising:
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receiving instructions for initiating an animal breeding in the online game, the instructions being received through a game interface of a user machine corresponding to a player in the online game, the game interface being enabled by communications with the website of the game networking system that supports the online game, the instructions including a selection of a male animal and a female animal of a virtual animal type, and each of the selected animals being visually characterized by a corresponding parameter set that includes one or more color parameters; generating from the male-animal parameter set and the female-animal parameter set a plurality of potential-offspring-animal parameter sets that visually characterize a corresponding plurality of potential offspring animals of the virtual animal type; selecting from the potential-offspring-animal parameter sets an offspring-animal parameter set that visually characterizes an offspring animal of the virtual animal type; changing at least one parameter in the offspring-animal parameter set based on a comparison of the at least one parameter with a parameter record that includes a predetermined number of parameters corresponding to previously generated offspring-animal parameter sets, the at least one parameter being changed in response to a threshold test for a number of occurrences of the at least one parameter within the parameter record, and the parameter record being stored in a computer-readable medium in the at least one computer; providing values from the offspring-animal parameter set to the user machine corresponding to the player in the online game after changing the at least one parameter in the offspring-animal parameter set; and providing a source artwork for the offspring animal to the user machine to enable generating a display of the offspring animal at the game interface of the user machine by substituting combinations of color-channel values corresponding to the offspring-animal parameter set for color-channel values in the source artwork. - View Dependent Claims (17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25)
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26. An apparatus to breed virtual animals in an online game that is accessed through a website of game networking system that supports the online game, the apparatus comprising at least one computer configured to perform operations for computer-executable modules including:
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an animal-breeding-instructions module configured to receive instructions for initiating an animal breeding in the online game, the instructions being received through a game interface of a user machine corresponding to a player in the online game, the game interface being enabled by communications with the website of the game networking system that supports the online game, the instructions including a selection of a male animal and a female animal of a virtual animal type, and each of the selected animals being visually characterized by a corresponding parameter set that includes one or more color parameters; a parameter-generating module configured to generate from the male-animal parameter set and the female-animal parameter set a plurality of potential-offspring-animal parameter sets that visually characterize a corresponding plurality of potential offspring animals of the virtual animal type; an offspring-selection module configured to select from the potential-offspring-animal parameter sets an offspring-animal parameter set that visually characterizes an offspring animal of the virtual animal type, and further configured to change at least one parameter in the offspring-animal parameter set based on a comparison of the at least one parameter with a parameter record that includes a predetermined number of parameters corresponding to previously generated offspring-animal parameter sets, the at least one parameter being changed in response to a threshold test for a number of occurrences of the at least one parameter within the parameter record, and the parameter record being stored in a computer-readable medium in the at least one computer; and a value-providing module configured to provide values from the offspring-animal parameter set to the user machine corresponding to the player in the online game, and further configured to provide a source artwork for the offspring animal to the user machine to enable generating a display of the offspring animal at the game interface of the user machine by substituting combinations of color-channel values corresponding to the offspring-animal parameter set for color-channel values in the source artwork.
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Specification