Clients communicate input technique to server

• US 9,415,306 B1
• Filed: 08/12/2013
• Issued: 08/16/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 08/12/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Wakeford, Kent, Harrington, Clifford J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Jason
• Application Number:
  US13/965,056
• Time in Patent Office: 1,100 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/23 for interfacing with the game device, e.g. specific interfaces between game controller and console
• 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 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/535 for monitoring, e.g. of user parameters, terminal parameters, application parameters, network parameters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6054 by generating automatically game commands to assist the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game

Abstract

An online gaming system for presenting recommendations to users of an online game. The recommendations may be based on monitored usage of the individual interface methods and directed to use of a particular interface method and/or participation in content which is made available to the users. The system may comprise one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules. The system may include a client compatibility module configured to obtain interface methods available to the users; a game module configured to manage game content for portions of the online game which can be adjusted to make different content accessible to the users based on the interface methods available; an interface monitor module configured to monitor the usage of interface methods; and a recommendation module configured to present recommendations to the users related to the game content accessible by virtue of the available interface methods.

Claims

1. An online gaming system for presenting recommendations to users of an online game based on the interface methods available to the users at presentation control devices, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured by machine-readable instructions to;

obtain interface methods available to the users at presentation control devices which are used to access an online game;

execute an instance of the online game, to implement the instance of the online game to facilitate participation of users in the online game on presentation control devices, and to manage game content for portions of the online game which can be adjusted to make different content accessible to the users based on the interface methods available to the users of the online game, wherein by virtue of obtaining a first interface method and a second interface method available to a first user of a first presentation control device, a first game content for a first portion of the online game is made accessible to the first user, the first game content of the first portion being accessible based on the first interface method and the second interface method being available to the first user at the first presentation control device;

monitor the usage of interface methods used by the users during gameplay of the online game;

a present recommendations to the users of the online game related to the content accessible by the users by virtue of the interface methods available to the users, such presentations being made based on the monitoring, such that responsive to the monitoring of the first user indicating underuse of the first interface method, a first recommendation is presented to the first user corresponding to use of the first interface method to encourage the first user to participate in the first game content of the first portion of the online game using the first interface method.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the first recommendation is a recommendation to use the first interface method.

3. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the first recommendation is a recommendation to participate in the first game content of the first portion.

4. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the interface methods accessible to the users at the presentation control devices provide different levels of user control of the online game, such that first interface method provides a first level of user control of the online game and the second interface method provides a second level of user control of the online game, such that the first game content of the first portion includes content corresponding to the first level of control and content corresponding to the second level of control.

5. The system of claim 4 wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the first level of user control provided by the first interface method comprises more control of the online game than the second level of user control provided by the second interface method, such that use of the first interface method by the first user during the first portion of the online game, provides enhanced game content interaction compared to use of the second interface method by the first user during the first portion of the online game.

6. The system of claim 5 wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the first interface method comprises a handheld controller and the second interface method comprises human gesture recognition.

7. The system of claim 5 wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the first interface method comprises a handheld controller and the second interface method comprises a touchscreen.

8. The system of claim 5 wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the first interface method comprises a touchscreen and the second interface method comprises human gesture recognition.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that:

by virtue of obtaining a first interface method and a third interface method available to the first user of a second presentation control device, a second game content for the first portion is made accessible to the first user, the second game content of the first portion being accessible based on the first interface method and the third interface method being available to the first user at the second presentation control device; and

responsive to the monitoring of the first user indicating underuse of the third interface method, a second recommendation is presented to the first user corresponding to use of the third interface method to encourage the first user to participate in the second game content of the first portion of the online game using the third interface method.

10. A method for communicating recommendations to the users of an online game based on the interface methods available to the users at presentation control devices, the method being implemented in a computer system that includes one or more physical processors and storage media storing machine-readable instructions, the method comprising:

obtaining interface methods available to the users at presentation control devices which are used to access an online game;

executing an instance of the online game, to implement the instance of the online game to facilitate participation of users in the online game on presentation control devices;

managing game content for portions of the online game which can be adjusted to make different content accessible to the users based on the interface methods available to the users of the online game, including by virtue of obtaining a first interface method and a second interface method available to a first user of a first presentation control device, a first game content for a first portion of the online game is made accessible to the first user, the first game content of the first portion being accessible based on the first interface method and the second interface method being available to the first user at the first presentation control device;

monitoring the usage of interface methods used by the users during gameplay of the online game; and

presenting recommendations to the users of the online game related to the content accessible by the users by virtue of the interface methods available to the users, such presentations being made based on the monitoring of the usage of interface methods, including responsive to the monitoring of the first user indicating underuse of the first interface method, presenting a first recommendation to the first user corresponding to use of the first interface method to encourage the first user to participate in the first game content of the first portion of the online game using the first interface method.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the first recommendation is a recommendation to use the first interface method.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the first recommendation is a recommendation to participate in the first game content of the first portion.

13. The method of claim 10 wherein the interface methods accessible to the users at the presentation control devices provide different levels of user control of the online game, such that first interface method provides a first level of user control of the online game and the second interface method provides a second level of user control of the online game, such that the first game content of the first portion includes content corresponding to the first level of control and content corresponding to the second level of control.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein the first level of user control provided by the first interface method comprises more control of the online game than the second level of user control provided by the second interface method, such that use of the first interface method by the first user during the first portion of the online game, provides enhanced game content interaction compared to use of the second interface method by the first user during the first portion of the online game.

15. The method of claim 14 wherein the first interface method comprises a handheld controller and the second interface method comprises human gesture recognition.

16. The method of claim 14 wherein the first interface method comprises a handheld controller and the second interface method comprises a touchscreen.

17. The method of claim 14 wherein the first interface method comprises a touchscreen and the second interface method comprises human gesture recognition.

18. The method of claim 10 additionally comprising:

by virtue of obtaining a first interface method and a third interface method available to the first user of a second presentation control device, managing game content to make a second game content for the first portion accessible to the first user, the second game content of the first portion being accessible based on the first interface method and the third interface method being available to the first user at the second presentation control device; and

responsive to the monitoring of the first user indicating underuse of the third interface method, presenting a second recommendation to the first user corresponding to use of the third interface method to encourage the first user to participate in the second game content of the first portion of the online game using the third interface method.