Method for implementing a computer game

• US 9,579,569 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Issued: 02/28/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Knutsson, Sebastian
• Primary Examiner(s): Skaarup, Jason
• Assistant Examiner(s): RADA, ALEX P
• Application Number:
  US14/029,538
• Publication Number:
  US 20140135102A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,260 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• 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 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/40 Processing input control signals of video game devices, e.g. signals generated by the player or derived from the environment
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/80 Special adaptations for executing a specific game genre or game mode
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3274 : wherein the players cooperate, e.g. team-play

Abstract

A method, implemented as computer code being executed by one or more processors, in which computer game graphics for a casual, social game are shown on a display of a computing device and in which one or more of the processors are programmed such that: in the game, a player is automatically allocated lives, is only permitted to play a game if it has one or more lives left, and loses one or more lives if it fails a level; and in which a player can see which of their friends on the social network are playing, or have played, the game and the level they have reached; and in which the processor enables players who are friends on the social network to collaborate, including by sending a message to their friends, or a subset of their friends, transferring in-game assistance.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for allocating lives to a social network contact of a player of a computer game, said method being performed in a computer device comprising one or more processors and a display, by executing computer code on said one or more processors to perform the steps of:

controlling the display to display computer game graphics for the computer game, and a list of social network contacts of the player of the computer game;

automatically allocating lives to the player of said computer game, wherein said player is only permitted to play said game if said player has one or more lives left, and said player loses one or more lives if said player fails a level; and

for at least one of said social network contacts;

determining whether or not said player has sent lives to a social network contact of said list within a predefined time period; and

in response to user input associated with said social network contact, and when it is determined that said player has not sent lives to said social network contact within said predefined time period, controlling the device to transmit a message via a communication network, said message configured to provide a life to said social network contact, and using said provided life in further play of the computer game.

2. The method of claim 1 in which one or more processors are programmed to control the display to show a virtual path or other virtual world that indicates the level reached by the player and at least of some of said player'"'"'s social network friends.

3. The method of claim 1 in which one or more processors are programmed to control the display to display computer game graphics showing a gameboard with multiple game elements that are removed when matched or switched.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling said player to collaborate with friends on a social network, said collaboration including:

sending a message to said friends, or a subset of said friends; and

gifting lives, in-game currency, boosters, charms, or other in-game elements.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to the receipt of a gift of a life, in-game currency, boosters, charms, or other in-game elements, from a friend, the recipient is automatically prompting said player to send an in-game element back to the friend.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending lives, in-game currency, boosters, charms, other in-game elements, or messages to friends of said player in response to a request or a posting.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending-lives, in-game currency, boosters, charms, other in-game elements, or messages to a friend of said player in response to a request from said friend.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising sending in-game assistance to a social network contact of the player if the computing device determines that the friend has attempted and failed a level a predefined number of times.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending a message requesting help to one or more friends of said player if said player is stuck at a level for more than a defined time or after more than a defined number of attempts to pass that level.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling said player to collaborate with friends on a social network, said collaboration including sending a request to a friend to play a head-to-head game tournament with that friend.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising enabling said player to collaborate with friends on a social network, wherein said collaboration occurs in real-time.

12. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

downloading said computer game as an app; and

accessing or playing said computer game using a social network application or environment, wherein;

said computing device is one of;

a smartphone or tablet computer; and

said computer game is a casual, social game.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein some or all game levels of said computer game have no time limit.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising enabling said player to purchase extra moves, wherein the computer game is a casual, social game and some or all levels of said computer game have a true fail.

15. The method of claim 1 further comprising playing a continuous musical soundtrack during gameplay.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating and controlling the display to display a message when the player scores more than a predefined amount, or matches more than a predefined number of game elements, in a single move.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically detecting when there are no possible moves left.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising re-shuffling the elements on the game board.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating, if no move has been made for a predefined time period, help or hints by brightening and enlarging game elements that may be used in a possible move on the board with a flashing animation.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising requiring a player to reach a target score before running out of moves in order to complete a level successfully, wherein the level does not have a time limit.

21. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed to automatically replenish a life for a player periodically.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising triggering randomly selected game elements on said game board and providing bonus points to said player if a player finishes a level in under the target number of moves.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising, if a level is finished with moves left, converting said moves to special game elements that trigger for extra bonus points.

24. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a request for lives to a social network friend of said player.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a request for help to a social network friend of said player.

26. The method of claim 1 further comprising prompting social network friends of said player to assist said player if said player has played, but not completed, a level meeting a certain criteria.

27. The method of claim 1 further comprising sending gifts to friends of said player.

28. The method of claim 1 further comprising synchronising the computer game between different devices.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein game state information is stored remotely and said player can seamlessly stop and re-start playing the computer game at any time.

30. The method of claim 1 further comprising for every change in the game state, and every consequential change in every game piece on the game board, providing audio and visual feedback.

31. The method of claim 1 further comprising preserving game state information, enabling a remote server system to identify a player and all aspects of the state of the computer game they are playing, so that the player can end game play on one device and resume from a different device at a later time at exactly the same state.

32. The method of claim 1, wherein the different device can be a different type of device, so that the player can move seamlessly between playing the computer game on a smartphone and on a tablet.

33. The method of claim 1 further comprising identifying via a remote server system said player because that player has accessed the computer game through a social network.

34. The method of claim 1, wherein the design of the computer game is optimised through a process including the step of:

using data analytics to understand the impact of changes to the game design in terms of player engagement and/or monetisation and/or viralisation and;

implementing changes to the game design, including frequent changes to optimise player engagement and/or monetisation and/or viralisation.

35. A computing device adapted to play a computer game, the device including a processor, a memory, a display, a touch screen or a cursor based input device, and computer code stored in device memory or on a remote server and executable by the device processor or a remote processor, and in which said one or more processors execute said computer code to perform the steps of:

controlling the display to display computer game graphics of a computer game, and a list of social network contacts of a player of the computer game;

automatically allocating lives to a player of said computer game, wherein said player is only permitted to play said computer game if said player has one or more lives left, and said player loses one or more lives if said player fails a level; and

for at least one of said social network contacts;

determining whether or not said player has sent lives to a social network contact of said list within a predefined time period; and

in response to user input associated with said social network contact, and when it is determined that said player has not sent lives to said social network contact within said predefined timer period, controlling the device to transmit a message via a communication network, said message configured to provide a life to said social network contact, and using said provided life in further play of the computer game.

36. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions for controlling a computer system comprising one or more processors and a display, and in which the instructions are executed on the one or more processor to perform the steps of:

controlling the display to display computer game graphics of a computer game, and a list of social network contacts of a player of the computer game;

automatically allocating lives to a player of said computer game, wherein said player is only permitted to play said computer game if said player has one or more lives left, and said player loses one or more lives if said player fails a level; and

for at least one of said social network contacts;

determining whether or not said player has sent lives to a social network contact of said list within a predefined time period; and

in response to user input associated with said social network contact, and when it is determined that said player has not sent lives to said social network contact within said predefined timer period, controlling the device to transmit a message via a communication network, said message configured to provide a life to said social network contact, and using said provided life in further play of the computer game.