Method for implementing a computer game

• US 9,724,602 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Issued: 08/08/2017
• 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): Liddle, Jay
• Assistant Examiner(s): Rada, II, Alex F. R. P.
• Application Number:
  US14/029,453
• Publication Number:
  US 20140080561A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• 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 a computing device displays computer game graphics showing a gameboard with multiple game elements that are removed when matched or switched, such as in a match-3, clicker or switcher game; and in which the processor draws the elements as irregularly arranged columns of colored blocks; and the processor draws small animals are placed on or amongst the blocks; and the processor is programmed such that the object of the game is to enable a target number of the animals to descend to the ground and be rescued, by the player removing blocks from the gameboard.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method for controlling the view of a gameboard for a computer game on a display of a computing device comprising one or more processors by executing computer code on said one or more processors to perform the steps of:

controlling the display to electronically display computer game graphics of the gameboard with multiple game elements that are removed when matched by drawing on the display the multiple game elements in a series of rows and columns, wherein the gameboard comprises more rows than are displayed on the display at any one time;

controlling the display so as to show at least one or said game elements moving down the gameboard to fill gaps;

configuring at least one of said processors to determine that none of said multiple game elements satisfy a match condition; and

in response to determining that none of said multiple game elements satisfy a match condition, scrolling the electronic display of the game graphics of the gameboard down and removing game elements of a top row of game elements from the gameboard.

2. The method of claim 1 in which an object of the game is to remove a target percentage of the game elements or a predefined quantity of the game elements.

3. The method of claim 1 in which a line blast booster that clears all game elements along a line of the gameboard can be selected and moved by a player of the game to a specific line.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising controlling the display to show more than a target number of the game objects of said first type being brought to the bottom of the gameboard, to earn a player of the game additional points or bonuses.

5. The method of claim 1 in which some or all game levels have no time limit.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the game is a casual, social game and some or all levels have a true fail.

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

8. The method of claim 1 further comprising generating and displaying on said display congratulatory messages when a player of the game scores more than a predefined amount, or matches more than a predefined number of game elements, in a single move.

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

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

11. The method of claim 1 in which said one or more processors control said display to display, if no move has been made for more than a predefined period of time, help or hints comprising brightening and enlarging game elements that may be used in a possible move on the board with a flashing animation.

12. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed to require a player to reach a target score before running out of moves in order to complete a level successfully, and the level has no time limit.

13. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed to automatically replenish a life for a player every 30 minutes.

14. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed to control the display to show, if a player finishes a level in under the target number of moves, random game elements on the game board being triggered and the player receiving bonus points.

15. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed to, if a level is finished with moves left, control the display to show those moves being converted to special game elements that trigger for extra bonus points.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a request for lives to a social network contact of a player of the game.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising transmitting a request for other help to a social network contact of said player of the game.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a message to social network friends of a player of the game if said player has played, but not completed, a level meeting a certain criteria.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a gift to a social network contact of a player of the game.

20. The method of claim 1 further comprising synchronising the game state between different devices.

21. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that a player can seamlessly stop and re-start playing the game.

22. The method of claim 1 in which every change in the game state, and every change in every game piece on the game board, is accompanied by sound and visual feedback.

23. 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 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.

24. The method of claim 1 in which the different device is a different type of device.

25. The method of claim 1 further comprising accessing the game through a social network.

26. The method of claim 1 in which the game is a casual, social game, that can be downloaded as an app to a smartphone and/or tablet computer and which can be accessed or played using a social network application or environment.

27. The method of claim 1 in which the processor is programmed to control the display to show a virtual path or other virtual world that indicates the level reached by a player and that player'"'"'s social network friends.

28. The method of claim 1 in which the design of the 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.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein said columns are irregularly arranged and at least some of said columns comprise different numbers of game elements.

30. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more processors are further programmed to:

control the display to show one or more game objects of a first type placed on or amongst the game elements.

31. The method of claim 30, further comprising controlling the display to show a game object of said first type being placed within a blocking element, wherein said blocking element cannot be removed when matched or switched with other blocking elements.

32. The method of claim 31 in which said blocking element can only be removed from the gameboard when a game object of a second type is moved adjacent to that blocking element.

33. The method of claim 30, further comprising controlling the display to show the game objects of said first type being animated.

34. A computer implemented method for controlling the display of a computing device adapted to play a computer game, said computing device comprising one or more processors and a display, said method being performed by executing computer code on said one or more processors to perform the steps of:

controlling the display to electronically display computer game graphics of a gameboard with multiple first game elements that are removed when matched by drawing on the display said multiple first game elements in a series of rows and columns, said first game elements supporting an object;

controlling the display to electronically display a number of second game elements associated with said object;

upon at least some of said first game elements supporting the object being matched and removed, controlling the display to display the object hanging unsupported;

controlling at least one of said processors to determine that a predetermined time period has expired, wherein said predefined time period is dependent upon the number of said second game elements associated with said object; and

in response to determining that said predetermined time period has expired, controlling the display to electronic display said object falling down the gameboard and removing one or more first game elements in its path, wherein the number of first game elements removed is dependent upon physics properties of the object.

35. The method of claim 34 further comprising enabling a player to remove blocks by the player clicking on blocks.

36. The method of claim 34 further comprising controlling the display to show blocks being removed by the object crushing the blocks as it falls on them, the number of blocks crushed being a function of the physics properties of the falling object.

37. The method of claim 34 in which the first game elements are square, cuboid, brick-shaped, or spherical.

38. The method of claim 34 in which the object is at least one of:

a girder, brick, person, animal, house, or household object.

39. The method of claim 34, wherein said columns are irregularly arranged and at least some of said columns comprise different numbers of game elements.

40. 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 electronically display computer game graphics of a gameboard with multiple game elements that are removed when matched by drawings on the display the multiple game elements in a series of rows and columns, wherein the gameboard comprises more rows than are displayed on the display at any one time as irregularly arranged columns of coloured blocks;

controlling the display so as to show at least one of said game elements moving down the gameboard to fill gaps;

controlling the processor to determine that none of said multiple game elements satisfy a match condition; and

in response to determining that none of said multiple game elements satisfy a match condition, scrolling the electronic display of the game graphics of the gameboard down and removing game elements of a top row of game elements from the gameboard.