System and method for simulating gameplay of nonplayer characters distributed across networked end user devices

• US 10,315,113 B2
• Filed: 05/14/2015
• Issued: 06/11/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/14/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Marr, Michael D., Kaplan, Keith S., Lewis, Nathan T.
• Primary Examiner(s): Shah, Milap
• Assistant Examiner(s): Pinheiro, Jason
• Application Number:
  US14/712,359
• Publication Number:
  US 20160332081A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,489 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/34 using peer-to-peer connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/358 Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions

Abstract

A system and method is provided that simulates gameplay of non-player characters (NPCs) distributed across networked end user devices. The system may identify end user devices that are connected to the system through a network and are available to participate in a simulation in which each participating end user device is provided with one or more NPCs to be executed. An end user device may be available to participate when it has sufficient computing capacity, such as when in an idle or standby state. As such, the system may leverage spare computing capacity of networked end user devices to execute NPCs at networked end user devices during a simulation. In this manner, the behavior of an NPC may be tested using real-world conditions that may affect gameplay, such as a network connection quality, user-to-user game engine coordination and data exchanges, and/or other real-world conditions associated with networked end user devices.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method of simulating gameplay of non-player characters (NPCs) distributed across networked end user devices remote from a computer system, the method being implemented in the computer system having one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more physical processors, cause the computer system to perform the method, the method comprising:

identifying, by the computer system, a first end user device by determining whether the first end user device has a first spare computing capacity that exceeds a minimum threshold value;

based on identifying the first end user device, providing, by the computer system, a first NPC specification to the first end user device, wherein the first NPC specification specifies at least a first NPC and wherein the first NPC specification is configured to be used by a simulated NPC gameplay session to generate the first NPC at the first end user device;

identifying, by the computer system, a second end user device by determining whether the second end user device has a second spare computing capacity that exceeds the minimum threshold value;

based on identifying the second end user device, providing, by the computer system, a second NPC specification to the second end user device, wherein the second NPC specification specifies at least a second NPC and wherein the second NPC specification is configured to be used by the simulated NPC gameplay session to generate the second NPC at the second end user device;

causing, by the computer system, an initiation of the simulated NPC gameplay session that includes simulated gameplay of the first NPC and the second NPC; and

obtaining, by the computer system, one or more simulation metrics that describes an aspect of the simulated NPC gameplay session.

2. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising:

determining that the second end user device is no longer involved in the simulated NPC gameplay session prior to completion of the simulated NPC gameplay session;

obtaining a latest known state of the second NPC before the second end user device was no longer involved in the simulated NPC gameplay session;

generating a third NPC specification based on the latest known state of the second NPC;

identifying a third end user device by determining whether the third end user devices has a third spare computing capacity that exceeds the minimum threshold value; and

providing the third NPC specification to the third end user device.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first NPC is the same as the second NPC.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising using a test game engine to execute the simulated NPC gameplay session, wherein the test game engine is a modified version of a production game engine.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the test game engine excludes an audio or video function such that the simulated NPC gameplay session does not render audio or video.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the test game engine comprises at least one of:

(i) a change to at least a first function of the production game engine, (ii) a removal of at least a second function of the production game engine, or (iii) an addition of a new function not included in the production game engine.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein identifying the first end user device comprises obtaining an indication that the first end user device has entered an inactive state.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more simulation metrics comprises an NPC performance metric, and wherein the method further comprises determining a performance of the first NPC during the simulated NPC gameplay session based on the NPC performance metric.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more simulation metrics comprise a gameplay quality metric, and wherein the method further comprises determining a quality of a match of the first NPC and the second NPC based on the gameplay quality metric.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more simulation metrics comprise a network performance metric, and wherein the method further comprises determining a quality of a network connection based on the network performance metric.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the one or more simulation metrics comprise a gameplay quality metric, and wherein the method further comprises determining a quality of a match of the first NPC and the second NPC based on the gameplay quality metric that takes into account the quality of the network connection.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the quality of the network connection reflects network connectivity of a grouping of the first end user device and the second end user device, wherein the grouping is based on at least one of a geographic location, a particular network used, an Internet Service Provider associated with the first end user device or the second end user device, whether a wireless or wired connection is used, an identification of a game hosting service, end user device version, or type of Network Address Translation (NAT) connection.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more simulation metrics comprise a fault metric, and wherein the method further comprises determining whether a fault has occurred with hardware or software involved in the simulated gameplay session based on the fault metric.

14. A system of simulating gameplay of non-player characters (NPCs) distributed across networked end user devices, the system comprising:

a computer system remote from the networked end user devices, comprising one or more physical processors programmed by computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to;

identify a first end user device by determining whether the first end user device has a first spare computing capacity that exceeds a minimum threshold value;

based on identifying the first end user device, provide a first NPC specification to the first end user device, wherein the first NPC specification specifies at least a first NPC and wherein the first NPC specification is configured to be used by a simulated NPC gameplay session to generate the first NPC at the first end user device;

identify a second end user device by determining whether the second end user device has a second spare computing capacity that exceeds the minimum threshold value;

based on identifying the second end user device, provide a second NPC specification to the second end user device, wherein the second NPC specification specifies at least a second NPC and wherein the second NPC specification is configured to be used by the simulated NPC gameplay session to generate the second NPC at the second end user device;

cause an initiation of the simulated NPC gameplay session that includes simulated gameplay of the first NPC and the second NPC; and

obtain one or more simulation metrics that describes an aspect of the simulated NPC gameplay session.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

determine that the second end user device is no longer involved in the simulated NPC gameplay session prior to completion of the simulated NPC gameplay session;

obtain a latest known state of the second NPC before the second end user device was no longer involved in the simulated NPC gameplay session;

generate a third NPC specification based on the latest known state of the second NPC;

identify a third end user device having a third spare computing capacity that exceeds the minimum threshold value; and

provide the third NPC specification to the third end user device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the first NPC is different from the second NPC.

17. The system of claim 14, further comprising a test game engine, wherein the test game engine is configured to execute a simulated NPC gameplay session that is a modified version of a production game engine.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein the test game engine is configured to exclude an audio or video function such that the simulated NPC gameplay session does not render audio or video.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the test game engine comprises at least one of:

(i) a change to at least a first function of the production game engine, (ii) a removal of at least a second function of the production game engine, or (iii) an addition of a new function not included in the production game engine.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein to identify the first end user device, the computer system is further programmed to obtain an indication that the first end user device has entered an inactive state.

21. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more simulation metrics comprises an NPC performance metric, and wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

determine a performance of the first NPC during the simulated NPC gameplay session based on the NPC performance metric.

22. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more simulation metrics comprise a gameplay quality metric, and wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

determine a quality of a match of the first NPC and the second NPC based on the gameplay quality metric.

23. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more simulation metrics comprise a network performance metric, and wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

determine a quality of a network connection based on the network performance metric.

24. The system of claim 23, wherein the one or more simulation metrics comprise a gameplay quality metric, and wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

determine a quality of a match of the first NPC and the second NPC based on the gameplay quality metric that takes into account the quality of the network connection.

25. The system of claim 24, wherein the quality of the network connection reflects network connectivity of a grouping of the first end user device and the second end user device, wherein the grouping is based on at least one of a geographic location, a particular network used, or an Internet Service Provider associated with the first end user device or the second end user device, whether a wireless or wired connection is used, an identification of a game hosting service, end user device version, or type of Network Address Translation (NAT) connection.

26. The system of claim 14, wherein the one or more simulation metrics comprise a fault metric, and wherein the computer system is further programmed to:

determine whether a fault has occurred with hardware or software involved in the simulated gameplay session based on the fault metric.

27. A computer implemented method of simulating gameplay of non-player characters (NPCs) distributed across networked end user devices, the method being implemented in a computer system remote from the networked end user devices and having one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more physical processors, cause the computer system to perform the method, the method comprising:

identifying, by the computer system, a first end user device by determining whether the first end user device has a first spare computing capacity that exceeds a minimum threshold value;

based on identifying the first end user device, providing, by the computer system, a first NPC specification to the first end user device, wherein the first NPC specification specifies at least a first NPC and wherein the first NPC specification is configured to be used by a simulated NPC gameplay session to generate the first NPC at the first end user device;

causing, by the computer system, an initiation of the simulated NPC gameplay session that includes simulated gameplay of the first NPC; and

obtaining, by the computer system, one or more simulation metrics that describes an aspect of the simulated NPC gameplay session.

28. A system of simulating gameplay of non-player characters (NPCs) distributed across networked end user devices, the system comprising:

a computer system remote from the networked end user devices and comprising one or more physical processors programmed by computer program instructions that, when executed, cause the computer system to;

identify a first end user device by determining whether the first end user device has a first spare computing capacity that exceeds a minimum threshold value;

based on identifying the first end user device, provide a first NPC specification to the first end user device, wherein the first NPC specification specifies at least a first NPC and wherein the first NPC specification is configured to be used by a simulated NPC gameplay session to generate the first NPC at the first end user device;

cause an initiation of the simulated NPC gameplay session that includes simulated gameplay of the first NPC; and

obtain one or more simulation metrics that describes an aspect of the simulated NPC gameplay session.