Level editor with word-free coding system

• US 10,786,737 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2016
• Issued: 09/29/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: CodeSpark, Inc. (Conscious Content Media, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: CodeSpark, Inc. (Conscious Content Media, Inc.)
• Inventors: Shochet, Joseph Adrian, Hosford, IV, Grant Alexander, France, Joseph Warren, Avellis, Chris Damian, Kang, Win
• Primary Examiner(s): Harper, Tramar Y
• Application Number:
  US15/346,494
• Publication Number:
  US 20180126276A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,421 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/47 involving branching, e.g. choosing one of several possible scenarios at a given point in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD

Abstract

Systems and methods are provided for video game development. The system may include a level editor that configures a level of a video game in response to user input, where the level represents a physical space comprising game objects, a character is moveable within the physical space in response to input received from the game controller when the video game is played, and the level has an objective for the character to complete. The system may include a word-free code editor with which any item of the level is programmable with software code. When the video game is played, a game engine may control the programmed items according to the software code and move the character within the level in response to the user input received from the game controller.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

a game controller;

a processor;

a memory comprising;

a word-free level editor executable by the processor to configure a level of a video game in response to user input, wherein the level represents a physical space comprising game objects, a character is moveable within the physical space in response to input received from the game controller when the video game is played, and the level has an objective for the character to complete;

a word-free code editor executable by the processor to program any of the game objects of the level with software code, the word-free code editor executable to include the software code in a code editor field of a code editor graphical user interface, the software code comprising an event and a command, the event and the command each having a corresponding visual representation in the code editor field that indicates, without words, a meaning of the event or the command respectively, wherein the command is to be executed if the event occurs when the video game is played; and

a game engine configured to, when the video game is played, move the character within the level in response to the input received from the game controller, control the game objects according to the software code, and complete the level when the objective for the character is met.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the word-free code editor generates an event box and a sequence box in the code editor graphical user interface, wherein the event box visually indicates that any command whose corresponding visual representation is located in the sequence box is executed if the event occurs whose corresponding visual representation is located in the event box.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein a visual representation of a control structure is movable into and/or out of the sequence box, wherein the control structure determines a flow of execution of the software code in the code editor field, and wherein the control structure visually indicates the flow of execution of the software code in the code editor field.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the visual representation of the control structure encloses the command and indicates a flow of execution of the command.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the corresponding visual representation of the command is a block that is movable into and/or out of the sequence box.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein content of the event box and the sequence box represents code with which an item selected in the level is programmed.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein an order in which a plurality of commands whose corresponding visual representations are located in the sequence box are executed is indicated by an order in which the corresponding visual representations are located in the sequence box.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the physical space represented by the level is two-dimensional.

9. The system of claim 1 wherein blueprints in the level comprise outlines of a plurality of suggested game objects, the outlines placed in suggested locations in the level.

10. The system of claim 1 further comprising a touch screen, wherein the game controller is included in the touch screen, wherein the user input to the word-free level editor and the user input to the word-free code editor are received via the touch screen.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the corresponding visual representation of the command and/or the event includes an animation.

12. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising computer executable instructions, the computer executable instructions executable by a processor, the computer executable instructions comprising:

instructions executable by the processor to configure a level of a video game in response to user input via a word-free level editor, wherein the level represents a physical space comprising game objects, a character is moveable within the physical space in response to input received from a game controller when the video game is played, and the level has an objective for the character to complete;

instructions executable by the processor to implement a word-free code editor through which any selected item in the level is user programmable, the selected item programmable with software code that includes an event and a command, the event and the command each having a corresponding visual representation in a code editor field of a code editor graphical user interface, the corresponding visual representation indicates, without words, a meaning of the event or the command respectively, wherein the command is to be executed if the event occurs when the video game is played; and

instructions executable by the processor, when the video game is played, move the character within the level in response to the input received from the game controller, control the programmed item according to the event and the command, and complete the level when the objective for the character is met.

13. The storage medium of claim 12, wherein an event box and a sequence box are located in the code editor graphical user interface, wherein the event box visually indicates that any command whose corresponding visual representation is located in the sequence box is executed if the event occurs whose corresponding visual representation is located in the event box.

14. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein the corresponding visual representation of the command is a block that is movable into and/or out of the sequence box.

15. The storage medium of claim 13, wherein content of the event box and the sequence box represents code with which an item selected in the level is programmed.

16. The storage medium of claim 12 wherein the physical space represented by the level is two-dimensional.

17. The storage medium of claim 12 wherein the game objects in the level may be added or removed to the level by dragging the game objects into or out of the level.

18. The storage medium of claim 12 wherein blueprints in the level comprise outlines of a plurality of suggested game objects, the outlines placed in suggested locations in the level.

19. The storage medium of claim 12 wherein the code editor graphical user interface is displayable on a touch screen, wherein the game controller is included in the touch screen, wherein the user input to the user input to the word-free code editor are receivable via the touch screen.

20. A method of developing a video game, the method comprising:

adding a plurality of game objects to a level of a video game by dragging visual indications of the game objects from an inventory section of a word-free level editor graphical user interface to locations in the level using a touch screen, wherein the level represents a physical space, a character is moveable within the physical space in response to input received from the touch screen when the video game is played, and the level has an objective for the character to complete; and

programming any item in the level with a word-free code editor having an event box and a sequence box by selecting the item in the level using the touch screen, dragging a visual indication of a command to the sequence box using the touch screen, wherein the event box visually indicates that any command whose corresponding visual representation is located in the sequence box is executed when an event occurs whose corresponding visual representation is located in the event box, wherein the visual indication of the command indicates, without words, a meaning of the command, and the corresponding visual representation of the event indicates, without words, a meaning of the event, wherein the command is to be executed when the event occurs while the video dame is played; and

wherein while the video game is played, the character is moved by a game engine within the level in response to the input received from a game controller, the programmed item behaves according to the event and the command, and the level is completed when the objective for the character is met.