System and method for cross-platform party formation

• US 10,843,086 B2
• Filed: 08/26/2019
• Issued: 11/24/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 11/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Inventors: Wakeford, Kent, Harrington, Clifford J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yoo, Jasson H
• Application Number:
  US16/551,513
• Publication Number:
  US 20200047073A1
• Time in Patent Office: 456 Days
• 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 13/323 between game devices with different hardware characteristics, e.g. hand-held game devices connectable to game consoles or arcade machines
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• 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 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• 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 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/847 Cooperative playing, e.g. requiring coordinated actions from several players to achieve a common goal

Abstract

A virtual space is provided to users via client computing devices. Device information related to a client computing platform used by a user to interact with the virtual space may be obtained. Different users using different client computing platforms may be provided with different in-game capabilities such as user roles, content items, levels, and/or other content or actions available for the user in the virtual space based on the client computing platform used by the users to access the virtual space. The device information may be used to facilitate enhanced party formation between users of the virtual space.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

receiving, from a client computing device operated by a first user during execution of an instance of a multi-user online game, a request to obtain information identifying users of the multi-user online game as potential members to join or form a multi-user party that includes the first user, wherein the multi-user online game enables the multi-user party to cooperatively play at least a portion of the multi-user online game;

identifying the potential members to join or form the multi-user party, wherein the potential members include at least a second user and a third user of the multi-user online game;

determining a type or a class of computing device used by each of the potential members to access the multi-user online game;

generating a user interface for display to the first user within the multi-user online game, wherein the user interface includes information identifying at least a subset of the potential members and further visually indicates a respective type or class of computing device used by each of the at least a subset of the potential members to access the multi-user online game, wherein the user interface includes identification of the second user and a visual indicator that graphically indicates the type or the class of computing device used by the second user, wherein the user interface further includes a selectable option to add the second user to the multi-user party;

receiving an indication that the selectable option within the user interface has been selected; and

adding the second user to the multi-user party based at least in part on the indication that the selectable option has been selected.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the visual indicator graphically depicts hardware associated with one of a desktop computing device, a laptop computing device, a tablet device, a mobile phone, or a gaming console.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising executing an instance of the multi-user online game in which the first user and the second user cooperatively play.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising, prior to adding the second user to the multi-user party, obtaining acceptance from the second user to join the multi-user party.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the type of computing device used by the second user comprises at least one of a brand, a model or an operating system of the computing device used by the second user.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the class of computing device used by the second user comprises at least one of a desktop computing device, a laptop computing device, a tablet device, a mobile phone, or a gaming console.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein different classes of computing devices are associated with different in-game capabilities, and wherein the second user is identified as one of the potential members based at least in part on an in-game capability associated with the class of computing device used by the second user.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the second user is identified as one of the potential members based at least in part on a determination that a class of computing device used by the second user is a class of computing device specified by the first user.

9. A system comprising:

one or more physical processors configured with machine-readable instructions to perform operations comprising;

receiving, from a client computing device operated by a first user during execution of an instance of a multi-user online game, a request to obtain information identifying users of the multi-user online game as potential members to join or form a multi-user party that includes the first user, wherein the multi-user online game enables the multi-user party to cooperatively play at least a portion of the multi-user online game;

identifying the potential members to join or form the multi-user party, wherein the potential members include at least a second user of the multi-user online game;

determining a type or a class of computing device used by each of the potential members to access the multi-user online game;

generating a user interface for display to the first user within the multi-user online game, wherein the user interface includes information identifying at least a subset of the potential members and further visually indicates a respective type or class of computing device used by each of the at least a subset of the potential members to access the multi-user online game, wherein the user interface includes identification of the second user and a visual indicator that graphically indicates the type or the class of computing device used by the second user, wherein the user interface further includes a selectable option to add the second user to the multi-user party;

receiving an indication that the selectable option within the user interface has been selected; and

adding the second user to the multi-user party based at least in part on the indication that the selectable option has been selected.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the system is further configured to execute an instance of the multi-user online game in which the first user and the second user cooperatively play.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the class of computing device used by the second user to access the game is different than a class of the client computing device operated by the first user.

12. The system of claim 9, wherein the class of computing device used by the second user comprises at least one of a desktop computing device, a laptop computing device, a tablet device, a mobile phone, or a gaming console.

13. The system of claim 9, wherein the visual indicator graphically depicts hardware associated with one of a desktop computing device, a mobile computing device, or a gaming console.

14. The system of claim 9, further comprising presenting a recommendation to the first user that the multi-user party include at least one user associated with a particular class of computing device.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the recommendation is determined based at least in part on an in-game capability associated with the particular class of computing device.

16. The system of claim 9, wherein the user interface includes indicators of each of two or more different classes of computing devices that have been used by the second user to access the game.

17. A non-transitory storage medium storing machine-readable instructions that, when executed by one or more computer systems, configure the one or more computer systems to perform operations comprising:

receiving, from a client computing device operated by a first user during execution of an instance of a multi-user online game, a request to obtain information identifying users of the multi-user online game as potential members to join or form a multi-user party that includes the first user, wherein the multi-user online game enables the multi-user party to cooperatively play at least a portion of the multi-user online game;

identifying the potential members to join or form the multi-user party, wherein the potential members include at least a second user of the multi-user online game;

determining a type or a class of computing device used by each of the potential members to access the multi-user online game;

generating a user interface for display to the first user within the multi-user online game, wherein the user interface includes information identifying at least a subset of the potential members and further visually indicates a respective type or class of computing device used by each of the at least a subset of the potential members to access the multi-user online game, wherein the user interface includes identification of the second user and a visual indicator that graphically indicates the type or the class of computing device used by the second user, wherein the user interface further includes a selectable option to add the second user to the multi-user party;

receiving an indication that the selectable option within the user interface has been selected; and

adding the second user to the multi-user party based at least in part on the indication that the selectable option has been selected.

18. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 17, wherein the multi-user party comprises an alliance or a team.

19. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 17, wherein different classes of computing devices are associated with different in-game capabilities, and wherein the operations further comprise selecting the second user to identify in the user interface based at least in part on an in-game capability associated with the class of computing device used by the second user.

20. The non-transitory storage medium of claim 17, wherein the visual indicator graphically depicts hardware associated with one of a desktop computing device, a mobile computing device, or a gaming console.