COMPUTER-IMPLEMENTED METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR GENERATING AND MANAGING CUSTOMIZED INTERACTIVE MULTIPLAYER LOCATION-BASED MOBILE GAMES

• US 20100331089A1
• Filed: 02/26/2010
• Published: 12/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 02/27/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: SCVNGR, Inc. (GrubHub Inc.)
• Original Assignee: SCVNGR, Inc. (GrubHub Inc.)
• Inventors: Priebatsch, Seth M., Karpov, Valeri, Finkelstein, Adam
• Application Number:
  US12/713,859
• Publication Number:
  US 20100331089A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• 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 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• 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 13/655 by importing photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• 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 13/79 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 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/204 the platform being a handheld device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/205 for detecting the geographical location of the game platform
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/208 for storing personal settings or data of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/406 Transmission via wireless network, e.g. pager or GSM
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 : using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 : player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/572 : Communication between players during game play of non game information, e.g. e-mail, chat, file transfer, streaming of audio and streaming of video
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6009 : for importing or creating game content, e.g. authoring tools during game development, adapting content to different platforms, use of a scripting language to create content
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/609 : for unlocking hidden game elements, e.g. features, items, levels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 : Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/695 : Imported photos, e.g. of the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8064 : Quiz
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 : Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/52 : specially adapted for the location of the user terminal
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/023 : using mutual or relative location information between multiple location based services [LBS] targets or of distance thresholds

Abstract

A computer-implemented method and system are provided for generating and managing a customized interactive multiplayer location-based mobile game. The method includes the steps of: (a) receiving at a computer system content and high-level game logic from a game designer to be used in developing a location-based mobile game; (b) generating a playable location-based mobile game based on the content and high-level game logic using the computer system; (c) registering using the computer system a plurality of players desiring to play the multiplayer location-based mobile game using their personal mobile communications devices; and (d) managing execution of the game for each player or group of players by routing the player or group of players to a plurality of locations to perform a location-based task at each location, and interacting with the player or group of players after each of the location-based tasks has been performed, wherein managing execution of the game and interacting with the player or group of players comprises using the computer system to communicate with a personal mobile communications device of the player or group of players.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for generating and managing a customized interactive multiplayer location-based mobile game, comprising the steps of:

(a) receiving at a computer system content and high-level game logic from a game designer to be used in developing a location-based mobile game;

(b) generating a playable location-based mobile game based on the content and high-level game logic using the computer system;

(c) registering using the computer system a plurality of players desiring to play the multiplayer location-based mobile game using their personal mobile communications devices; and

(d) managing execution of the game for each player or group of players by routing the player or group of players to a plurality of locations to perform a location-based task at each location, and interacting with the player or group of players after each of the location-based tasks has been performed, wherein managing execution of the game and interacting with the player or group of players comprises using the computer system to communicate with a personal mobile communications device of the player or group of players.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein routing the player or group of players comprises providing the player or group of players with a clue hinting at the next location to which the player or group of players must travel to complete a location-based task.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein interacting with the player or group of players comprises determining whether a location-based task has been successfully completed by the player or group of players.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein each location-based task comprises solving a riddle relating to the location or capturing an image at the location and transmitting the image to the computer system.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising calculating a score for each player or group of players based on the player'"'"'s or group of players'"'"' completion of each location-based task.

6. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a hint to the player or group of players to assist the player or group of players in completing the location-based task.

7. The method of claim 1 further comprising running a simulation of the game before execution of the game and providing suggested modifications to the game designer based on an analysis of the game with historical data on execution of other prior games.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the personal mobile communications devices comprise an SMS compatible cellular telephone.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein at least some of the personal mobile communications devices comprise a smart phone, and wherein the game is deployed on a mobile web portal accessed by the smart phone or using an application downloaded on the smart phone.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein routing each player or group of players to the plurality of locations comprises dynamically routing different players or groups of players through different paths through the locations.

11. The method of the claim 10 wherein the different paths are selected based on the distance between the locations or the relative importance of the locations, or to avoid potential clustering of players or groups of players at locations.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing a final location-based task to the first player or group of players to reach a threshold score, and providing the final location-based task to other players or groups of players after a time delay based on their respective scores.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining a location to route a player or group of players to based on whether a location-based task has been successfully performed.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing each of the players or groups of players all location-based tasks of the game at one time.

15. A computer system for generating and managing a customized interactive multiplayer location-based mobile game, comprising:

a game development platform configured to receive content and high-level game logic from a game designer to be used in developing a location-based mobile game, and to generate a playable location-based mobile game based on the content and high-level game logic using the computer system; and

a game dynamics engine configured to register a plurality of players desiring to play the multiplayer location-based mobile game using their personal mobile communications devices; and

to manage execution of the game for each player or group of players by routing the player or group of players to a plurality of locations to perform a location-based task at each location, and to interact with the player or group of players after each of the location-based tasks has been performed, wherein managing execution of the game and interacting with the player or group of players comprises using the computer system to communicate with a personal mobile communications device of the player or group of players.

16. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the game dynamics engine is configured to route the player or group of players by providing the player or group of players with a clue hinting at the next location to which the player or group of players must travel to complete a location-based task.

17. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the game dynamics engine is configured to determine whether a location-based task has been successfully completed by the player or group of players.

18. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the game dynamics engine is configured to calculate a score for each player or group of players based on the player'"'"'s or group of players'"'"' completion of each location-based task.

19. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the game dynamics engine is configured to provide a hint to the player or group of players to assist the player or group of players in completing the location-based task.

20. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the game development platform is configured to run a simulation of the game before execution of the game and providing suggested modifications to the game designer based on an analysis of the game with historical data on execution of other prior games.

21. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the game dynamics engine is configured to dynamically route different players or groups of players through different paths through the locations.

22. The computer system of claim 21 wherein the different paths are selected based on the distance between the locations or the relative importance of the locations, or to avoid potential clustering of players or groups of players at locations.

23. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the game dynamics engine is configured to provide a final location-based task to the first player or group of players to reach a threshold score, and provide the final location-based task to other players or groups of players after a time delay based on their respective scores.

24. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the game dynamics engine is configured to determine a location to route a player or group of players to based on whether a location-based task has been successfully performed.

25. The computer system of claim 15 wherein the game dynamics engine is configured to provide each of the players or groups of players all location-based tasks of the game at one time.

26. A computer program product residing on a computer readable medium having a plurality of instructions stored thereon which, when executed by a computer processor, cause that processor to:

(a) receive content and high-level game logic from a game designer to be used in developing a location-based mobile game;

(b) generate a playable location-based mobile game based on the content and high-level game logic;

(c) register a plurality of players desiring to play the multiplayer location-based mobile game using their personal mobile communications devices; and

(d) manage execution of the game for each player or group of players by routing the player or group of players to a plurality of locations to perform a location-based task at each location, and interact with the player or group of players after each of the location-based tasks has been performed, wherein managing execution of the game and interacting with the player or group of players comprises communicating with a personal mobile communications device of the player or group of players.

27. The computer program product of claim 26 further comprising instructions for providing the player or group of players with a clue hinting at the next location to which the player or group of players must travel to complete a location-based task.

28. The computer program product of claim 26 further comprising instructions for calculating a score for each player or group of players based on the player'"'"'s or group of players'"'"' completion of each location-based task.

29. The computer program product of claim 26 further comprising instructions for providing a hint to the player or group of players to assist the player or group of players in completing the location-based task.

30. The computer program product of claim 26 further comprising instructions for running a simulation of the game before execution of the game and providing suggested modifications to the game designer based on an analysis of the game with historical data on execution of other prior games.

31. The computer program product of claim 26 further comprising instructions for dynamically routing different players or groups of players through different paths through the locations.

32. The computer program product of claim 31 wherein the different paths are selected based on the distance between the locations or the relative importance of the locations, or to avoid potential clustering of players or groups of players at locations.

33. The computer program product of claim 26 further comprising instructions for providing a final location-based task to the first player or group of players to reach a threshold score, and providing the final location-based task to other players or groups of players after a time delay based on their respective scores.

34. The computer program product of claim 26 further comprising instructions for determining a location to route a player or group of players to based on whether a location-based task has been successfully performed.

35. The computer program product of claim 26 further comprising instructions for providing each of the players or groups of players all location-based tasks of the game at one time.