GAME ACHIEVEMENTS SYSTEM

• US 20110118035A1
• Filed: 01/10/2011
• Published: 05/19/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 12/07/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Microsoft Technology Licensing LLC (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Microsoft Corporation
• Inventors: Jen, James Hsi-Kai, Curley, Vincent H., Chen, Ling Tony, Lamb, Steven D., Macauley, James David, Bortnik, Michal
• Granted Patent: US 8,277,325 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/43
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• 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 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 17/40 Data acquisition and logging for input to computer G06F3/00

Abstract

Systems and method for providing a game achievements system where players are rewarded with game achievements based on mastering certain in-game facets of the games they play. Each game achievement may be conveyed in a profile as a badge or trophy, title, description, date, etc. Players may also accumulate points based on game achievements. A display interface may be made available such that a player may see his achievements and total points, as well as those of others.

Claims

1-22. -22. (canceled)

23. A method implemented at least in part by a processing unit, the method comprising steps of:

defining a system achievement, wherein the system achievement is achievable via game play in both a first game and a second game associated with a gaming environment, and a predetermined number of system achievement points are awarded for the system achievement;

receiving definitions of a first in-game achievement for completing a goal in the first game and a second in-game achievement for achieving a goal in the second game, wherein the first in-game achievement is not achievable via game play of the second game and the second in-game achievement is not achievable via game play of the first game, the first in-game achievement being assigned a first number of in-game achievement points and the second in-game achievement being assigned a second, different number of in-game achievement points;

receiving a first maximum number of gamer points achievable for the first game, the first maximum number of gamer points comprising the system achievement points for the first game and the first in-game achievement points for the first game;

receiving a second maximum number of gamer points achievable for the second game, the second maximum number of gamer points comprising the system achievement points for the second game and the second in-game achievement points for the second game, wherein the second maximum number of gamer points is different than the first maximum number of gamer points;

tracking player activity to capture occurrences of the system achievement and the first in-game achievement during the first game and occurrences of the system achievement and the second in-game achievement during the second game;

aggregating the captured occurrences into a profile associated with a user;

awarding system achievement points and in-game achievement points for the captured occurrences to the profile, up to the first maximum number for the first game and the second maximum number for the second game; and

publishing the profile, wherein the profile is accessible via a user interface, further wherein the user interface executes independently from the first game or the second game,

wherein the number of system achievement points awarded for the first game comprises a different proportion of the first maximum number of gamer points than the number of system achievement points awarded for the second game comprises of the second maximum number of gamer points, and

at least one of the steps is performed by the processing unit.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein the processing unit is part of a console that performs the at least one step.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the console performs each of the steps.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the user interface is displayed by the console.

27. The method of claim 23, wherein the user interface is displayed via a web browser.

28. The method of claim 23, wherein the number of system achievement points awarded for the system achievement is fixed for at least the first game and the second game.

29. The method of claim 23, wherein the tracking includes tracking offline player activity and the aggregating includes aggregating the offline player activity into the profile.

30. One or more computer readable storage devices having stored thereon computer executable instructions which, when executed by one or more processing devices, perform:

accessing definitions of system achievements, wherein;

the system achievements are achievable via game play of a first game and a second game, the first game and the second game having corresponding total numbers of awardable points,

the system achievements are associated with corresponding numbers of system achievement points, and

an individual system achievement is associated with a corresponding number of system achievement points that comprises different proportions of the total number of awardable points for the first game and the second game;

accessing definitions of in-game achievements associated with the first game and in-game achievements associated with the second game, individual in-game achievements being obtained by completing corresponding in-game goals, wherein;

the in-game achievements associated with the first game and the in-game achievements associated with the second game are assigned corresponding numbers of in-game achievement points, and

at least one in-game achievement associated with the first game is not achievable via game play of the second game;

tracking player activity of a player to capture occurrences of the system achievements and the in-game achievements; and

maintaining an aggregate number of points for a profile of the player, the aggregate number of points being determined from the captured occurrences of the system achievements and the in-game achievements.

31. The one or more computer-readable devices of claim 30, included in a console with the one or more processing devices.

32. The one or more computer-readable devices of claim 31, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing devices, perform:

displaying the aggregate number of points on a user interface via the console.

33. The one or more computer-readable devices of claim 30, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing devices, perform:

providing the aggregate number of points for display via a web browser.

34. The one or more computer-readable devices of claim 30, wherein the number of system achievement points awarded for the individual system achievement is fixed for at least the first game and the second game.

35. The one or more computer-readable devices of claim 30, wherein the tracking includes tracking offline player activity.

36. The one or more computer-readable devices of claim 35, further comprising instructions which, when executed by the one or more processing devices, perform:

aggregating the offline player activity into the profile.

37. A system comprising:

one or more storage devices configured to store;

data identifying system achievements, wherein;

the system achievements are achievable via game play of a first game and a second game, the first game and the second game having corresponding total numbers of awardable points,

the system achievements are associated with corresponding numbers of system achievement points, and

an individual system achievement is associated with a corresponding number of system achievement points that comprises different proportions of the total number of awardable points for the first game and the second game; and

data identifying in-game achievements that are associated with the first game and in-game achievements that are associated with the second game, individual in-game achievements being obtained by completing corresponding in-game goals, wherein the in-game achievements associated with the first game and the in-game achievements associated with the second game are assigned corresponding numbers of in-game achievement points;

a tracking mechanism configured to track player activity of a player to capture occurrences of the system achievements and the in-game achievements;

an aggregation mechanism configured to maintain an aggregate number of points for a profile of the player, the aggregate number of points reflecting the captured occurrences of the system achievements and the in-game achievements; and

at least one processing device configured to execute the tracking mechanism or the aggregation mechanism.

38. The system according to claim 37, wherein the one or more storage devices comprise a Random Access Memory (RAM).

39. The system according to claim 37, configured in a multimedia console.

40. The system of claim 37, wherein the number of system achievement points awarded for the individual system achievement is equal for at least the first game and the second game.

41. The system of claim 37, wherein the tracking mechanism is configured to track offline player activity.

42. The system of claim 41, wherein the aggregation mechanism is configured to aggregate the offline player activity into the profile.