Intelligent game editing system and method with autocomplete and other functions that facilitate game authoring by non-expert end users

• US 8,328,610 B2
• Filed: 08/16/2006
• Issued: 12/11/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/16/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Original Assignee: Nintendo Company Limited
• Inventors: Shimura, Yukimi, Yamashiro, Shigeki, Champagne, Robert, Mortimer, Stephen, Hunley, Nathan
• Primary Examiner(s): Suhol, Dmitry
• Assistant Examiner(s): LARSEN, CARL VICTOR
• Application Number:
  US11/464,905
• Publication Number:
  US 20080078758A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,309 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463 30- 31, 463 40- 42, 463/9, 705/14.2
• US Class Current: 463/9
• 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 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/1068 being specially adapted to detect the point of contact of the player on a surface, e.g. floor mat, touch pad
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/50 characterized by details of game servers
• 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 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6054 by generating automatically game commands to assist the player, e.g. automatic braking in a driving game

Abstract

A new user-friendly game editor allows game players with little or no experience to create new games or game levels. Game element structures can be “drawn” using an “auto completion” feature that automatically functionally connects and/or arranges chosen game elements to provide a visually pleasing environment that is easily navigated by game characters. Such technology can allow an end user game player with little or no technical background to easily develop game levels that are fun to play and do not suffer from any significant defects or other problems that would decrease ease of navigation, functionality or amount of fun. The user may share the authored game with other users via a network so other users can retrieve the game and play it on their own game playing devices. Users can provide feedback concerning the fun and functionality of the game. Good feedback can entitle the game author to recognition including for example bonus points. Bonus points can be redeemed for items listed in an online catalog, which in turn can be used to author ever more interesting game play levels.

Claims

1. A system for permitting an end user to author and share playable video games, comprising:

a storage device that stores a video game virtual environment authored by an end user;

a processor that helps the end user to author said video game virtual environment by automatically placing end user-selected dynamic objects into the virtual environment for game characters to interact with, the dynamic objects having dynamic features defining movement or dynamic behavior within the virtual environment, said processor executing code providing an intelligent auto-complete function that, in response to end user input, is configured to automatically place obstacles and the dynamic objects into the virtual environment, the auto-complete function utilizing attributes that define dynamic behavior for the dynamic objects to automatically place and define movement or dynamic behavior for said dynamic objects and obstacles, automatically complete partially formed obstacles and dynamic object arrangements utilizing the dynamic features of the user-selected dynamic objects, and automatically prevent interfering dispositions of obstacles and dynamic objects into the authored video game virtual environment during end user object selection and input, in a disposition that ensures the video game virtual environment is playable, thereby preventing the resulting authored environment from being unplayable for a game character to navigate or interact with during game play, and which play tests said authored video game virtual environment and automatically prevents said end user from creating non-functional structures for interaction with the game character within said authored video game virtual environment; and

a wireless connection that shares said play tested video game virtual environment with other users.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the processor is further configured to display a gallery of obstacles and other objects selectable by the end-user where each dynamic object has its own dynamic attribute that helps define its auto-complete placement in the video game virtual environment.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the end user is a game player that authors the video game virtual environment for playing the video games.

4. A method of enabling end user authors to author playable puzzle games using a computer having one or more processors, the method comprising:

providing an intelligent editor that assists an end user author in authoring game play and helps the end user to author a video game virtual environment, said intelligent editor providing an intelligent auto-complete function that, in response to the end user input and selection, automatically places and orients obstacles and virtual dynamic objects by utilizing the dynamic features of the end user-selected dynamic objects to automatically place and define movement or dynamic behavior for said dynamic objects and obstacles, automatically completes partially formed obstacles and other virtual objects by utilizing the dynamic features of the end user-selected objects, and automatically prevents non-functional dispositions of obstacles and virtual objects into the authored video game virtual environment during end user input and selection thereby ensuring the video game virtual environment is playable, preventing the resulting authored environment from being unplayable for a game character to navigate or interact with during game play;

sharing the authored video game virtual environment with other users via a communications network;

receiving feedback from said other users;

awarding, via the one or more processors, bonus points to said end user author based on other users'"'"' feedback concerning the fun and functionality of the shared authored video game virtual environment;

allowing said end user author to shop a catalog of game play elements with said bonus points; and

enabling said end user author to include said shopped game play elements in additional authored game play.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising displaying a gallery of obstacles and dynamic virtual objects selectable by the end-user where each obstacle and virtual object has its own attribute that helps define its disposition in the authored video game virtual environment.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the end user is a game player that authors the video game virtual environment for playing the puzzle games.

7. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having a program executable on a processor, the program comprising instructions enabling the manipulation of a virtual video game environment and causing the processor to:

providing selectable virtual video game environment templates capable of editing for customized game play;

providing an environment editor being structured to customize selected virtual video game environments by enabling user-selection of dynamic objects that can be used in the virtual video game environments, the dynamic objects having dynamic features capable of influencing game characters when the game characters interact with the dynamic objects, using auto-complete functionality utilizing attributes that define dynamic behavior for dynamic objects and obstacles to automatically place into the virtual video game environment and define movement or dynamic behavior for the objects and obstacles; and

storing a customized virtual video game environment including the automatically-placed dynamic objects and obstacles.