Method for implementing a computer game

• US 9,278,282 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Issued: 03/08/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Knutsson, Sebastian, Hansson, Magnus, Nyblom, Tobias, Malmqvist, Niklas
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US14/029,472
• Publication Number:
  US 20140106877A1
• Time in Patent Office: 903 Days
• Field of Search: 463 20- 25, 463 30- 32
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 71/06 Indicating or scoring devices for games or players , or for other sports activities
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/2145 the surface being also a display device, e.g. touch screens
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/25 Output arrangements for video game devices
• 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 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• 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 13/428 involving motion or position input signals, e.g. signals representing the rotation of an input controller or a player's arm motions sensed by accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/573 using trajectories of game objects, e.g. of a golf ball according to the point of impact
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/75 Enforcing rules, e.g. detecting foul play or generating lists of cheating players
• 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 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 9/44 Arrangements for executing specific programs
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3274 : wherein the players cooperate, e.g. team-play

Abstract

A method, implemented as computer code being executed by one or more processors, in which the processor(s) are programmed so that: a player can see its game level position on a virtual path, or other virtual world, shown on the player'"'"'s computing device display, the virtual path including a node for each level of the game; and when the player moves a cursor, pointer or other selection tool over a node, then a thumbnail image of the gameboard for that level is automatically displayed.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method in which a computing device comprises one or more processors and a display, said display configured to display computer game graphics for a computer game, in which the one or more processor are programmed such that the method comprises:

displaying game progress information of said player of the computing device on the display, said game progress information of said player comprising a game level position shown on a virtual path or other virtual world comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein each node of said plurality of nodes is associated with a level of a plurality of levels of the game;

displaying, in response to user input associated with a node of said plurality of nodes, a thumbnail image displaying a gameboard of the level associated with said node of said plurality of nodes.

2. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying in the thumbnail image, a number of stars earned.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying, in the thumbnail image, a level target.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising displaying, in the thumbnail image, a message.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying on said display computer game graphics showing a gameboard with multiple game elements that are removed when matched or switched.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising, if a player finishes a level in under a predefined number of moves, performing an action associated with game elements randomly selected form said multiple game elements, said action providing the player with bonus points.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein at least one of said plurality of levels of the game does not have a time limit.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein a criterion for completing said at least one level comprises reaching a target score within a predefined number of moves.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the game is a casual, social game and at least one of the plurality of levels has a true fail.

10. The method of claim 1, further comprising playing, during gameplay, a continuous musical soundtrack.

11. The method of claim 1, further comprising generating and displaying a message when at least one of the following occurs:

the player'"'"'s score exceeds a predefined amount;

or

more than a predefined number of game elements are matched in a single move.

12. The method of claim 1 further comprising automatically detecting when there are no possible moves left.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising re-shuffling the elements on the game board.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising, if a predefined period of inactivity has elapsed, brightening and enlarging game elements used in a possible move on the board with a flashing animation.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically replenishing a life.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising, if a level is finished with moves remaining, converting said remaining moves to game elements, and performing an action associated with said game elements, said action providing extra bonus points.

17. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting from said computing device to a second computing device a request for lives.

18. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting from said computing device to a second computing device a request for help.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting a request for help to a computing device of a social network friend of the player if said player has played, but not completed, a level meeting a certain criteria.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising transmitting from said computing device to a second computing device of a social network friend an in game item.

21. The method of claim 1, further comprising synchronising the game state between said computing device and another computing device.

22. The method of claim 1 further comprising seamlessly stopping and re-starting playing the game.

23. The method of claim 1 further comprising, for every change in the game state, and every change in said game elements on the game board, providing audio and visual feedback.

24. The method of claim 1 further comprising preserving game state information, said preserved game state information enabling a remote server system to identify a player and aspects of a state of the game they are playing, so that the player can end game play on the computing device and resume from a different device at a later time at exactly the same state.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the different device is a different type of device, so that the player can move seamlessly between playing the game on a smartphone as the first device and on a tablet as a second device.

26. The method of claim 1 wherein a remote server system can identify said player because that player has accessed the game through a social network.

27. The method of claim 9 further comprising:

downloading said casual, social game as an app to said first computing device, said first computing device being at least one of;

a smartphone or tablet computer; and

accessing or playing said casual, social game using a social network application or environment.

28. The method of claim 1 further comprising displaying on said display a virtual path or other virtual world that indicates the level reached by the player and that player'"'"'s social network friends.

29. The method of claim 1, wherein the design of the game is optimised through a process including the step of:

using data analytics to understand the impact of changes to the game design in terms of player engagement and/or monetisation and/or viralisation and;

implementing changes to the game design, including frequent changes such as daily or weekly changes, to optimise player engagement and/or monetisation and/or viralisation.

30. A computing device adapted to play a computer game, the device including a processor, a memory, a display, a touch screen or a cursor based input device, and computer code stored in device memory or on a remote server and executable by the device processor or a remote processor, and in which the computer code generates computer game graphics for the display on the device;

and in which one or more processors are programmed to;

display game progress information of said player of the computing device on the display, said game progress information of said player comprising a game level position shown on a virtual path or other virtual world comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein each node of said plurality of nodes is associated with a level of a plurality of levels of the game;

display, in response to a user input associated with a node of said plurality of nodes, a thumbnail image displaying a gameboard of the level associated with said node of said plurality of nodes.

31. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions which when executed by a processor perform a method for controlling a computer system to display a game on a display, said method comprising:

displaying game progress information of said player of the computing device on the display, said game progress information of said player comprising a game level position shown on a virtual path or other virtual world comprising a plurality of nodes, wherein each node of said plurality of nodes is associated with a level of a plurality of levels of the game;

displaying, in response to user input associated with a node of said plurality of nodes, a thumbnail image displaying a gameboard of the level associated with said node of said plurality of nodes.