Method for implementing a computer game

• US 9,387,401 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Issued: 07/12/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 09/17/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: King.com, Ltd (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Magnusson, Jonas, Knutsson, Sebastian, Malmqvist, Niklas, Nyblom, Tobias
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US14/029,434
• Publication Number:
  US 20140106876A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,029 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 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 computer game graphics for a casual, social game are shown on a display of a computing device and in which one or more of the processors are programmed to show: a virtual path or other virtual world that indicates the level reached by the player and some of that player'"'"'s social network friends; a score board that displays the score of a player once he has completed a level successfully, together with the highest scores of some of its social network friends'"'"' for that level; and in which each level of the game can be failed and, if the processor determines that the player is running out of moves or time, then the processor causes the game to automatically display a message offering extra moves and/or time for the player to purchase, to carry on playing the game, or other in-game assistance.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, performed on a computing device, for displaying computer game graphics on a display, comprising:

controlling, with a processor, the display to display, for a level of said game, a game area having a plurality of game objects, said game level having at least one of a predefined time limit and a predefined move limit;

determining, with a processor, whether at least one of the predefined time limit and predefined move limit have been reached;

controlling, with a processor, said display to display a message if it is determined at least one of the predefined time limit and predefined move limit have been reached and start a timer when said message is displayed;

receiving, with a processor, user input associated with said message;

in response to said received user input, at least one of;

(a) enabling gameplay to continue by extending at least one of said predefined time limit and predefined move limit and (b) causing said message to stop being displayed; and

determining, with a processor configured to calculate elapsed time of said timer, if said message has been displayed for a predefined period of time without user input associated with said message and in response thereto stopping, with a processor, said message being displayed.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said one or more processors are further programmed to:

generate the message and control the display to display the message when the player has moves left.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising, in response to said user input associated with said message, sending a signal to a remote server, said signal comprising an instruction to debit an account of the player with a sum of money and an instruction to extend said predefined limit so as to enable a player of game to carry on playing the game.

4. The method of claim 1 in which the processor controls the display to show a gameboard with multiple game elements that are removed when matched or switched by a player.

5. The method of claim 1 in which the game elements are one or more of:

candies, bubbles, flowers, animals, fruits, vegetables, toys.

6. The method of claim 1 in which the processor controls the display to show a current game level position and highest scores for each completed level, for both the player and also some of its friends on a social network application or environment.

7. The method of claim 1 in which the processor controls the display to show which of a player'"'"'s friends on a social network are currently playing the game and the level at which they are playing.

8. The method of claim 7 in which a player can collaborate with friends in the social network.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising making in-app purchases using real or virtual currency in response to user input associated with an icon of a purchase shown next to a gameplay board shown on the display.

10. The method of claim 1 in which functions and features relating to sharing players'"'"' game state information, including levels and achievements, on a virtual path or other virtual world with that player'"'"'s social network friends is continuously or regularly optimized for engagement and monetization by monitoring and analyzing player behavior and interaction.

11. The method of claim 1 in which a single user database tracks metrics for players, said metrics including game state information, and the single user database is accessible by several different games.

12. The method of claim 1 in which every change in the game state, and every consequential change in every game piece on the game board, is accompanied by sound and/or visual feedback to provide immediate, positive gratification to the player.

13. The method of claim 1 in which a player'"'"'s score and game level position and the scores and game level positions of social network friends of said player also playing the game, are fully sync'"'"'d across different platforms and there are sections of the game that must be unlocked through either help from those friends or through a purchase.

14. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting gifts, boosters, extra moves, in-game currency, or extra lives to a further player of the game.

15. The method of claim 1, in which the processor controls the display to:

show a game level position of a player and game level positions of one or more social network contacts of said player on a virtual path or other virtual world; and

show a visual prompt if a score of said player exceeds that of one of said social network contacts, the prompt enabling the player to send a message to said one or said social network contacts.

16. The method of claim 1, in which the processor controls the display to show a game level position of a player and game level positions of one or more social network contacts of said player on a virtual path or other virtual world, wherein the player can play the game in offline mode on one platform and device and the progress in the game and other game state information is synchronised with a remote server when the device is online again and the player can continue playing the game on another platform.

17. The method of claim 1, in which the processor controls the display to show a game level position of a player and game level positions of one or more social network contacts of said player on a virtual path or other virtual world, wherein the game enables the player to buy a permanent booster which can be used without limit in time.

18. The method of claim 1 in which the processor controls the display to show a game level position of a player and game level positions of one or more social network contacts of said player on a virtual path or other virtual world, in which successive levels have different difficulty rankings.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a message to a player of a further device prompting the player of the further device to assist a player of the computing device once the player of the further device has played, but not completed, a level, for more than a predefined time or predefined number of attempts.

20. The method of claim 1 in which the processor controls the display to show:

a game level position of a player and game level positions of one or more social network contacts of said player on a virtual path or other virtual world; and

a prompt to notify a social network contact when the social network contact'"'"'s high score on a specific level has been beaten by that player.

21. The method of claim 1 in which the processor controls the display to show a game level position of a player and game level positions of one or more social network contacts of said player on a virtual path or other virtual world, in which the game state information is fully sync'"'"'d across different platforms, and, in which the gameplay for each level can be enhanced through the use of an acquired item.

22. The method of claim 1 in which the processor controls the display to show a game level position of a player and game level positions of one or more social network contacts of said player on a virtual path in which the game state information is fully sync'"'"'d across different platforms, and, in which the gameplay for each level can be enhanced through the use of an acquired item, and where the game state information relating to the acquisition or use of an acquired item is synchronized across several different platforms.

23. The method of claim 1 in which the processor controls the display to show:

a game level position of a player and game level positions of one or more social network contacts of said player on a virtual path or other virtual world; and

a game board containing switchable elements that can be matched with other switchable elements and switchable elements that cannot be matched with other switchable elements on the game board,

wherein one of the goals for completing a level is to interact with the game board in such a way that a predefined number of non-matchable switchable elements are placed in any of a plurality of predefined areas on the game board.

24. The method of claim 1 in which a player has to satisfy multiple criteria within a limited number of moves to complete the level;

in which the criteria include at least two of the following;

reaching a target score

removing matchable game elements to clear a path for a non-matchable game element to reach a predefined area on a game board; and

clear a predefined number of a certain type of game items layered on the game board having a matchable game element, together with each of the layered game items, where each layered game item can be removed by removing a matcheable game element in the same position as the layered game item.

25. The method of claim 1 in which a player can purchase on-line a booster to aid gameplay and that booster, once available for use on the player'"'"'s current platform, can be used immediately and alternatively on any other platform used by the player, and in which game state information for that player, including information relating to use of the booster, is synchronised using a remote server across each of several different devices used by that player.

26. The method of claim 1 in which players can see their own and their social network friends'"'"' game level position on a virtual path (or other virtual world) with nodes representing levels in the game, and each node can reveal, in response to user input, a graphical preview representation of the gameboard for that level and, if the player has played that level before, a visual indication of how well the player succeeded on that level.

27. The method of claim 1 in which, after a player has failed to meet one or more level completion criteria, the processor controls the display to show a message articulating why the level completion criteria was not met, and offering as the only option to replay a level.

28. The method of claim 1 in which, after a player has achieved one or more level completion criteria, the processor controls the display to show a message articulating that the level was successfully completed, and offering as the only option to share information to a social network.

29. The method of claim 1 in which some or all game levels have no time limit.

30. The method of claim 1 in which the game is a casual, social game and some or all levels of said game may be failed.

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

32. The method of claim 1 in which the processor controls the display to show congratulatory messages when the player scores more than a predefined amount, or matches more than a predefined number of game elements, in a single move.

33. The method of claim 1 in which the processor detects when there are no possible moves left.

34. The method of claim 1 in which the processor controls the display to show game elements of a gameboard, reshuffled on the gameboard.

35. The method of claim 1 in which a processor controls the display to show, if no move has been made for a predefined time period, help or hints by brightening and enlarging game elements used in a possible move on the board with a flashing animation.

36. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed to require a player to reach a target score before running out of moves in order to complete a level successfully, wherein the level has no time limited.

37. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed to automatically replenish a life for a player in response to the expiry of a predefined time period.

38. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that, if a player finishes a level of the game in under the predefined number of moves, then one or more game elements of a plurality of game elements shown on the game board are randomly selected and removed, and the player receives bonus points.

39. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed to control the display to show, if a level is finished with remaining moves, those remaining moves being converted to game elements that trigger for extra bonus points.

40. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed to control the display to display congratulatory messages when a player scores more than a predefined amount, or matches more than a predefined number of game elements, in a single move.

41. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed to control the computer device to transmit a message comprising a request for lives to a social network contact of a player of the computer device.

42. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed to control the computer device to transmit a message comprising a request for help to a social network contact of a player of the computer device.

43. The method of claim 1 further comprising transmitting a message to a player of a further device, said messaging comprising a prompt to assist a player of said computer device if that said player of said computer device has played, but not completed, a level meeting a certain criteria.

44. The method of claim 1 to control the computer device to transmit a message comprising an in game item to a social network contact of a player of the computer device.

45. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that the game can be synchronized between different devices.

46. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that a player can seamlessly stop and re-start playing the game at any time since game state information is stored remotely and/or on the playing device.

47. The method of claim 1 in which changes in game state, and every consequential change in every game piece on the game board, is accompanied by sound and visual feedback.

48. The method of claim 1 in which game state information is preserved, enabling a remote server system to identify a player and all aspects of the state of the game they are playing, so that the player can end game play on one device and resume from a different device at a later time at exactly the same state.

49. The method of claim 1 in which the different device can be a different type of device, so that the player can move seamlessly between playing the game on a smartphone and on a tablet.

50. The method of claim 1 in which a remote server system can identify a player because that player has accessed the game through a social network.

51. The method of claim 1 in which the game is a casual, social game, wherein said game can be downloaded as an app to a smartphone and/or tablet computer and which can be accessed or played using a social network application or environment.

52. The method of claim 1 in which the processor is programmed to control the display to show a virtual path or other virtual world that indicates the level reached by a player of and one or more of said player'"'"'s social network friends.

53. The method of claim 1 in which 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.

54. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to user input associated with said message:

causing said message to stop being displayed without enabling gameplay to continue by extending at least one of said predefined limit; and

ending the level of the game.

55. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to a determination that said message has been displayed for said predefined period of time without user input associated with said message, ending the level of the game.

56. A computing device adapted to play a computer game, the device including one or more processors, a memory, a display configured to display computer game graphics for a game, a timer, and computer code stored in said memory or on a remote server and executable by the device processor and in which said one or more processors execute said computer code to perform the steps of:

controlling the display to display, for a level of said game, a game area having a plurality of game objects on said display, said game level having at least one of a time limitation and a move limitation;

determining whether at least one of time and moves have reached a predefined limit;

if it is determined that at least one of said time and said moves has reached said predefined limit, controlling said display to show a message;

in response to user input associated with said message at least one of;

enabling gameplay to continue by extending at least one of said predefined limit; and

causing said message to stop being displayed; and

using the timer to determine if said message has been displayed for a predefined period of time without user input associated with said message and in response thereto stopping said message being displayed.

57. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions stored thereon for controlling a computing device comprising one or more processors, a timer, and a display, said display configured to display computer game graphics for a game, such that when the instructions are executed on the one or more processors, the one or more processors are configured to:

control the display to display, for a level of said game, a game area having a plurality of game objects, said game level having at least one of a predefined time limit and a predefined move limit;

determine whether at least one of the predefined time limit and predefined move limit have been reached;

control said display to display a message if it is determined at least one of the predefined time limit and predefined move limit have been reached and start a timer when said message is displayed;

receive user input associated with said message;

in response to said user input associated with said message at least one of;

(a) enable gameplay to continue by extending at least one of said predefined limit and predefined move limit; and

(b) cause said message to stop being displayed; and

determine if said message has been displayed for a predefined period of time without user input associated with said message and in response thereto, stop said message being displayed.