Method for implementing a computer game

• US 9,399,168 B2
• Filed: 09/17/2013
• Issued: 07/26/2016
• 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, Norden, Klas
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Application Number:
  US14/029,245
• Publication Number:
  US 20140080559A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,043 Days
• Field of Search: 463/10, 463/16, 463/31, 463/42
• 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 a computing device displays computer game graphics showing a gameboard with multiple game elements that are removed when matched or switched by a player, such as in a match-3, clicker or switcher game; and in which the processor(s) enables the game elements to evolve into visually altered versions when they form part of a match or switch and it is the altered versions that can be removed by subsequent matching or switching by the player.

Claims

1. A computer implemented method, said method being performed in a computing device, comprising one or more processors and a display, by executing computer code on said one or more processors to perform the steps of:

controlling the display to show game graphics showing a gameboard with multiple game elements, wherein each of said multiple game elements comprises a visual characteristic of a plurality of different visual characteristics, and each game element has one of a plurality of different sizes, wherein a set of game elements may be matched by a player if said game elements of said set of game elements have a visual characteristic of said plurality of different visual characteristics in common;

when a match of game elements is made, controlling the display to show a game element of said set of game elements of a new size, said new size being dependent on said sizes of the game elements of said set of game elements;

determining if said new size is a maximum size; and

if it is determined that said new size is a maximum size, controlling the display to show said game element of said new size being removed from the gameboard.

2. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that there are multiple levels of evolution of a game element.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising, if it is determined that said new size is said maximum size, controlling the display to show the game element of said new size appearing to explode or detonate.

4. The method of claim 1 further comprising if it is determined that said new size is a maximum size, controlling the display to increase the size on the display of one or more game elements which have a visual characteristic of said plurality of visual characteristics in common with said game element of said new size.

5. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that a goal of a level is to grow or evolve as many elements as far as possible in a certain number of moves, or a certain time limit.

6. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that a goal of a level in the game is to cause a plurality of game elements to be of said maximum size.

7. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is further programmed to perform the steps of:

controlling the display to show a game object;

in response to a switch of game elements being made by the player, controlling the display to show the game object move across the gameboard, wherein the game object is configured to cause the removal from the gameboard of game elements of said set of game elements having a size greater than a predefined size.

8. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed to control the display to show game elements of said set of game elements as one or more of the following:

vegetables, fruit, candies, or flowers.

9. The method of claim 1 in which a processor is programmed so that the game is a match 3 game and the processor is programmed to control the display to show the game elements as peppers.

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

11. The method of claim 1 in which the game is a casual, social game and some or all levels have a true fail.

12. The method of claim 1, in which said one or more processors are programmed to perform the steps of:

controlling the device to play a continuous musical soundtrack during gameplay.

13. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling the display to display 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.

14. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

automatically detecting when there are no possible moves left.

15. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling the display to show the set of game elements being re-shuffled on the game board.

16. The method of claim 1, further comprising controlling the display to show, if no move has been made for a while, help or hints by brightening and enlarging game elements used in a possible move on the board with a flashing animation.

17. The method of claim 1, further comprising requiring 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 limit.

18. The method of claim 1, further comprising automatically replenishing a life for a player in response to the expiry of a predefined time period.

19. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if a player finishes a level in under the target number of moves, controlling the display to show game elements randomly selected from said set of game elements on the game board being removed and giving the player bonus points.

20. The method of claim 1, further comprising, if a level is finished with moves left, those moves are converted to special game elements that trigger for extra bonus points.

21. The method of claim 1 in which said one or more processors are programmed to perform the step of controlling the computing device to transmit a message comprising a request for lives to a social network contact of the player.

22. The method of claim 1 in which said one or more processors area programmed to perform the step of controlling the computing device to transmit a message comprising a request for help to a social network contract of the player.

23. The method of claim 1 in which said one or more processors are programmed to perform the step of controlling the computing device to transmit a message to a player of a further device, said messaging comprising a prompt to assist said player of said computing device if said player of said computing device has played, but not completed, a level meeting a certain criteria.

24. The method of claim 1 in which said one or more processors are programmed to perform the step of controlling the computing device to transmit a message comprising an in game item to a social network contact of said player.

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

26. 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 or on the playing device.

27. The method of claim 1, further comprising, in response to changes in game state and every change in every game piece on the game board, controlling the computing device to provide sound and visual feedback.

28. 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.

29. The method of claim 28 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.

30. 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.

31. 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 or tablet computer and which can be accessed or played using a social network application or environment.

32. 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 the player and one or more of said player'"'"'s social network friends.

33. 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 at least one of;

player engagement, or monetization, or viralisation and implementing changes to the game design.

34. A computing device adapted to play a computer game, the device including one or more processors, a memory, a display, a touch screen or a cursor based input device, and computer code stored in device memory, and in which said processor executes said computer code to perform the steps of:

controlling the display to show computer game graphics showing a gameboard with multiple game elements, wherein each of said multiple game elements comprises a visual characteristic of a plurality of different visual characteristics, and each game element has one or a plurality of different sizes, wherein a set of game elements may be matched by a player if said game elements of said set of game elements have a visual characteristic of said plurality of different visual characteristics in common;

when a match of game elements is made, controlling the display to show a game element of said set of game elements of a new size, said new size being dependent on said sizes of the game elements of said set of game elements;

determining if said new size is a maximum size; and

if it is determined that said new size is a maximum size, controlling the display to show said game element of said new size being removed from the gameboard.

35. A non-transitory computer readable medium encoded with instructions for controlling a computer system comprising one or more processors and a display, and in which the instructions are executed on said one or more processors to perform the steps of:

controlling the display to show game graphics showing a gameboard with multiple game elements, wherein each of said multiple game elements comprises a visual characteristic of a plurality of different visual characteristics, and each game element has one of a plurality of different sizes, wherein a set of game elements may be matched by a player if said game elements of said set of game elements have a visual characteristic of said plurality of different visual characteristics in common;

when a match of game elements is made, controlling the display to show a game element of said set of game elements of a new size, said new size being dependent on said sizes of the game elements of said set of game elements;

determining if said new size is a maximum size; and

if it is determined that said new size is a maximum size, controlling the display to show said game element of said new size being removed from the gameboard.