ASYNCHRONOUS INTERACTIVE GAME PLAY
Granted: July 3, 2014
Application Number:
20140187328
Systems and methods of asynchronous interactive game play are described. In some embodiments, a method permits a first player to access a first game instance of a multiplayer online game and access a second game instance of the multiplayer online game. The second game instance is accessed at a first time. The first game instance is associated with the first player and the second game instance is associated with a second player. The method receives an identification of an in-game action…
APPARATUS AND METHOD WITH PHYSICAL LOCATION CHECK-IN THAT TRIGGERS A STATUS CHANGE IN A VIRTUAL GAME
Granted: June 26, 2014
Application Number:
20140179438
A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to receive a check-in indication from a physical location with a corresponding virtual location in a virtual game. An attribute in the virtual game is altered based upon the check-in indication. The attribute may be earned points for a user, a virtual object earned by a user or an enhanced popularity measure for the virtual location.
Method and Apparatus for the Secure Storage of Audio Signals
Granted: June 26, 2014
Application Number:
20140177838
In one embodiment, a method, system and apparatus for recording audio is provided so that the recording can be authenticated. The system may be implemented as a central server that is accessed via one or more lines for audio communication, or as a stand-alone unit. The system operates by encrypting communicated data (e.g., audio signals), storing the encrypted information, and providing at least one user with a key that can be used to decrypt the stored information.
BUILDING CROSS-PLATFORM ASYNCHRONOUS GAMES
Granted: June 5, 2014
Application Number:
20140157246
A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method are discussed herein. For example, an embodiment may access a game engine that defines game play logic specifying an execution of a turn in an asynchronous game. The game play logic may be independent of a client device platform. The embodiment may then select a native platform library that includes functions to coordinate game activities within the asynchronous game. The functions…
GAMING SYSTEM PROVIDING A DESTRUCTIBLE GAME OBJECT MECHANIC
Granted: June 5, 2014
Application Number:
20140155160
A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for providing a destructible game object mechanic are presented. For example, an embodiment may generate a destructible game object within a game board assigned to a user. The destructible game object may be represented by an initial state, one or more destructed states, and a reward state. Responsive to detecting a game action that satisfies a part requirement precondition…
SYSTEMS AND METHODS TO DETERMINE A GAME PAYMENT
Granted: June 5, 2014
Application Number:
20140155141
A method of selecting players to make payments associated with a session of a game is disclosed. A player is selected to make a payment. The selecting of the player is based on a session counter of the player having a higher value than a session counter of an additional player seeking to participate in the session of the game. Based on a receiving of the payment from the selected player, the session counter of the selected player is decremented by an amount corresponding to the payment,…
Methods and Apparatus for Managing Network Linked Gambling Video Games
Granted: May 29, 2014
Application Number:
20140148233
Methods and apparatus for playing video games in a network environment are provided. One method includes receiving a request to initiate a game for a player of a first network connected device and enabling a second player from a second networked connected device to play the game. The method also enables transfer of currency between the first and second players using the network for playing the game. The method debits an account of a player that transferred the currency and credits an…
Apparatuses, Methods and Systems for a Trackable Virtual Currencies Platform
Granted: May 8, 2014
Application Number:
20140128153
Method for tracking virtual currency includes receiving a request to track virtual currency used in game play of a video game. A batch is created for the virtual currency that is to be tracked. The virtual currency in the batch is associated with a unique identifier for tracking. An expiration period is assigned for tracking the virtual currency in the created batch. A determination is made on whether the virtual currency in the batch being tracked is not involved in the transaction that…
IMAGE COMPRESSION WITH ALPHA CHANNEL DATA
Granted: May 8, 2014
Application Number:
20140126814
Techniques for a compressed image with alpha channel data are described. Encoded alpha channel data from a compressed image representation may be extracted. A common type pixel run characteristic may be determined for at least one common type pixel run represented in the encoded alpha channel data. A common alpha channel value is applied, based on the common type pixel run characteristic, to pixels in a decompressed image representation correlated to the at least one common type pixel…
INTEGRATION OF MULTIPLE GAMES
Granted: May 1, 2014
Application Number:
20140121027
Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for providing online games that are non-monolithic programs. One method includes an operation for providing a shared navigation interface in a plurality of game applications to be rendered on a mobile device. The shared navigation interface includes options for loading and executing each of the game applications from the plurality of game applications, and progress made in each game application is independent from progress made in…
PLAYING A SOCIAL GAME WITH AUTOMATIC PLAYERS
Granted: May 1, 2014
Application Number:
20140121007
A method and system are described for providing a branded automatic player within a social, online game. In some example embodiments, the automatic player may receive an indication that a triggering event has occurred and perform an action within the online game in response to the triggering event.
Winning In A Game An Asset For Another Game
Granted: April 17, 2014
Application Number:
20140106858
Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for executing a computer game. One method includes an operation for detecting that a player playing in a first game also has played a second game, where the first game is different from the second game. Further, the method includes another operation for determining an asset for the second game that may be awarded for a required amount of progress made by the player in the first game. The player is notified in the first game that the…
METHODS, APPARATUS, AND SYSTEMS FOR REWARDING PLAYERS OF AN ONLINE GAME
Granted: April 10, 2014
Application Number:
20140100020
Computer-implemented methods, apparatus, and systems are described to provide rewards, awards, and other incentives to players currently playing an online game. In some examples, the method and system identifies multiple players within a common social or game network, determines at least two players within the common network that are currently playing or otherwise online within a game or social network, and provides an incentive, such as a reward, award, discount, and so on, to the…
Automated Apparent Responses
Granted: March 27, 2014
Application Number:
20140087886
Software at a massively multiplayer online (MMO) game website receives a request for assistance with a game task from a first player of a MMO game. The software transmits the request to a second player of the MMO game who is associated with the first player through a relationship recognized by the MMO game. The software determines whether the second player responds to the request within a time period. The time period depends on one or more factors related to game mechanics and to user…
METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR GENERATING TAILORED GAME CHALLENGES
Granted: March 6, 2014
Application Number:
20140066176
A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for generating game features are presented. For example, a first user may be segmented to a user segment based on a property of a game profile of the first user. The property of the game profile may match a threshold of the user segment. The user segment may then be assigned a difficulty level. The difficulty level may be usable to set a configuration value for the feature of the…
UPDATING VIRTUAL WORLDS BASED ON INTERACTIONS BETWEEN REAL-WORLD ITEMS
Granted: February 27, 2014
Application Number:
20140057725
A method of updating virtual worlds based on interactions between real-world items is disclosed. An interaction between a first real-world item and a second real-world item is detected. The first real-world item is a real-world item that is associated with a first player of a computer-implemented game and the second real-world item is a real-world item that is associated with a second player of the computer-implemented game. A virtual world of the computer-implemented game is updated…
SECURE, PARALLEL, AND INDEPENDENT SCRIPT EXECUTION
Granted: February 20, 2014
Application Number:
20140051521
A game server and a client device may perform parallel execution of scripts for a computer-implemented virtual game. When the client device determines that a user of the computer-implemented game has performed an in-game action, the client device may send an update notification to the game server that indicates the in-game action and client-side game state information. Then, the client device may determine an event script to execute based on the user's in-game action, and may execute the…
GAMING SYSTEM FOR UPDATING A PRESENTATION OF A VIRTUAL GAME ENVIRONMENT
Granted: February 20, 2014
Application Number:
20140051511
A system, a computer readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for updating a performance of a presentation of a virtual game environment. A presentation of a virtual game environment is generated based on a visual attribute. The visual attribute may identify a visual quality of the presentation of the virtual game environment. A visual performance metric associated with the presentation of the virtual game environment is then monitored. The…
DELIVERY OF PROJECTIONS FOR RENDERING
Granted: February 13, 2014
Application Number:
20140045592
A workflow for 3D content authoring, delivery, and rendering is facilitated based on pre-authored image projections to obtain improvements in authoring efficiency. Additionally, a content delivery platform centered on such pre-authored image projections provides a mechanism for significantly improving streaming efficiency for 3D worlds. Multiple images encode primary surface detail of 3D worlds in real-time applications. Examples of such projections include images that can be as rich as…
Network Application Security Utilizing Network-Provided Identities
Granted: February 6, 2014
Application Number:
20140040987
A network security system that correlates security-related events to individual users, as identified by a user identifier and an identity provider. The user identifier may be associated in one or more implicit or explicit social networks.
