METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR AUTOMATED NETWORK SCANNING IN DYNAMIC VIRTUALIZED ENVIRONMENTS
Granted: April 11, 2013
Application Number:
20130091577
Systems and methods for managing jobs to be scanned based on existence of processing nodes are described. One of the methods includes obtaining identification information regarding operation of a first set of the processing nodes from an inventory and creating a job for scanning the processing nodes of the first set for security vulnerability. The job includes the identification information. The method further includes verifying the inventory to determine the first identifying…
EXPANDING THE GAMING SOCIAL NETWORK WITH UNRELATED PLAYERS
Granted: March 28, 2013
Application Number:
20130079143
Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for expanding gaming social networks with players that do not have an existing social relationship with other players. One method includes an operation for determining one or more selection rules for a player of an online game, where each selection rule defines a criterion for selecting users from a plurality of users. The determined one or more selection rules are applied to the plurality of users resulting in a plurality of…
SEMI-SYNCHRONOUS MULTI-PARTICIPANT APPLICATION UPDATES
Granted: March 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130059664
Individual participants in a multi-participant collaborative computing application may be sent intermittent updates of actions taken by other participants. These updates need not be sent to a participant's device until the participant has interacted with a specified object in the application. The participant's device may then be sent an update including object interactions of the other participants occurring since the participant's previous object interaction. The update may be used to…
SHARING ITEMS BETWEEN MULTIPLE GAME PARTICIPANTS
Granted: March 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130059663
Items may be transferred between participants in a multi-participant gaming application through an item sharing object. The item sharing object may be activated by a participant during game play. After activating the item sharing object, a state of the item sharing object may be determined. If the state indicates that a prior participant has left behind an item that is available, then the left behind item may be presented to the current participant activating the object. Alternatively,…
SEMI-SYNCHRONOUS MULTI-PARTICIPANT APPLICATION UPDATES
Granted: March 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130059662
Individual participants in a multi-participant collaborative computing application may be sent intermittent updates of actions taken by other participants. These updates need not be sent to a participant's device until the participant has interacted with a specified object in the application. The participant's device may then be sent an update including object interactions of the other participants occurring since the participant's previous object interaction. The update may be used to…
APPARATUS, METHOD AND COMPUTER READABLE STORAGE MEDIUM FOR GUIDING GAME PLAY VIA A SHOW ME BUTTON
Granted: March 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130059634
An apparatus, method and computer-readable storage medium for guiding a player to the completion of a task during game play. The player selects a control device in a graphical user interface device generated by a processor. In response to the selection, a hint is provided to the user in the graphical user interface that presents a game board to a player. The player may use the hint to accomplish the task.
Low-Friction Response in a Social Game
Granted: February 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130035158
A method for performing a social project in a video game is provided. A session of the video game for a primary user is initiated, and a social project is initiated within the session of the video game. One or more secondary users are determined from a social graph of the primary user. A message requesting help to complete the social project is sent to the one or more secondary users, the message including a low-friction response mechanism. Upon activation of the low-friction response…
Detached Economy in Online Game
Granted: February 7, 2013
Application Number:
20130036064
Methods, systems, and computer programs for generating revenue in an online game are presented. One method includes an operation for creating, in the online game, a first virtual currency and a game score, where the amount of the first virtual currency can be increased in exchange for real currency. The first virtual currency can be traded for advancement in the online game. Further, a game module, that is an autonomous game within the online game, is started, and a second virtual…
COMBINING GAMES BASED ON LEVELS OF INTERACTIVITY OF THE GAMES
Granted: January 31, 2013
Application Number:
20130029760
A method of combining games based on levels of interactivity of the games is disclosed. It is identified that a player is idle with respect to a primary game, the primary game having a first level of interactivity. A secondary game having a second level of interactivity is selected based on the second level of interactivity being compatible with the first level of interactivity. The player is provided with an option to participate in the secondary game while the player is idle with…
CONTEXTUAL IN-GAME MESSAGING SYSTEM
Granted: January 31, 2013
Application Number:
20130029766
A method of enabling in-game contextual chatting is disclosed. A request for information about an online game currently being played by a first player and a second player is received. A previous online game that was previously played by the first player and the second player is determined. A chat transcript is generated that pertains to the online game in response to the request for the information, the chat transcript spanning from the online game currently being played by the first…
SOCIALLY-MEDIATED FLASH SALES
Granted: January 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130005438
A flash sale mechanic of a virtual game may perform a flash sale transaction based on transaction details for the flash sale transaction. These transaction details may indicate an item for sale, invitation requirements applicable to a player of the virtual game, and transaction requirements applicable to participants of the flash sale transaction. The flash sale mechanic may selectively provide an invitation request to a first player of the virtual game based on the invitation…
CLAN WARS
Granted: January 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130005473
A method of implementing clan wars is disclosed. An incentive reward is generated that is to be provided to at least one member of a group of users of a game networking system based on the group exercising a level of influence over a location during a time period that is greater than a level of influence of an additional group of users over the location during the time period. It is determined that the group exercised the level of influence over the location during the time period. The…
UPDATING VIRTUAL WORLDS BASED ON INTERACTIONS BETWEEN REAL-WORLD ITEMS
Granted: January 3, 2013
Application Number:
20130005466
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…
GAME SUPPLY DELIVERY SYSTEMS AND METHODS
Granted: December 27, 2012
Application Number:
20120329560
Systems and methods that deliver game supplies are described. In some embodiments, a method receives a request for in-game supplies from a first player in an interactive social game. The method presents multiple supply options where each supply option has an associated processing time. A supply option selection is received from the first player that indicates selection of one of the multiple supply options. A supply fulfillment invitation is distributed to a second player of the…
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PLACING PLAYERS OF A MULTIPLAYER GAME IN A VIRTUAL WORLD
Granted: November 15, 2012
Application Number:
20120289339
A system, computer-readable storage medium including instructions, and a computer-implemented method for placing players of a multiplayer game in a virtual world are described. Territory for a player of the multiplayer game is placed in the virtual world for the multiplayer game. Territory for at least one other player is placed adjacent to the territory of the player in the virtual world. The player is determined to have entered the territory for the at least one other player. At least…
SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR PROVIDING BRANDED VIRTUAL OBJECTS IN A VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENT
Granted: October 18, 2012
Application Number:
20120264520
A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for providing branded virtual objects in a virtual environment are presented. A game instance of a computer-implemented multiplayer online game is generated, where the game instance is associated with a virtual environment of a player. A graphical user interface to the player is provided, where the graphical user interface displays at least one branded virtual object for selection…
SIMULTANEOUS DOWNLOAD OF APPLICATION FILE PORTIONS
Granted: September 6, 2012
Application Number:
20120226738
A client device downloads a file of a computer-implemented game using multiple network connections. The client device may first receive configuration information for downloading the file, such that the configuration information indicates a partition quantity for a plurality of file portions into which the file is partitioned at one or more server computers, and indicates at least one hostname from which to request the file portions. The client device may download the plurality of file…
Social Supply Harvest Mechanic for Interactive Social Games
Granted: May 17, 2012
Application Number:
20120122587
A supply harvest mechanic with a social fulfillment component for online social games.
Franchise Mechanic for Interactive Social Games
Granted: May 17, 2012
Application Number:
20120122586
A franchise game mechanic for use in an online social game that promotes interaction between users.
System and Method for Generating Achievement Objects Encapsulating Captured Event Playback
Granted: April 5, 2012
Application Number:
20120083330
A method is provided for automatic generation of achievement objects corresponding to the achievement of a user in a computer implemented game which encapsulates renderable event sequence data defining a sequence of events graphically illustrating the achievement of the user. The generation of renderable event sequence data and the creation of achievement objects may be in automatic response to the detection of an achievement by a user within the context of the computer implemented game.…
