U.S. patent application number 12/189067 was filed with the patent office on 2010-02-11 for avatar closet/ game awarded avatar.
This patent application is currently assigned to Microsoft Corporation. Invention is credited to Dan B. Kroymann, Stacey Law, Brendan K. Reville, Derek Smith.
Application Number | 20100035692 12/189067 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 41653456 |
Filed Date | 2010-02-11 |
United States Patent
Application |
20100035692 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Reville; Brendan K. ; et
al. |
February 11, 2010 |
AVATAR CLOSET/ GAME AWARDED AVATAR
Abstract
Systems, methods and computer readable media are disclosed for
updating the appearance of an avatar that exists across an online
multi-player gaming system, including an executing video game. In
addition to the general system, systems, methods and computer
readable media for updating the avatar, techniques are disclosed
for prompting networked video games to update an avatar that has
been modified while the video game has been executing.
Inventors: |
Reville; Brendan K.;
(Seattle, WA) ; Law; Stacey; (Redmond, WA)
; Smith; Derek; (Snohomish, WA) ; Kroymann; Dan
B.; (Bothell, WA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOODCOCK WASHBURN LLP (MICROSOFT CORPORATION)
CIRA CENTRE, 12TH FLOOR, 2929 ARCH STREET
PHILADELPHIA
PA
19104-2891
US
|
Assignee: |
Microsoft Corporation
Redmond
WA
|
Family ID: |
41653456 |
Appl. No.: |
12/189067 |
Filed: |
August 8, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
463/42 ;
463/43 |
Current CPC
Class: |
A63F 2300/5553 20130101;
A63F 13/85 20140902; A63F 2300/575 20130101; A63F 13/12 20130101;
G06Q 30/06 20130101; A63F 13/69 20140902; A63F 13/79 20140902 |
Class at
Publication: |
463/42 ;
463/43 |
International
Class: |
A63F 9/24 20060101
A63F009/24 |
Claims
1. A method for dynamically adding an item associated with an
avatar associated with a user in an online multi-player video game
service, wherein the service comprises at least one server,
comprising: receiving a message indicative of the user obtaining
access of the item for use with the avatar; storing an indication
that the avatar may use the item; directing a first game to display
the avatar with the item; and directing a second game to display
the avatar with the item.
2. The method of claim 1, wherein the item has a creator, and said
receiving a message indicative of the user obtaining access occurs
after receiving a message from the item creator to store the
item.
3. The method of claim 2, wherein the creator has at least one
credential, further comprising: validating each credential.
4. The method of claim 1, wherein said directing the first game to
display the avatar with the item includes receiving a message from
the user to display the avatar with the item.
5. The method of claim 1, wherein said message is received from the
first game.
6. The method of claim 5, wherein said message is received from the
first game when the user achieves an accomplishment in the game
associated with the item.
7. The method of claim 1, wherein said message is received in
response to the user purchasing the item from an e-commerce
store.
8. The method of claim 1, wherein said message is received in
response to the user receiving the item as a gift.
9. The method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying the avatar
with the item on a message board posting associated with the
user.
10. The method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying the
avatar with the item on a profile associated with the user.
11. The method of claim 1, further comprising: displaying the
avatar with the item in a live chat in which the user is
participating.
12. The method of claim 1, wherein the user accesses the service
through a computer, further comprising: directing the user's
computer to store the association between the item and the
avatar.
13. The method of claim 1, wherein the user accesses the service
through a computer, further comprising: directing the user's
computer to store the item.
14. The method of claim 1, wherein said first game is an online
multi-player game comprising a session and at least one other user
and said directing the first game to display the avatar with the
item includes directing the game of each other user to display the
avatar with the item.
15. The method of claim 1, wherein said directing a first game to
display the avatar with the item includes directing the first game
to download the item from at least one server.
16. A system for dynamically adding an item associated with an
avatar associated with a user on a gaming console, comprising: a
processor; a module to receive a message indicative of the user
obtaining access of the item for use with the avatar; a module to
store an indication on the console that the avatar may use the
item; a module to direct a first game executing on the console to
display the avatar with the item; and a module to direct a second
game executing on the console to display the avatar with the
item.
17. The system of claim 16, wherein said module to direct the first
game to display the avatar with the item includes a module to
receive a message from the user to display the avatar with the
item.
18. The system of claim 16, wherein said module to receive is
configured to receive the message from the first game.
19. The system of claim 18, wherein said message is received from
the first game when the user achieves an accomplishment in the game
associated with the item.
20. A computer readable storage medium for dynamically adding an
item associated with an avatar associated with a user in an online
multi-player video game service, the computer readable storage
medium including computer executable instructions that when
executed perform the method comprising: receiving a message
indicative of the user obtaining access of the item for use with
the avatar; storing an indication that the avatar may use the item;
directing a first game to display the avatar with the item; and
directing a second game to display the avatar with the item.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. patent application
Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No. MSFT-6209/324415.01), entitled
"Programming APIs for an Extensible Avatar System."
[0002] This application is related by subject matter to the subject
matter disclosed in the following commonly assigned applications,
the entirety of which are hereby incorporated by reference herein:
U.S. patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.
MSFT-6204/324351.01) titled "A System for Editing an Avatar," U.S.
patent application Ser. No. ______ (Attorney Docket No.
MSFT-6205/324378.01) titled "An Extensible Animation and Remote
System for Platform Avatars", and U.S. patent application Ser. No.
______ (Attorney Docket No. MSFT-6208/324414.01), titled "Avatar
Closet/Game Awarded Avatar."
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0003] Video games sometimes feature a user-created, system-wide
avatar as a user-controlled character. Typically, a user may
customize the avatar in variety of ways dealing with appearance,
such as facial features and clothing. This allows the user a more
personalized and involved video gaming experience. For instance,
the Nintendo Corporation has a user-created, system-wide avatar,
the MII.RTM., which a user may then use as his or her
user-controlled character in video games that support this feature,
such as WII SPORTS.RTM.. The current system-wide avatars have a
pre-defined set of clothing and accessory options (hereinafter
"items"). There lacks a mechanism to allow new items to be
introduced as options for a player's avatar.
[0004] There do exist mechanisms to introduce new items in
game-specific online video-game systems. For instance, The Blizzard
Corporation's WORLDS OF WARCRAFT allows new items to be introduced
for users to place on their avatars. However, this is limited to a
single game, and no mechanism exists for such to take place on a
system that comprises multiple video games. Furthermore, there is
only one source of new items--Blizzard.
[0005] It would therefore be an improvement to allow for the
introduction of new items for system-wide avatars, especially if
these items may be obtained from several different sources.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0006] In example embodiments of the present disclosure, a method,
system and computer readable medium are provided to dynamically add
an item associated with an avatar associated with a user in an
online multi-player video game service. In such a system, the item
to be added may originate from a variety of sources, including an
e-commerce marketplace, a game that the user is playing, and as a
gift from another party.
[0007] In example embodiments of the present disclosure, a method
system and computer readable medium are provided to dynamically add
an item associated with an avatar that exists across a user
console, and independent of any video game played on the console.
In such a system, a user may have a system-wide avatar that also
being used in the currently executing game. Where the user obtains
access to an item for his or her avatar while playing the game, the
service provides a facility for the user to associate that item
with his or her avatar in all games on the console that support
avatars and items, as well as a mechanism for the game to be
informed of the new association, and load the updated avatar that
displays the item to replace the old avatar in the concurrently
executing game.
[0008] The user's avatar and the association between avatar and
item may be stored locally on the console. In one embodiment, this
avatar is stored as part of the user's profile. In one embodiment,
when the user connects to an online multi-player gaming server, the
avatar or profile is synchronized with the service, along with any
corresponding items.
[0009] A method and computer readable medium are also disclosed
that perform comparable functions as the system discussed
above.
[0010] The foregoing is a summary and thus contains, by necessity,
simplifications, generalizations and omissions of detail. Those
skilled in the art will appreciate that the summary is illustrative
only and is not intended to be in any way limiting.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0011] The systems, methods, and computer readable media for
updating the appearance of an avatar that exists across an online
multi-player gaming system, including an executing video game, in
accordance with this specification are further described with
reference to the accompanying drawings in which:
[0012] FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary console for subject matter
discussed in FIGS. 4-5
[0013] FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary computing environment for
subject matter discussed with reference to FIGS. 4-5;
[0014] FIG. 3 illustrates an exemplary networking environment for
subject matter discussed with reference to FIGS. 4-5;
[0015] FIG. 4 illustrates an example procedure for dynamically
adding an item associated with an avatar associated with a user in
an online multi-player video game service.
[0016] FIG. 5 illustrates an example system for dynamically adding
an item associated with an avatar associated with a user in an
online multi-player video game service.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATIVE EMBODIMENTS
[0017] Exemplary Game Console, PC, and Networking Aspects
[0018] This section of the present disclosure provides the general
aspects of an exemplary and non-limiting game console. Referring
now to FIG. 1, a block diagram shows an exemplary multimedia
console. The multimedia console 100 has a central processing unit
(CPU) 101 having a level 1 (L1) cache 102, a level 2 (L2) cache
104, and a flash ROM (Read-only Memory) 106. The level 1 cache 102
and level 2 cache 104 temporarily store data and hence reduce the
number of memory access cycles, thereby improving processing speed
and throughput. The flash ROM 106 may store executable code that is
loaded during an initial phase of a boot process when the
multimedia console 100 is powered. Alternatively, the executable
code that is loaded during the initial boot phase may be stored in
a flash memory device (not shown). Furthermore, ROM 106 may be
located separate from CPU 101.
[0019] A graphics processing unit (GPU) 108 and a video
encoder/video codec (coder/decoder) 114 form a video processing
pipeline for high speed and high resolution graphics processing.
Data is carried from the graphics processing unit 108 to the video
encoder/video codec 114 via a bus. The video processing pipeline
outputs data to an A/V (audio/video) port 140 for transmission to a
television or other display. A memory controller 110 is connected
to the GPU 108 and CPU 101 to facilitate processor access to
various types of memory 112, such as, but not limited to, a RAM
(Random Access Memory).
[0020] The multimedia console 100 includes an I/O controller 120, a
system management controller 122, an audio processing unit 123, a
network interface controller 124, a first USB host controller 126,
a second USB controller 128 and a front panel I/O subassembly 130
that are preferably implemented on a module 118. The USB
controllers 126 and 128 serve as hosts for peripheral controllers
142(1)-142(2), a wireless adapter 148, and an external memory unit
146 (e.g., flash memory, external CD/DVD ROM drive, removable
media, etc.). The network interface 124 and/or wireless adapter 148
provide access to a network (e.g., the Internet, home network,
etc.) and may be any of a wide variety of various wired or wireless
interface components including an Ethernet card, a modem, a
Bluetooth module, a cable modem, and the like.
[0021] System memory 143 is provided to store application data that
is loaded during the boot process. A media drive 144 is provided
and may comprise a DVD/CD drive, hard drive, or other removable
media drive, etc. The media drive 144 may be internal or external
to the multimedia console 100. Application data may be accessed via
the media drive 144 for execution, playback, etc. by the multimedia
console 100. The media drive 144 is connected to the I/O controller
120 via a bus, such as a Serial ATA bus or other high speed
connection (e.g., IEEE 1394).
[0022] The system management controller 122 provides a variety of
service functions related to assuring availability of the
multimedia console 100. The audio processing unit 123 and an audio
codec 132 form a corresponding audio processing pipeline with high
fidelity, 3D, surround, and stereo audio processing according to
aspects of the present disclosure described above. Audio data is
carried between the audio processing unit 123 and the audio codec
126 via a communication link. The audio processing pipeline outputs
data to the A/V port 140 for reproduction by an external audio
player or device having audio capabilities.
[0023] The front panel I/O subassembly 130 supports the
functionality of the power button 150 and the eject button 152, as
well as any LEDs (light emitting diodes) or other indicators
exposed on the outer surface of the multimedia console 100. A
system power supply module 136 provides power to the components of
the multimedia console 100. A fan 138 cools the circuitry within
the multimedia console 100.
[0024] The CPU 101, GPU 108, memory controller 110, and various
other components within the multimedia console 100 are
interconnected via one or more buses, including serial and parallel
buses, a memory bus, a peripheral bus, and a processor or local bus
using any of a variety of bus architectures.
[0025] When the multimedia console 100 is powered on or rebooted,
application data may be loaded from the system memory 143 into
memory 112 and/or caches 102, 104 and executed on the CPU 101. The
application may present a graphical user interface that provides a
consistent user experience when navigating to different media types
available on the multimedia console 100. In operation, applications
and/or other media contained within the media drive 144 may be
launched or played from the media drive 144 to provide additional
functionalities to the multimedia console 100.
[0026] The multimedia console 100 may be operated as a standalone
system by simply connecting the system to a television or other
display. In this standalone mode, the multimedia console 100 may
allow one or more users to interact with the system, watch movies,
listen to music, and the like. However, with the integration of
broadband connectivity made available through the network interface
124 or the wireless adapter 148, the multimedia console 100 may
further be operated as a participant in a larger network community.
In this latter scenario, the console 100 may be connected via a
network to a server.
[0027] Second, now turning to FIG. 2, illustrated is a block
diagram representing an exemplary computing device that may be
suitable for use in conjunction with implementing the subject
matter disclosed above. Numerous embodiments of the present
disclosure may execute on a computer. For example, the computer
executable instructions that carry out the processes and methods
for providing PC experiences on gaming consoles may reside and/or
be executed in such a computing environment as shown in FIG. 1. The
computing system environment 220 is only one example of a suitable
computing environment and is not intended to suggest any limitation
as to the scope of use or functionality of the presently disclosed
subject matter. Neither should the computing environment 220 be
interpreted as having any dependency or requirement relating to any
one or combination of components illustrated in the exemplary
operating environment 220. In some embodiments the various depicted
computing elements may include circuitry configured to instantiate
specific aspects of the present disclosure. For example, the term
circuitry used in the disclosure can include specialized hardware
components configured to perform function(s) by firmware or
switches. In other examples embodiments the term circuitry can
include a general purpose processing unit, memory, etc., configured
by software instructions that embody logic operable to perform
function(s). In example embodiments where circuitry includes a
combination of hardware and software, an implementer may write
source code embodying logic and the source code can be compiled
into machine readable code that can be processed by the general
purpose processing unit. Since one skilled in the art can
appreciate that the state of the art has evolved to a point where
there is little difference between hardware, software, or a
combination of hardware/software, the selection of hardware versus
software to effectuate specific functions is a design choice left
to an implementer. More specifically, one of skill in the art can
appreciate that a software process can be transformed into an
equivalent hardware structure, and a hardware structure can itself
be transformed into an equivalent software process. Thus, the
selection of a hardware implementation versus a software
implementation is one of design choice and left to the
implementer.
[0028] Computer 241 typically includes a variety of computer
readable media. Computer readable media can be any available media
that can be accessed by computer 241 and includes both volatile and
nonvolatile media, removable and non-removable media. The system
memory 222 includes computer storage media in the form of volatile
and/or nonvolatile memory such as read only memory (ROM) 223 and
random access memory (RAM) 260. A basic input/output system 224
(BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer
information between elements within computer 241, such as during
start-up, is typically stored in ROM 223. RAM 260 typically
contains data and/or program modules that are immediately
accessible to and/or presently being operated on by processing unit
259. By way of example, and not limitation, FIG. 2 illustrates
operating system 225, application programs 226, other program
modules 227, and program data 228.
[0029] The computer 241 may also include other
removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage
media. By way of example only, FIG. 2 illustrates a hard disk drive
238 that reads from or writes to non-removable, nonvolatile
magnetic media, a magnetic disk drive 239 that reads from or writes
to a removable, nonvolatile magnetic disk 254, and an optical disk
drive 240 that reads from or writes to a removable, nonvolatile
optical disk 253 such as a CD ROM or other optical media. Other
removable/non-removable, volatile/nonvolatile computer storage
media that can be used in the exemplary operating environment
include, but are not limited to, magnetic tape cassettes, flash
memory cards, digital versatile disks, digital video tape, solid
state RAM, solid state ROM, and the like. The hard disk drive 238
is typically connected to the system bus 221 through an
non-removable memory interface such as interface 234, and magnetic
disk drive 239 and optical disk drive 240 are typically connected
to the system bus 221 by a removable memory interface, such as
interface 235.
[0030] The drives and their associated computer storage media
discussed above and illustrated in FIG. 2, provide storage of
computer readable instructions, data structures, program modules
and other data for the computer 241. In FIG. 2, for example, hard
disk drive 238 is illustrated as storing operating system 258,
application programs 257, other program modules 256, and program
data 255. Note that these components can either be the same as or
different from operating system 225, application programs 226,
other program modules 227, and program data 228. Operating system
258, application programs 257, other program modules 256, and
program data 255 are given different numbers here to illustrate
that, at a minimum, they are different copies. A user may enter
commands and information into the computer 241 through input
devices such as a keyboard 251 and pointing device 252, commonly
referred to as a mouse, trackball or touch pad. Other input devices
(not shown) may include a microphone, joystick, game pad, satellite
dish, scanner, or the like. These and other input devices are often
connected to the processing unit 259 through a user input interface
236 that is coupled to the system bus, but may be connected by
other interface and bus structures, such as a parallel port, game
port or a universal serial bus (USB). A monitor 242 or other type
of display device is also connected to the system bus 221 via an
interface, such as a video interface 232. In addition to the
monitor, computers may also include other peripheral output devices
such as speakers 244 and printer 243, which may be connected
through a output peripheral interface 233.
[0031] The computer 241 may operate in a networked environment
using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as
a remote computer 246. The remote computer 246 may be a personal
computer, a server, a router, a network PC, a peer device or other
common network node, and typically includes many or all of the
elements described above relative to the computer 241, although
only a memory storage device 247 has been illustrated in FIG. 2.
The logical connections depicted in FIG. 2 include a local area
network (LAN) 245 and a wide area network (WAN) 249, but may also
include other networks. Such networking environments are
commonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks,
intranets and the Internet.
[0032] When used in a LAN networking environment, the computer 241
is connected to the LAN 245 through a network interface or adapter
237. When used in a WAN networking environment, the computer 241
typically includes a modem 250 or other means for establishing
communications over the WAN 249, such as the Internet. The modem
250, which may be internal or external, may be connected to the
system bus 221 via the user input interface 236, or other
appropriate mechanism. In a networked environment, program modules
depicted relative to the computer 241, or portions thereof, may be
stored in the remote memory storage device. By way of example, and
not limitation, FIG. 2 illustrates remote application programs 248
as residing on memory device 247. It will be appreciated that the
network connections shown are exemplary and other means of
establishing a communications link between the computers may be
used.
[0033] FIG. 3 provides a schematic diagram of an exemplary
networked or distributed computing environment. The environment
comprises computing devices 153, 156, and 157 as well as object 155
and database 158. Each of these entities 153, 155, 156, 157, and
158 may comprise or make use of programs, methods, data stores,
programmable logic, etc. The entities 153, 155, 156, 157, and 158
may span portions of the same or different devices such as PDAs,
audio/video devices, MP3 players, smart phones, DVD players, cable
box tuners, or just about any computing devices capable of remoted
content provided by server PCs. Each entity 153, 155, 156, 157, and
158 can communicate with another entity 153, 155, 156, 157, and 158
by way of the communications network 154. In this regard, any
entity may be responsible for the maintenance and updating of a
database 158 or other storage element.
[0034] This network 154 may itself comprise other computing
entities that provide services to the system of FIG. 3, and may
itself represent multiple interconnected networks. In accordance
with an aspect of the presently disclosed subject matter, each
entity 153, 155, 156, 157, and 158 may contain discrete functional
program modules that might make use of an API, or other object,
software, firmware and/or hardware, to request services of one or
more of the other entities 153, 155, 156, 157, and 158.
[0035] It can also be appreciated that an object, such as 155, may
be hosted on another computing device 156. Thus, although the
physical environment depicted may show the connected devices as
computers, such illustration is merely exemplary and the physical
environment may alternatively be depicted or described comprising
various digital devices such as PDAs, televisions, MP3 players,
etc., software objects such as interfaces, COM objects and the
like.
[0036] There are a variety of systems, components, and network
configurations that support distributed computing environments. For
example, computing systems may be connected together by wired or
wireless systems, by local networks or widely distributed networks.
Currently, many networks are coupled to the Internet, which
provides an infrastructure for widely distributed computing and
encompasses many different networks. Any such infrastructures,
whether coupled to the Internet or not, may be used in conjunction
with the systems and methods provided.
[0037] A network infrastructure may enable a host of network
topologies such as client/server, peer-to-peer, or hybrid
architectures. The "client" is a member of a class or group that
uses the services of another class or group to which it is not
related. In computing, a client is a process, i.e., roughly a set
of instructions or tasks, that requests a service provided by
another program. The client process utilizes the requested service
without having to "know" any working details about the other
program or the service itself. In a client/server architecture,
particularly a networked system, a client is usually a computer
that accesses shared network resources provided by another
computer, e.g., a server. In the example of FIG. 12, any entity
153, 155, 156, 157, and 158 can be considered a client, a server,
or both, depending on the circumstances. And, moreover, regarding
the entertainment console, it can be a client to a server.
[0038] A server is typically, though not necessarily, a remote
computer system accessible over a remote or local network, such as
the Internet. The client process may be active in a first computer
system, and the server process may be active in a second computer
system, communicating with one another over a communications
medium, thus providing distributed functionality and allowing
multiple clients to take advantage of the information-gathering
capabilities of the server. Any software objects may be distributed
across multiple computing devices or objects.
[0039] Client(s) and server(s) communicate with one another
utilizing the functionality provided by protocol layer(s). For
example, HyperText Transfer Protocol (HTTP) is a common protocol
that is used in conjunction with the World Wide Web (WWW), or "the
Web." Typically, a computer network address such as an Internet
Protocol (IP) address or other reference such as a Universal
Resource Locator (URL) can be used to identify the server or client
computers to each other. The network address can be referred to as
a URL address. Communication can be provided over a communications
medium, e.g., client(s) and server(s) may be coupled to one another
via TCP/IP connection(s) for high-capacity communication.
[0040] In light of the diverse computing environments that may be
built according to the general framework provided in FIG. 3 and the
further diversification that can occur in computing in a network
environment such as that of FIG. 3, the systems and methods
provided herein cannot be construed as limited in any way to a
particular computing architecture or operating system. Instead, the
presently disclosed subject matter should not be limited to any
single embodiment, but rather should be construed in breadth and
scope in accordance with the appended claims. Thus, for example,
although game consoles and server PCs have been discussed, just as
easily full desktops could be remoted to smart phones as a means to
access data and functionality that is otherwise unavailable to
smart phones.
[0041] Finally, it should also be noted that the various techniques
described herein may be implemented in connection with hardware or
software or, where appropriate, with a combination of both. Thus,
the methods, computer readable media, and systems of the presently
disclosed subject matter, or certain aspects or portions thereof,
may take the form of program code (i.e., instructions) embodied in
tangible media, such as floppy diskettes, CD-ROMs, hard drives, or
any other machine-readable storage medium, where, when the program
code is loaded into and executed by a machine, such as a computer,
the machine becomes an apparatus for practicing the subject
matter.
[0042] In the case of program code execution on programmable
computers, the computing device may generally include a processor,
a storage medium readable by the processor (including volatile and
non-volatile memory and/or storage elements), at least one input
device, and at least one output device. One or more programs that
may utilize the creation and/or implementation of domain-specific
programming models aspects of the present disclosure, e.g., through
the use of a data processing API or the like, are preferably
implemented in a high level procedural or object oriented
programming language to communicate with a computer system.
However, the program(s) can be implemented in assembly or machine
language, if desired. In any case, the language may be a compiled
or interpreted language, and combined with hardware
implementations.
[0043] Avatar Closet/Game Awarded Avatar
[0044] FIG. 4 illustrates an example operational flow for
dynamically adding an item associated with an avatar associated
with a user in an online multi-player video game service. Those
skilled in the art will note that the disclosed process is
illustrative and that different implementations are
contemplated.
[0045] At 400, the process flow begins. This process may be
triggered in response to a user beginning execution of a video game
on a video game console that is connected to the online video game
service. For example, the user may power on the console, insert a
disc that contains computer readable instructions comprising the
game, and send an access credential that uniquely The service
itself may comprise one or more servers through which
online-multiplayer video game play is validated and exchanged
between users, a game match-making service that groups users
together into a gaming session, an e-commerce marketplace, a
message board and a live chat room. The user's avatar may appear in
many areas of such a service. For instance it may appear in a
user's profile on the service or as a part of any posts the user
makes to a message board.
[0046] Operation 402 depicts receiving a message indicative of the
user obtaining access of the item for use with the avatar. For
example the message may be received from the game when the user
achieves an accomplishment in the game associated with the item.
The accomplishment may be, for instance, beating a level or
purchasing it in the game with in-game currency. The message may be
received in response to the user purchasing the item from an
e-commerce store that is associated with the service. For example,
the message may be received in response to the user receiving the
item as a gift. For example, a sponsor could allow users access to
an item comprising shoes that look like actual shoes that the
sponsor produces.
[0047] This operation may include the case wherein the item has a
creator, and said receiving a message indicative of the user
obtaining access occurs after receiving a message from the item
creator to store the item. In some cases, the item may be created
by a game developer outside of the service. Where that is true, the
item creator may send a message to the service indicating that the
item is to be stored by the service for future use by users with
their avatar.
[0048] In some instances the creator has at least one credential,
the message includes the credential, and receiving the message from
the item creator to store the item includes validating each
credential.
[0049] Operation 404 depicts storing an indication that the avatar
may use the item. Where an embodiment contains a database in which
are stored avatars and items, the indication may comprise a third
field, such that for every avatar-item pair, there is a
corresponding "May use?" field that indicates either "yes" or
"no."
[0050] Operation 406 depicts directing a first game to display the
avatar with the item. Where the item comprises a hat, said
displaying may comprise having the avatar wear the hat on his or
her head where the avatar is displayed. Where the item is a
non-clothing accessory, such as a fly swatter or a giant foam
"We're #1" novelty hand, said displaying may comprise having the
avatar holding or otherwise manipulating the item where the avatar
is displayed.
[0051] In an embodiment, said directing the first game to display
the avatar with the item includes receiving a message from the user
to display the avatar with the item.
[0052] In an embodiment, said first game is an online multi-player
game comprising a session and at least one other user. An online
gaming service may have many sessions or instances of a particular
game active at a single time. Typically, a user participates in no
more than a single session of the game at any time. In such an
embodiment, said directing the first game to display the avatar
with the item includes directing the game of each other user to
display the avatar with the item. This will cause each other user
who is playing the session with the user to see the updated avatar.
This will ensure consistency for all users in the gaming
session.
[0053] In an embodiment, said directing a first game to display the
avatar with the item includes directing the first game to download
the item from at least one server. In an architecture where all
items are stored on a server, and a subset of the items are stored
on the user's computing device, the first game may require local
access to the item.
[0054] Operation 408 depicts directing a second game to display the
avatar with the item. The avatar exists across the entire service,
so while an item may be obtained in the first game, it is available
for the avatar in all other aspects of the service. Where the user
obtains an item for his or her avatar, directs that his or her
avatar be displayed with the item, then begins playing a second
game that supports avatars, the avatar will be displayed with the
item in the second game, as well.
[0055] Operation 410 depicts the optional step of displaying the
avatar with the item on a message board posting associated with the
user. Where the service comprises a message board, users may post
to the board to communicate with each other. Attached to each post
may be the user's name, the time at which the post was made, and a
representation of the user's avatar. The representation may
comprise less than the entire avatar, such as a still image of the
avatar from the neck up facing forward. Where the user's avatar is
displayed with the user's message board posts and the user has set
the avatar to be displayed with the item, in an embodiment the
image of the user's avatar corresponding to the message board
posting includes the item.
[0056] Operation 412 depicts the optional step of displaying the
avatar with the item on a profile associated with the user. A
profile comprises information about the user, such as real name,
home page, age, interests, and a personal quote. Where the service
comprises a user profile, the profile may comprise a representation
of the user's avatar. The representation may comprise less than the
entire avatar, such as a still image of the avatar from the neck up
facing forward. Where the user's avatar is displayed in the user's
profile and the user has set the avatar to be displayed with the
item, in an embodiment the image of the user's avatar corresponding
to the message board posting includes the item.
[0057] Operation 414 depicts the optional step of displaying the
avatar with the item in a live chat in which the user is
participating. A live chat comprises a communications session where
a plurality of users communicate with each other in near-real-time.
It may comprise text, audio, video or some combination thereof. In
an embodiment, where the user participates in a live chat, all
participants in the chat see a representation of the user's avatar.
The representation may comprise less than the entire avatar, such
as a still image of the avatar from the neck up facing forward.
Where the user's avatar is displayed in the user's profile and the
user has set the avatar to be displayed with the item, in an
embodiment the image of the user's avatar corresponding to the
message board posting includes the item.
[0058] Operation 416 depicts the optional step of directing the
user's computer to store the association between the item and the
avatar, wherein the user accesses the service through a computer.
It may be beneficial for the user's computer to store the
association between the item and the avatar so as to reduce access
time by storing the information locally.
[0059] Operation 418 depicts the optional step of directing the
user's computer to store the item, wherein the user accesses the
service through a computer. It may be beneficial for the user's
computer to store the item itself so as to reduce access time by
storing the information locally.
[0060] FIG. 5 depicts a system for dynamically adding an item
associated with an avatar associated with a user in an online
multi-player video game service. Those skilled in the art will note
that the disclosed process is illustrative and that different
implementations are contemplated.
[0061] A user 502 uses a computing device 504 to execute a game
506. In an embodiment of the present disclosure, the user connects
to an online gaming server 508 through a network 510.
[0062] The server 508 comprises a processor 512, a module to
receive a message indicative of the user obtaining access of the
item for use with the avatar 514, a module to store an indication
that the avatar may use the item 516, a database to store
user/avatar/item triplets 518, a module to direct a first game to
display the avatar with the item 520, and a module to direct a
second game to display the avatar with the item 522.
[0063] The computing device 504 may be a dedicated video game
console or a more general computing device, such as a cellular
telephone or a personal computer. The computing device 504 may be
configured to execute a plurality of games. It may have an optical
drive and allow for a variety of games to be executed from computer
readable instructions stored on optical discs. The games may be
stored on a storage device within the computer, such as a hard
drive or solid-state drive.
[0064] The user may obtain access to an item with his or her
avatar. The user may obtain this from a variety of sources. It may
be a gift from another user 524, who is accessing the service
through a computing device 504a. The user may obtain the item as a
reward by achieving a goal in the game 506 associated with the
avatar, such as beating a level or obtaining a threshold score. The
user may also purchase the item from a e-commerce marketplace
offered by the server 508.
[0065] When the user has obtained access to the item, a
corresponding message is sent to the module to receive a message
indicative of the user obtaining access of the item for use with
the avatar 514. In an embodiment, said module 514 includes a module
to receive a message from the user 502 to display the avatar with
the item. In an embodiment, said module to receive 514 is
configured to receive the message from the first game 506. Said
module 514 processes the message and then send a message to the
module to store an indication that the avatar may use the item 516.
That module 516 stores said indication in the database 518. In an
embodiment, a user may have a plurality of avatars, and the item is
restricted to a single avatar. In an embodiment, when a user
obtains access to an item and may have a plurality of avatars, the
item may immediately be used by all of the user's avatars. In an
embodiment, the user has a single avatar, and all items that the
user obtains access to correspond to that one avatar.
[0066] The module to direct a first game to display the avatar with
the item 520 sends a message indicative of such to the first game
506 via the user's computing device 504 through the network 510.
The first game 506 receives the message and displays the user's
avatar with the item.
[0067] Where the user later plays a second game, the module to
direct a second game to display the avatar with the item 522 sends
a message indicative of such to the second game 526 via the user's
computing device 504 through the network 510. The second game 526
receives the message and displays the user's avatar with the
item.
CONCLUSION
[0068] While the present disclosure has been described in
connection with the preferred aspects, as illustrated in the
various figures, it is understood that other similar aspects may be
used or modifications and additions may be made to the described
aspects for performing the same function of the present disclosure
without deviating therefrom. Therefore, the present disclosure
should not be limited to any single aspect, but rather construed in
breadth and scope in accordance with the appended claims. For
example, the various procedures described herein may be implemented
with hardware or software, or a combination of both. Thus, the
methods and apparatus of the disclosed embodiments, or certain
aspects or portions thereof, may take the form of program code
(i.e., instructions) embodied in tangible media, such as floppy
diskettes, CD-ROMs, hard drives, or any other machine-readable
storage medium. When the program code is loaded into and executed
by a machine, such as a computer, the machine becomes an apparatus
configured for practicing the disclosed embodiments. In addition to
the specific implementations explicitly set forth herein, other
aspects and implementations will be apparent to those skilled in
the art from consideration of the specification disclosed herein.
It is intended that the specification and illustrated
implementations be considered as examples only.
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