Video game system with spectator mode hud

A non-transitory computer-usable medium having a sequence of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors, causes said one or more processors to execute a process for enabling a spectator's view for a multi-user online game system over a public network, said process comprising:

• enabling access over the public network by a plurality of players to establish a plurality of real-time active interactive games sessions with the multi-user online game system;
• and
• enabling a spectator to select, view, and time-shift at least one of the plurality of real-time active interactive games sessions, wherein the at least one of the plurality of real-time active interactive games sessions includes a plurality of electronic avatars;
• wherein the process further comprises:
• enabling a user to select an avatar for the user's view to follow;
• calculating an interest value associated with each of the plurality of avatars;
• and
• not shifting the user's view to another avatar having an interest value higher than the interest value associated with the avatar selected by the user unless one or more threshold values are exceeded.

A computer implemented method for matching players of an online multiuser game system, comprising:

• instructions stored in non-transitory computer readable memory that, when executed by one or more processors of the online multiuser game system, include the steps of:
• enabling the players to establish a plurality of real-time interactive game sessions with the online multiuser game system over a public network;
• and
• enabling at least one spectator to select, view, and time-shift at least one of the plurality of real-time interactive game sessions, wherein the spectator's view is graphically rendered from game data provided by the game system, wherein the at least one of the plurality of real-time interactive games sessions includes a plurality of electronic avatars;
• enabling a user to select an avatar for the user's view to follow;
• calculating an interest value associated with each of the plurality of avatars;
• and
• not shifting the user's view to another avatar having an interest value higher than the interest value associated with the avatar selected by the user unless one or more threshold values are exceeded.