Method for user session transitioning among streaming interactive video servers

A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program for upgrading a data storage system, the computer-readable medium comprising:

• program instructions for receiving a request by a hosting service center from a user device to join a session of a multiplayer interactive game already in progress and being executed by a game server to generate video;
• program instructions for determining that the user device may join the session of the multiplayer interactive game based on a set of criteria that includes a latency connection of a communication channel associated with the user device, wherein the latency connection of the communication channel associated with the user device is on equal footing with latency connections for player devices of players already playing the multiplayer interactive game;
• program instructions for instructing an inbound routing network to transfer control signals received from the user device to the game server hosting the multiplayer interactive game;
• and
• program instructions for compressing the video associated with the multiplayer interactive game to be sent to the user device so that an average data rate of compressed video sent to the user device is below a peak data rate determined for the communication channel.

A computer system comprising:

• a processor;
• and
• memory coupled to the processor and having stored therein instructions that, if executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to execute a method comprising:
• receiving a request by a hosting service center from a user device to join a session of a multiplayer interactive game already in progress and being executed by a game server to generate video;
• determining that the user device may join the session of the multiplayer interactive game based on a set of criteria that includes a latency connection of a communication channel associated with the user device, wherein the latency connection of the communication channel associated with the user device is on equal footing with latency connections for player devices of players already playing the multiplayer interactive game;
• instructing an inbound routing network to transfer control signals received from the user device to the game server hosting the multiplayer interactive game;
• and
• compressing the video associated with the multiplayer interactive game to be sent to the user device so that an average data rate of compressed video sent to the user device is below a peak data rate determined for the communication channel.