Method and system for accessing previously stored game play via video recording as executed on a game cloud system

A method for gaming, comprising:

• initiating an instance of a gaming application based on an initiating snapshot captured at a first point in a game play of a player;
• accessing a sequence of input commands associated with said snapshot and used to direct said game play;
• generating at said instance of said gaming application a plurality of image frames based on said sequence of input commands for rendering at a client device of a user, wherein said plurality of image frames replays said game play from said point in said game play;
• receiving an initiation request to begin a jump game from said client device corresponding to a first image frame in said plurality of image frames, wherein said first image frame corresponds to a jump point in said game play;
• and
• handling input commands from said client device at said instance of said gaming application beginning from said jump point.

A game cloud system for gaming, comprising:

• a game server configured to manage a plurality of virtual gaming engines configured to execute a plurality of instances of a video game in association with a plurality of users playing said video game, wherein said virtual gaming engines are configured to capture a plurality of snapshots of rendered images generated from executing said plurality of instances, and to capture information related to each of said plurality of snapshots, wherein information related to a corresponding snapshot enables execution of an instance of said video game beginning from said corresponding snapshot;
• a snapshot datastore for storing said plurality of snapshots;
• a user datastore for storing said information;
• a virtual gaming engine configured to:
• receive from a client device associated with a user selection of a video recording of game play of a player for a gaming application;
• streaming said video recording to said client device, wherein said video recording is associated with a snapshot captured at a first point in said game play of said player;
• receive from said client device selection of a jump point in said recorded game play;
• initiate an instance of said gaming application based on said snapshot, wherein said instance instantiates a jump game play;
• access a sequence of input commands associated with said snapshot and used to direct said game play;
• generate at said instance of said gaming application a plurality of image frames based on said sequence of input commands for rendering at said client device, wherein said plurality of image frames replays said game play from said first point to said jump point;
• and
• handle input commands from said client device at said instance of said gaming application beginning from said jump point.

A method for gaming, comprising:

• streaming over a network to a client device associated with a user a video recording of game play of a player for a gaming application, wherein said video recording is associated with a snapshot captured at a first point in said game play of said player;
• receiving from said client device selection of a jump point in said recorded game play;
• initiating an instance of said gaming application based on said snapshot, wherein said instance instantiates a jump game play;
• accessing a sequence of input commands associated with said snapshot and used to direct said game play;
• generating at said instance of said gaming application a plurality of image frames based on said sequence of input commands for rendering at said client device, wherein said plurality of image frames replays said game play from said first point to said jump point;
• and
• handling input commands from said client device at said instance of said gaming application beginning from said jump point.