Method and system for initiating an interactive game

An interactive game system comprising:

• one or more servers configured to:
• cause a television advertisement for an interactive game to be included in a television channel within an interactive environment, said television advertisement being selectable by two or more players to initiate said interactive game;
• and
• in response to selection of said television advertisement via input devices of said two or more players to initiate said interactive game, execute said interactive game, to control the play of said interactive game by at least two players, and produce video images of said interactive game, said video images comprising a first view of said game and a second view of said game, said first view being different from said second view;
• said one or more servers configured to communicate said video images for a network coupled to said one or more servers
• in association with a video stream to a plurality of reception devices having or controlling a respective display device of at least one of the at least two players of said interactive game and at least one non-player of said game,
• and for communicating at least first markup language code and second markup language code, if any, associated with said video stream, said first markup language code and said second markup language code addressed individually to said reception devices of the at least two players,
• said first markup language code providing a first user interface for a first player;
• and
• said second markup language code providing a second user interface for a second player;
• said one or more servers further configured to receive a data message from said first reception device and transfer said data message to said second reception device and to transfer said first view to said first reception device and said second view to said second reception device.

An interactive game system comprising:

• one or more servers configured to:
• cause a television advertisement for an interactive game to be included in a television channel within an interactive environment, said television advertisement being selectable by two or more players to initiate said interactive game;
• and
• in response to selection of said television advertisement via input devices of said two or more players to initiate said interactive game, execute said interactive game, to control play of said interactive game, and produce video images of said interactive game, said video images comprising a first view of said game, a second view of said game, and a third view of said game, each of said views being different from each of the other of said views;
• said one or more servers coupled to a network for communicating a video stream containing said video images to a plurality of reception devices having or controlling a respective display device communicatively coupled to said network, including reception devices of at least two players of said interactive game and at least one non-player of said game, and for communicating associated markup language code, if any, addressed individually to
• a first of said plurality of reception devices that receives said first view of said video stream and that acquires first markup language code addressed to said first of said plurality of reception devices wherein said first markup language code is associated with said video stream and provides a first user interface for a first of said at least two players, and
• a second of said plurality of reception devices that receives said second view of said video stream and that acquires second markup language code addressed to said second of said plurality of reception devices wherein said second markup language code is associated with said video stream and provides a second user interface for a second of said at least two players, and
• a third of said plurality of reception devices that receives said third view of said video stream and that outputs said video images to a display device of said at least one non-player of the game,
• wherein said one or more servers is further configured to
• receive a data message from said first of said plurality of reception devices and transfer said data message to said second of said plurality of reception devices;
• and
• transmit different ones of the video images for the players and for the at least one non-player of the game;
• wherein registration of at least one of the at least two players is solicited through an advertisement.

An interactive game system for producing signals for playing an interactive game between at least two players of said interactive game, said interactive game viewable by at least one additional viewer of said interactive game that is not a participant in said game, said system comprising:

• a server system configured for
• causing a television advertisement for said interactive game to be included in a television channel within an interactive environment, said television advertisement being selectable by said at least two players to initiate said interactive game;
• in response to selection of said television advertisement via input devices of said two or more players to initiate said interactive game, running said interactive game and producing video images of said game, said video images comprising a first view of said game, a second view of said game, and a third view of the game, wherein each of said views is different from each of the other of said views;
• and
• generating markup language code for associating with a video signal including said video images, said markup language code addressed to at least three reception devices having or controlling a respective display device, said video signal for communicating by a network, to said at least three reception devices including at least
• a first of the at least three reception devices receiving said first view of said video signal from said network and acquiring first markup language code associated with said video signal and addressed to said first reception device, said first markup language code comprising a user interface for a first player of said at least two players,
• a second of the at least three reception devices receiving said second view of said video signal from said network and acquiring second markup language code associated with said video signal and addressed to said second reception device, said second markup language code comprising a user interface for a second player of said at least two players, and
• a third of said at least three reception devices receiving said third view of said video signal from said network and presenting said video images to said at least one additional viewer that is not a participant in said game, said markup language code including code, if any, that is necessary for said at least two players to play said game.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embedded therein a set of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a computer causes the computer to execute operations comprising:

• causing a television advertisement for an interactive game to be included in a television channel within an interactive environment, said television advertisement being selectable by at least two players to initiate said interactive game;
• using at least one server and in response to selection of said television advertisement via input devices of said two or more players to initiate said interactive game, launching said interactive game;
• generating first markup language code for associating with a video stream, said first markup language code for communication to a first receiver at a specific address in a network, said first markup language code comprising a user interface for a first player of said at least two players;
• generating second markup language code for associating with said video stream, said second markup language code for communication to a second receiver at another specific address in said network, said second markup language code comprising a user interface for a second player of said at least two players;
• receiving a game control signal that is generated in response to an input from said first player, and message data from said first receiver;
• generating video images in response to said game control signal, said video images comprising a first view of said game, a second view of said game, and a third view of the game, each of said views being different from each of the other of said views;
• and
• communicating said video images for association with said video stream;
• whereby said message data is communicated to said second receiver, and said video stream is communicated to a plurality of receivers including receivers of said at least a first player and a second player, the first player receiving said first view and said second player receiving said second view, and of at least one nonparticipating viewer, said at least one nonparticipating viewer receiving said third view.

A method of implementing an interactive game between at least two players in a network, the method comprising:

• causing a television advertisement for interactive game to be included in a television channel within an interactive environment, said television advertisement being selectable by said at least two players to initiate said interactive game;
• in response to selection of said television advertisement to initiate said interactive game, launching said interactive game on a video game server communicatively coupled to said network;
• generating first markup language code for associating with a video stream, said first markup language code generated by said server for communication as a user interface for a first player of said at least two players;
• generating second markup language code for associating with said video stream, said second markup language code generated by said server for communication as a user interface for a second player of said at least two players;
• receiving at said video game server a game control signal that is generated in response to an input signal from said first player, and message data from a first reception device used by said first player;
• generating video images in said video game server in response to said control signal, said video images comprising a first view of said game, a second view of said game, and a third view of the game, each of said views being different from each of the other of said views;
• and
• communicating said video images for association with said video stream;
• whereby said message data is communicated from said server to a second reception device used by said second player and said video stream is communicated to said reception devices.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embedded therein a set of instructions which, when executed by one or more processors of a computer causes the computer to execute operations comprising:

• causing a television advertisement for an interactive game to be included in a television channel within an interactive environment, said television advertisement being selectable by at least two players to initiate said interactive game;
• using a computer processor and in response to selection of said television advertisement via input devices of said two or more players to initiate said interactive game, launching said interactive game;
• generating first markup language code for associating with a video stream, said first markup language code for communication to a first reception device having or controlling a display device at a specific address in a network, said first markup language code comprising a user interface for a first player of said at least two players;
• generating second markup language code for associating with said video stream, for communication to a second reception device having or controlling a display device at another specific address in said network, said second markup language code comprising a user interface for a second player of said at least two players;
• receiving a game control signal that is generated in response to an input from said first player, and message data from said first reception device;
• generating video images in said video game server in response to said control signal, said video images comprising a first view of said game, a second view of said game, and a third view of the game, wherein each of said views is different from each of the other of said views;
• and
• communicating said video images for association with said video stream;
• whereby said message data is communicated from said video game server to said second reception device and a respective one of said views of said video stream is communicated to a respective one of each of the reception devices of said at least two players.