US 9,070,242 B2Granted

Techniques for controlling game event influence and/or outcome in multi-player gaming environments

AssigneeDigital Creations, LLC

InventorJames Peter Kosta

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Abstract

Various aspects described or referenced herein are directed to different methods, systems, and computer program products for facilitating and/or enabling user controllable granularity in multi-player gaming environments for enabling a user (e.g., Target Player) to selectively allow/prevent game event influence/outcome by other players and/or groups of players participating in a multi-player game. At least a portion of the game event influence/outcome techniques disclosed herein may be operable to provide event influence/outcome functionality for facilitating user controllable granularity in multi-player gaming environments for enabling individual players of that game to granularly and selectively control the degree and/or type of influence other players of the game may have on game event outcomes relating to the game being played by that individual player.

Claims24

Dependent claims

A gaming system in a gaming network, comprising:

a gaming controller;
a memory storing a plurality of instructions;
a first display;
at least one interface for communicating with at least one other device in the gaming network;
wherein when the gaming controller executes the plurality of instructions stored in the memory, the gaming controller operates with the first display and the at least one interface to:
control a first gaming session;
enable a first player to participate in the first gaming session;
enable the first player to selectively customize a level or degree of influence that a first group of selected other players has over outcomes of a first set of game-related events and activities relating to the first gaming session;
enable the first player to selectively identify the first group of selected other players;
enable the first player to selectively identify the first set of game-related events and activities;
wherein the first group of selected other players is selected from a set of groups consisting of:
a group comprising friends of the first player;
a group comprising friends of friends of the first player (FOF);
a group comprising friends of FOF;
a group comprising strangers;
a group comprising at least one other player identified by the first player;
and a group comprising at least one other player which match specific selection criteria;
and
wherein the first set of game-related events and activities is selected from a set of groups consisting of:
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of game points;
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of game-related life/health points;
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of game-related bonuses;
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of real and/or virtual currency;
events or activities relating to the awarding of, loss of, and/or possession of game-related virtual objects;
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of game-related rank and/or status;
events or activities relating to the awarding of, loss of, and/or possession of game-related virtual real estate;
events or activities relating to the reconfiguration, improvement and/or alteration of game-related characters, object, assets or real-estate;
and events or activities relating to the awarding of, loss of, possession of, and/or access to game-related character attributes;
events or activities relating to the awarding of, loss of, possession of, and/or access to specialized game-related powers or abilities.

26 more elements

A computer implemented method for operating a gaming device in a gaming network, the method comprising:

causing a gaming controller to execute a plurality of instructions, which are stored in a memory device, to control a first gaming session;
enabling a first player to participate in the first gaming session;
enabling the first player to selectively customize a level or degree of influence that a first group of selected other players has over outcomes of a first set of game-related events and activities relating to the first gaming session;
enabling the first player to selectively identify the first group of selected other players;
enabling the first player to selectively identify the first set of game-related events and activities;
wherein the first group of selected other players is selected from a set of groups consisting of:
a group comprising friends of the first player;
a group comprising friends of friends of the first player (FOF);
a group comprising friends of FOF;
a group comprising strangers;
a group comprising at least one other player identified by the first player;
and a group comprising at least one other player which match specific selection criteria;
and
wherein the first set of game-related events and activities is selected from a set of groups consisting of:
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of game points;
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of game-related life/health points;
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of game-related bonuses;
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of real and/or virtual currency;
events or activities relating to the awarding of, loss of, and/or possession of game-related virtual objects;
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of game-related rank and/or status;
events or activities relating to the awarding of, loss of, and/or possession of game-related virtual real estate;
events or activities relating to the reconfiguration, improvement and/or alteration of game-related characters, object, assets or real-estate;
and events or activities relating to the awarding of, loss of, possession of, and/or access to game-related character attributes;
events or activities relating to the awarding of, loss of, possession of, and/or access to specialized game-related powers or abilities.

21 more elements

A computer implemented computer program product for operating a gaming device in a gaming network, the computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer readable code embodied therein, the computer readable code comprising:
computer code, which when executed by a processor, causes a gaming controller to execute a plurality of instructions, which are stored in a memory device, to control a first gaming session;
computer code, which when executed by the processor, enables a first player to participate in the first gaming session;
computer code, which when executed by the processor, enables the first player to selectively customize a level or degree of influence that a first group of selected other players has over outcomes of a first set of game-related events and activities relating to the first gaming session;
computer code, which when executed by the processor, enables the first player to selectively identify the first group of selected other players;
computer code, which when executed by the processor, enables the first player to selectively identify the first set of game-related events and activities;
wherein the first group of selected other players is selected from a set of groups consisting of:
a group comprising friends of the first player;
a group comprising friends of friends of the first player (FOF);
a group comprising friends of FOF;
a group comprising strangers;
a group comprising at least one other player identified by the first player;
and a group comprising at least one other player which match specific selection criteria;
and
wherein the first set of game-related events and activities is selected from a set of groups consisting of:
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of game points;
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of game-related life/health points;
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of game-related bonuses;
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of real and/or virtual currency;
events or activities relating to the awarding of, loss of, and/or possession of game-related virtual objects;
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of game-related rank and/or status;
events or activities relating to the awarding of, loss of, and/or possession of game-related virtual real estate;
events or activities relating to the reconfiguration, improvement and/or alteration of game-related characters, object, assets or real-estate;
and events or activities relating to the awarding of, loss of, possession of, and/or access to game-related character attributes;
events or activities relating to the awarding of, loss of, possession of, and/or access to specialized game-related powers or abilities.

22 more elements

A computer implemented system for operating a gaming device in a gaming network, the system comprising:

means for causing a gaming controller to execute a plurality of instructions, which are stored in a memory device, to control a first gaming session;
means for enabling a first player to participate in the first gaming session;
means for enabling the first player to selectively customize a level or degree of influence that a first group of selected other players has over outcomes of a first set of game-related events and activities relating to the first gaming session;
means for enabling the first player to selectively identify the first group of selected other players;
means for enabling the first player to selectively identify the first set of game-related events and activities;
wherein the first group of selected other players is selected from a set of groups consisting of:
a group comprising friends of the first player;
a group comprising friends of friends of the first player (FOF);
a group comprising friends of FOF;
a group comprising strangers;
a group comprising at least one other player identified by the first player;
and a group comprising at least one other player which match specific selection criteria;
and
wherein the first set of game-related events and activities is selected from a set of groups consisting of:
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of game points;
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of game-related life/health points;
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of game-related bonuses;
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of real and/or virtual currency;
events or activities relating to the awarding of, loss of, and/or possession of game-related virtual objects;
events or activities relating to the awarding of and/or loss of game-related rank and/or status;
events or activities relating to the awarding of, loss of, and/or possession of game-related virtual real estate;
events or activities relating to the reconfiguration, improvement and/or alteration of game-related characters, object, assets or real-estate;
and events or activities relating to the awarding of, loss of, possession of, and/or access to game-related character attributes;
events or activities relating to the awarding of, loss of, possession of, and/or access to specialized game-related powers or abilities.

21 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 13/535,349Filed 27 Jun 2012 · us provisional application
Priority: 1 Jul 2011
Published: US 2013/0005482 A13 Jan 2013
Granted: 30 Jun 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

A63F 13/25
Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions: output arrangements for video game devices
A63F 13/20
Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions: input arrangements for video game devices
A63F 13/87
Providing additional services to players: communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
G07F 9/001
Details other than those peculiar to special kinds or types of apparatus: interfacing with vending machines using mobile or wearable devices