System and method for dynamically loading game software for smooth game play

A system for dynamically loading game software, the system comprising:

• an environment management engine stored in main memory, the environment management engine executable by a processor to:
• generate a display of a current game environment, wherein the current game environment is associated with a plurality of next game environments,
• determine a load time for each of the plurality of next game environments, wherein the next game environments are not yet displayed,
• identify in the current game environment a plurality of different load boundaries that are each associated with loading one or more of the plurality of next game environments, wherein the location of each of the load boundaries in the current game environment is based on the load time of the associated next game environment,
• identify that a character has crossed one of the plurality of different load boundaries in the current game environment;
• determine a direction in which the character has crossed the crossed load boundary;
• identify one of the next game environments for loading based on the crossed load boundary and the direction in which the character has crossed the load boundary, wherein the next game environment associated with the load boundary is identified for loading when the character is determined to have crossed the load boundary moving in a forward direction toward one of the next game environments associated with the load boundary, and a different next game environment is identified for loading when the character is determined to have crossed the load boundary in a backward direction away from the next game environment associated with the crossed load boundary;
• and
• load instructions corresponding to the identified next game environment prior to the character entering the identified next game environment, loading of the instructions commencing when the character crosses the load boundary in the current game environment in the determined direction such that game play is not interrupted by loading instructions for display of the identified next game environment when the character enters the identified next game environment;
• and
• at least two memory segments configured to store instructions for the current game environment and for receiving and storing the instructions corresponding to the next game environment.

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having embodied thereon a program, the program being executable by a processor to perform a method for dynamically loading game software, the method comprising:

• generating a display of a current game environment, wherein the current game environment is associated with a plurality of next game environments;
• determining a load time for each of a plurality of next game environments, wherein the next game environments are not yet displayed;
• identifying in the current game environment a plurality of different load boundaries that are each associated with loading one or more of the plurality of next game environments, wherein the location of each of the plurality of load boundaries in the current game environment is based on the load time of the associated next game environment;
• identifying that a character has crossed one of the plurality of different load boundaries in the current game environment;
• determining a direction in which the character has crossed the crossed load boundary;
• identifying one of the next game environments for loading based on the crossed load boundary and the direction in which the character has crossed the load boundary, wherein the next game environment associated with the load boundary is identified for loading when the character is determined to have crossed the load boundary moving in a forward direction toward one of the next game environments associated with the load boundary, and a different next game environment is identified for loading when the character is determined to have crossed the load boundary in a backward direction away from the next game environment associated with the crossed load boundary;
• and
• loading instructions corresponding to the identified next game environment into a memory prior to the character entering the identified next game environment, loading of the instructions commencing when the character crosses the load boundary in the current game environment in the determined direction such that game play is not interrupted by loading instructions for display of the identified next game environment when the character enters the identified next game environment.