Game browsing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9545574-B2
Application number	US-201514607238-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 28, 2015
Priority date	Jul 20, 2012
Publication date	Jan 17, 2017
Grant date	Jan 17, 2017

Abstract

Embodiments of the present invention allow players to instantly access and begin playing games through an online service. To make the games instantly available, an online service keeps instances of games running in active memory waiting for a player to be added. The game instances running in active memory are not attached to a player profile or an I/O channel from a game client. Once the player requests a game, the player's player profile is loaded into the running game instance and an I/O channel is mapped from the game client to the game instance. From the player's perspective, the preloaded game instances allow the player to browse directly from game to game with very little delay. To optimize the usage of server-side resources, historical usage data may be analyzed to anticipate demand for different games.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A computing system comprising:
a processor; and
computer storage memory having computer-executable instructions stored thereon which, when executed by the processor, implement a method of browsing between game play of multiple games, the method comprising:
preloading a plurality of game instances for a video game to a running state within active memory on a game server, from which the game instance is playable on a game client, wherein a portion of the plurality of game instances are playable starting at a mid-game progress point within the video game;
subsequent to said preloading, receiving, at the game server, a first request from the game client to play a first game; and
connecting the game client to a playable part of a preloaded instance of the first game by adding player profile information to the preloaded instance of the first game.

2. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the player profile information comprises player preferences and progress for the first game.

3. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein connecting further comprises adding an input and output channel for game controls to the preloaded instance of the first game.

4. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the playable part is a middle part of a level of the first game.

5. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises outputting a game-browsing interface through which games within a plurality of games is selectable.

6. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises determining an anticipated demand for different starting points for the video game by analyzing historical game-play information and preloading multiple game instances to a running point at starting points that accommodate the anticipated demand.

7. The computing system of claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises:
receiving a second request from the game client to join a second game;
recording any progress made in the first game to the player profile information; and
connecting the game client to a playable part of a preloaded instance of the second game by the adding player profile information to the preloaded instance of the second game.

8. One or more computer-storage media having computer-executable instructions embodied thereon that when executed by a computing device perform a method of browsing between game play of multiple games, the method comprising:
outputting for display, from a game client, a game-browsing interface;
receiving a first request to play a first game displayed on the game-browsing interface at a mid-game progress point;
communicating, from the game client to a game server that maintains a running instances of the first game in active memory, the first request to surf into the first game at the mid-game progress point; and
within two seconds of said communicating the first request, receiving rendered images from the first game at the mid-game progress point with a character that is immediately manipulated through commands communicated over an input and output channel between the game client and the game server.

9. The media of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises:
while play is ongoing in the first game, receiving a second request to play a second game displayed on the game-browsing interface;
communicating, from the game client to a game server that maintains the running instances of the second game in active memory, the second request to surf into the second game; and
within two seconds of said communicating the second request, receiving rendered images from the second game with a character that is immediately manipulated through commands communicated over the input and output channel between the game client and the game server.

10. The media of claim 8 , where in the method further comprises:
while play is ongoing in the first game, receiving a second request to play a new level of the first game displayed on the game-browsing interface;
communicating, from the game client to a game server that maintains the running instances of the first game at the new level in active memory, the second request to surf into the new level of the first game; and
within two seconds of said communicating the second request, receiving rendered images from the new level of the first game with a character that is immediately manipulated through commands communicated over the input and output channel between the game client and the game server.

11. The media of claim 8 , wherein the method further comprises, subsequent to said receiving, outputting a purchase request for the first game.

Assignees

• Microsoft Technology Licensing Llc

Inventors

• Justice John Raymond
• Kipman Alex Aben-Athar
• Lobb Kenneth Alan

Classifications

• A63F13/30

  Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers · CPC title

• A63F13/79

  involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories · CPC title

• A63F2300/5546

  using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history · CPC title

• A63F13/73

  Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity · CPC title

• A63F2300/538

  for performing operations on behalf of the game client, e.g. rendering · CPC title