Game achievement rate system

The present invention generally relates to the fields of games and multimedia devices. In particular, the present invention relates to systems and methods of defining and producing game achievements that can be used to convey a player's skills.

The disclosure of this patent application document includes a part containing an element subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner does not object to any person copying this patent document or specification, as can be seen in the files or records of the Patent and Trademark Office, but all other copyrights. Reserve. The following copyright information applies to the software and data described in the description below and in the accompanying drawings: Copyright® 2004, Microsoft Corporation, All Rights Reserved. Conventional game systems incorporate the concept of unique identity identification, which was originally intended to increase player satisfaction and create a sense of solidarity. However, while traditional unique identity has certainly reduced the effort required to play online, unique identity has not been able to achieve these goals. One reason for this problem is that multiple players often share one personal identification because there is no easy way to identify multiple players on a shared game console. As a result, confusion arises because the player who uses a particular identity during an online game session may not be the same player as the next or previous session.

<p> Further, the conventional personal identification cannot provide a method of transmitting information about the player other than the limited game achievement rate, and cannot convey the information of the offline achievement rate. In this way, it is difficult to know more about the player from the conventional identity identification. Therefore, in order to convey the skill of the player, it is necessary to have abundant content and unique identification including the game achievement rate from both offline and online situations. In addition, the achievement rate should be weighted to a higher achievement level if it is better in a more difficult game. The present invention provides such a solution.</p>

<p> The present invention relates to a system and a method for providing a game achievement rate system. According to the present invention, a player is evaluated for a game achievement rate based on clearing a specific in-game aspect of the game he or she plays. Each game achievement rate can be communicated in the profile, such as badges, trophies, titles, descriptions, dates, etc. Players can also accumulate points based on the game achievement rate. A display interface can be used to allow players to see achievement rates and total points for themselves and other players.</p><p> According to an aspect of the present invention, there is a method of providing a game achievement rate system in an online game environment. This method tracks the steps of defining the system achievement rate, the step of receiving the definition of the predetermined in-game achievement rate, and the behavior of the player to capture the occurrence of the system achievement rate and the predetermined in-game achievement rate. Includes a step to integrate the system achievement rate during gameplay and the occurrence of a given in-game achievement rate into the profile associated with the user.</p><p> According to the features of the present invention, this method retains a step of assigning a predetermined number of points to each system achievement rate, a step of integrating a predetermined number of system achievement points into a profile, and a total number of points related to the profile. Can include steps to do. The method can also include a step of allocating a predetermined number of points to each in-game achievement rate and a step of integrating a predetermined number of in-game achievement rate points into the profile.</p><p> According to the present invention, the predetermined number of points may be a numerical value weighted based on the total number of available points. Furthermore, the total number of points assigned to the in-game achievement rate for a particular game can be determined according to the difficulty of the game. However, it is desirable to fix the total number of points assigned to the system achievement rate of all games.</p><p> A display user interface may be set up and published so that the profile can be viewed. The display can also show the total number of points in one profile.</p><p> According to another aspect of the present invention, a system that provides a game achievement rate in an online game environment is realized. The system includes an offline player achievement rate tracking mechanism that tracks player behavior offline during periods when the player is not communicatively connected to the online gaming environment, and an online player during an online session in the online gaming environment. An online player achievement rate tracking mechanism that tracks the behavior of the player, receives data on the behavior of the player offline and the behavior of the player online, and records the behavior of the player offline and the behavior of the player online in the player profile. It has an integration mechanism to integrate.</p><p> Features and advantages of the present invention other than the above will become clear from the detailed description of the following examples, which will proceed with reference to the accompanying drawings.</p><p> The above outline and detailed description of the following preferred embodiments will be helpful to read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. In order to explain the present invention, an example of the configuration of the present invention is shown in the figure, but the present invention is not limited to the specific methods and means disclosed.</p>

FIG. 1 shows the functional components of a multimedia / game console 100 that realizes a particular aspect of the present invention. The multimedia console 100 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 101 with a level 1 cache 102, a level 2 cache 104, and a flash ROM (read-only memory) 106. The level 1 cache 102 and the level 2 cache 104 temporarily store data, which reduces the number of memory access cycles, resulting in improved processing speed and throughput. CPU 101 may have multiple cores, and thus another Level 1 and Level 2 caches 102,104. The flash ROM 106 can store executable code loaded during the early stages of the boot process when the multimedia console 100 is powered on.

Image processing unit (GPU) 108 and video encoder / video codec (coder / decoder) 114 constitute a video processing pipeline for high-speed, high-resolution graphics processing. The data is transmitted from the image processing device 108 to the video encoder / video codec 114 by the bus. The video processing pipeline outputs data to A / V (audio / video) port 140, which is transmitted to televisions and other displays. A memory controller 110 is connected to the GPU 108 to make it easier for the processor to access various types of memory 112, such as RAM (random access memory).

The multimedia console 100 includes an I / O controller 120, a system management controller 122, an audio processor 123, a network interface controller 124, a first USB host controller 126, a second USB controller 128 and a front panel I / O subassembly 130. These are preferably mounted on module 118. The USB controllers 126,128 serve as hosts for peripheral controllers 142 (1) -142 (2), wireless adapters 148, and external memory devices 146 (eg, flash memory, external CD / DVD ROM drives, removable media, etc.). Function. Network interface 124 and / or wireless adapter 148 provides access to networks (eg, the Internet, home networks, etc.) and offers a variety of wired or wireless, including Ethernet cards, modems, Bluetooth modules, cable modems, and more. It can be any of the adapter components.

System memory 143 is installed to store application data loaded during the boot process. A media drive 144 is installed, which can be a DVD / CD drive, hard drive or other removable media drive, etc. The media drive 144 may be built into the multimedia console 100 or may be external. Application data can be accessed via media drive 144 for execution, playback, etc. by the multimedia console 100. The media drive 144 is connected to the I / O controller 120 via a serial ATA bus or other high-speed connection (eg, IEEE 1394, etc.).

The system management controller 122 provides various service functions related to guaranteeing the availability of the multimedia console 100. The audio processor 123 and the audio codec 132 form a suitable audio processing pipeline that is highly fidelity and capable of stereo processing. Audio data is transmitted between the audio processing device 123 and the audio codec 132 using a communication link. The audio processing pipeline outputs data to A / V port 140, which is reproduced by an external audio freyja or device with audio capabilities.

The front panel I / O subassembly 130 supports the functions of the power button 150 and eject button 152 as well as LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) or other indicators exposed on the outer surface of the multimedia console 100. The system power supply module 136 powers the components of the multimedia console 100. Fan 138 cools the circuitry inside the multimedia console 100.

CPU 101, GPU 108, memory controller 110 and various other components in the multimedia console 100 include serial and parallel buses, memory buses, peripheral buses and processors or local buses using any of the various bus architectures. It is interconnected via one or more buses. For example, such architectures include peripheral component interconnect (PCI) buses, PCI-express buses, and the like.

When the multimedia console 100 is powered on, application data is loaded from system memory 143 into memory 112 and / or cache 102,104 and runs on CPU 101. An application can provide a graphical user interface that provides the same user experience at any time when navigating to the various media available on the multimedia console 100. During operation, applications and / or other media contained within the media drive 144 can be launched or played from the media drive 144 to provide yet another function to the multimedia console 100.

The multimedia console 100 may operate as a stand-alone system by simply connecting the system to a television or other display. In such an independent mode, the multimedia console 100 allows one or more users to interact with the system to watch movies or listen to music. However, by integrating connectivity with broadband available through network interface 124 or wireless adapter 148, the multimedia console 100 can even act as a participant in a larger network community.

When the multimedia console 100 is powered on, the multimedia console operating system reserves certain hardware resources for use by the system. These resources can include reservations such as memory reservations (eg 16MB), CPU and GPU cycle reservations (eg 5%), network bandwidth reservations (eg 8kbs), and so on. These resources are reserved at system startup, so the reserved resources do not exist from the application view.

In particular, the memory reservation is preferably large enough to include the launch kernel, parallel system applications and drivers. The CPU reservation is preferably constant so that the waiting thread consumes unused cycles when the reserved CPU usage is not used by the system application.

For GPU reservations, lightweight messages generated by the system application (for example, popups) are displayed using GPU interrupts to schedule code to render the popup into an overlay. The amount of memory required for the overlay depends on the area of the overlay, which preferably corresponds to the resolution of the screen. If the full user interface is used by a parallel system application, it is preferable to use a resolution that is independent of the application's resolution. A scaler can be used to set this resolution to eliminate the need for frequency changes and TV resynchronization.

When the multimedia console 100 is started and system resources are reserved, parallel system applications run to provide system functionality. System functions are encapsulated within a set of system applications that run within the reserved system resources described above. The operating system kernel identifies threads that are system application threads and game application threads. The system application is preferably scheduled to run on CPU 101 at predetermined times and intervals to provide the application with a consistent system resource view. Scheduling is done to minimize cache disruption for gaming applications running on the console.

If the parallel system application requires audio, the audio processing is scheduled to be out of sync with the gaming application due to the large time component. The multimedia console application manager (discussed below) controls the audio level (eg, mute, attenuation) of the gaming application when the system application is running.

Input devices (eg, controllers 142 (1), 142 (2)) are shared by the game application and the system application. The input device is not a reserved resource, but it is switched between the system application and the game application so that each can use the device centrally. The application manager preferably controls the switching of the input stream without knowing about the gaming application, and the driver holds state information about the focus switch.

The present invention relates to a "gamer profile", which serves as a fundamental element for services and applications aimed at creating a social community of gamers and strengthening relationships between players. According to the present invention, a gamer profile is complete information (eg, metadata) about a particular user (ie, the gamer's digital identity). Gamer profiles are developed from a set of services that collect this information and provide it to the community in a meaningful way. Gamer profiles also allow users to personalize and enhance their gaming experience. As will be described in detail later, a gamer profile is composed of various elements such as a game card, a game achievement rate, and a gamer's preference.

Figure 2 outlines an example of an architecture that can be used to achieve a gamer profile. Console 100 interacts with a remote service 158 that provides services 160 such as voice / chat, friend list, matchmaking, content download, roaming, feedback, tournaments, voice messages, and game updates. Service 158 also holds a gamer profile in profile database 162 and configuration data 164 used by service 160 and game 154. Service 158 collects gamer profiles, integrates and processes information provided by other services 160, and meets real-time client requests to call gamer profile related services. The gamer profile in database 162 is also used by game 154 for personalization, customization, etc., for example.

Console 100 allows the user to interact with Guide 156. Guide 156 provides an interface that allows the user to navigate and enter the various online areas and options provided by Service 158. The configuration data 164 stored by service 158 is used to determine the features and options provided by guide 156. While game 154 is running, call and interact with service 160 using the default API. When requesting a gamer profile via the API, Game 154 can convey the user's unique personal identifier. Service 158 can also return game cards (discussed below), game stats, game achievement rates, affiliations, game settings, and more. The various aspects of the architectural example are described in more detail below.

Console 100 includes an offline tracking mechanism 157 that tracks player behavior offline during periods when the player is not communicatively connected to service 158. Tracking / integrating means 157 tracks player behavior offline during an offline session and integrates that data with online player behavior into gamer profile 166.

In Figure 3, when a user creates a profile during the account sign-up stage (choose from Guide 156) and selects their own gamertag (user-specific name), tile (user-related picture / avatar) or other options. , Gamer profile 166 is created. Gamer Profile 166 is then populated with information from multiple sources. For example, gamer profile 166 can include self-described data 168 from the owner of that gamer profile. Other gamers 170 can provide feedback on the owner of the gamer profile. Service 158 can track gamers' online and offline behavior. In addition, Game 154 can report gamer statistics and game achievement rates.

Gamer profile owners can edit their gamer profile 166 directly to control who can see each section of the gamer profile. Gamer Profile 166 is edited via general fields (eg tiles, country, language, gender, greetings, etc.) and / or system settings (eg audio output, controller vibrations, character names, game formats, game modes, etc.) it can. Privacy / opt-out settings can be adjusted for that gamer profile, such as limiting presence information to friends only, making game achievement rates visible to everyone, and so on.

Gamer profile 166 can include feedback from other players 170. Feedback helps others get to know a particular gamer. For example, if the gamer uses vulgar language or brute force play in a game session, other gamers can post feedback on Service 158. The feedback mechanism improves the user experience by building a good reputation. Therefore, even if the player is anonymous, he cannot help being known by the accumulation of feedback.

As mentioned above, Gamer Profile 166 can be used for customization and preference settings at the world level as well as at the game-by-game level. Gamer preferences help Game 154 choose defaults for general settings such as game profile name, controller inversion, and controller vibration. For example, if a gamer prefers to use an inverted controller, this preference is also used for new titles to be played. Game 154 can access the gamer profile via database 162 and service 160. In addition, game usage data is used to tailor Game 154 to the user's particular preferences and game features updated after the first game launch.

As mentioned above, Gamer Profile 166 conveys the game achievement rate in addition to other things. Players are evaluated by the game achievement rate based on clearing a specific in-game aspect of the game they play. Each game achievement rate is communicated as badges, trophies, titles, descriptions, dates, etc., as shown in Figure 4 in Gamer Profile 166. The game can provide screen snapshots and other rich media that are captured the moment the player achieves a given achievement rate. This is also displayed as part of Gamer Profile 166. Players accumulate gamer credits (point-based reward systems) based on game achievement rates. In Figure 4, the player has 290 gamer credits. The display interface of FIG. 4 can be used within the console 100 or via, for example, a web browser.

FIG. 5 shows the overall relationship between the game achievement rate and gamer credits according to the present invention. The sum of the player's gamer credits is the sum of the gamer credits awarded through one or more games (eg, title A and title B). Each game is given a gamer credit (eg 200) up to a certain amount, which is divided into a game-specific achievement rate and a standard system achievement rate.

For example, in the user interface of FIG. 6, title A is a game that is relatively easy to clear, and the total credit points of the game defined for each game can be 100. Within Title A, there are several achievement rates (eg, the most difficult multiplayer level 10 clearing campaign). The relative weights of the individual achievement rates are set based on the total weight (for example, the strategy cleared for the highest difficulty is 10/36 or 27.8%, etc.). When a player clears this achievement rate, the player is then awarded 27.8% of gamer credits with a total of 100 points, or 28 rounded to the nearest integer. The credit is preferably given to the player only once at the achievement rate.

The standard system achievement rate constitutes the remaining 100 points of this embodiment. The standard system achievement rate can be applied to all games. These are the first sign-in to the title, the achievement of the first session in the game, the achievement in the first hour of the game, the achievement of 100 sessions in the game, the achievement in 10 hours in the game, the achievement of the game. Etc. can be included. Other system achievement rates can be defined as needed. The system achievement rate can be weighted so that the first sign-in is evaluated with a relatively small number of points and a higher number of points are awarded for clearing 100 sessions.

Developers can use tools that include the user interface in Figure 6 to describe the game. The tool is a configuration file that the system application on Console 100 reads when the game is loaded, a C ++ header file in which the game code can be compiled, configuration, table creation, creation stored procedure, and scoreboard creation. You can create an XML file that will be used for.

Title A and Title B will be given 200 game credit points, while more difficult games can be given 500 or 1000 (or any other number) of gamer credit points. The total number of points awarded per game is preferably set by the online service 158 and should not be editable by the developer. This will keep you fair and avoid situations where you want to increase your Game X sales by making the total number of gamer credit points available much higher than in other games.

As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to provide a well-balanced game achievement rate system by weighting the achievement rate and the difficulty level of the game. In addition, the total game credits can be extracted from the game to the console 100, reducing the likelihood that hackers and developers will overestimate the achievement rate in order to lift the player's game credits.

Although the present invention has been described in connection with preferred embodiments of various figures, other similar embodiments may be used and described in order to perform the same functions as the present invention without departing from the present invention. It should be understood that changes and additions can be made to embodiments.

<figref num="1">It is a block diagram which shows the game machine which can realize the aspect of this invention.</figref><figref num="2">It is a figure which shows the example of the architecture which can realize this invention.</figref><figref num="3">It is a figure which shows the information source which provides the input to the gamer profile.</figref><figref num="4">It is a figure which shows the configuration example of the game achievement rate display user interface.</figref><figref num="5">It is a figure which shows the integration of the game achievement rate.</figref><figref num="6">It is a figure which shows the developer user interface for specifying the achievement rate in a game.</figref>

Code description

150 Power button 152 Eject button