Abstract: A computer-implemented method of generating speech audio in a video game is provided. The method includes inputting, into a synthesizer module, input data that represents speech content. Source acoustic features for the speech content in the voice of a source speaker are generated and are input, along with a speaker embedding associated with a player of the video game into an acoustic feature encoder of a voice convertor. One or more acoustic feature encodings are generated as output of the acoustic feature encoder, which are inputted into an acoustic feature decoder of the voice convertor to generate target acoustic features. The target acoustic features are processed with one or more modules, to generate speech audio in the voice of the player.

Abstract: This specification provides a computer-implemented method, the method comprising obtaining a machine-learning model. The machine-learning model is being trained with expert data comprising a plurality of training examples. Each training example comprises: (i) game state data representing a state of a video game environment, and (ii) scored action data representing an action and a score for that action if performed by a video game entity of the video game environment subsequent to the state of the video game environment. An action is performed by the video game entity based on a prediction for the action generated by the machine-learning model. The method further comprises determining whether the action performed by the video game entity was optimal. In response to determining that the action performed by the video game entity was suboptimal, a healed training example is generated.

Abstract: Embodiments of an automated fraud detection system are disclosed that can detect user accounts that are engaging in unauthorized activities within a game application. The fraud detection system can provide an automated system that identifies parasitic accounts. The fraud detection system may identify patterns using machine learning based on characteristics, such as gameplay and transaction characteristics, associated with the parasitic user accounts. The fraud detection system may generate a model that can be applied to existing accounts within the game in order to automatically identify users that are engaging in unauthorized activities. The fraud detection system may automatically identify these parasitic accounts and implement appropriate actions to prevent the accounts from impacting legitimate users within the game application.

Abstract: A computer-implemented method is provided of finding one or more data items that match one or more defined criteria in a dataset. The method comprises identifying data snippets of the dataset using a set of one or more attention rules; categorizing the identified data snippets using fuzzy matching by assigning them to buckets such that each bucket contains data snippets that are similar to another according to a similarity measure; classifying buckets containing data snippets having more than a threshold number of the true positive data items as true positive buckets and remaining buckets as false positive buckets; calculating culling rules based on the true positive buckets and the false positive buckets, and using the culling rules to remove the false positive data items from the true positive buckets.

Abstract: The present invention introduces an in-game API wrapper to perform identification and transcription of in-game visual and audio data by way of identifiable tags. Identified tags for visual and audio data are sent to an external audio API for transcribing into Morse code. The Morse code transcribing is sent back to the in-game API wrapper for transcription into haptic feedback. Identified tags for available on-screen button selections are transcribed by the in-game API wrapper into haptic feedback.

Abstract: Embodiments of the systems and methods disclosed herein provide a game that includes at least two users that each have a preconfigured set of playable virtual entities. The users draw playable virtual entities from each of their respective sets of playable virtual entities, and can play the playable virtual entities in one or more battles to facilitate moving a virtual positional marker towards a goal or shooting a goal, wherein the battle procedures are based on a turn priority. Certain attributes are associated with the playable virtual entities so that playable virtual entity effects, OVR values, and salary values can affect which playable virtual entities are in a deck and how the playable virtual entities are affected by the location of the virtual positional marker and/or other playable virtual entities.

Abstract: A system and method for providing live gameplay updates receives a modification for a videogame, the modification affecting a gameplay aspect of the videogame during execution of the videogame. The system and method determine a target group for deploying the modification. The target group includes first one or more live instances of the videogame. The system and method deploy the modification to the target group and receive gameplay data associated with the gameplay aspect from the target group. The system and method deploy the modification to second one or more live instances of the videogame based at least in part on an analysis of the received gameplay data.

Abstract: Methods, apparatus and systems are provided for generating an interactive non-player character (NPC) scene for a computer game environment of a video game. Changes are detected in relation to a script associated with the interactive NPC scene. For each NPC, a set of NPC data associated with the interactions said each NPC has within the script is generated corresponding to the changes. The generated set of NPC data is processed with an NPC rig associated with said each NPC to generate an NPC asset. A camera solver is applied to a region of the computer game environment associated with the script for determining locations of NPC assets and one or more cameras within said region in relation to said interactive NPC scene. Data representative of said each NPC asset and said determined NPC asset and camera locations for use by a game development engine for generating said interactive NPC scene.

Abstract: This specification describes a computer-implemented method for testing the performance of a video game server. The method comprises initializing a recurrent neural network. The recurrent neural network is trained based on requests sent from one or more client devices to the video game server. The initializing comprises inputting a start token into the recurrent neural network. An output distribution for a first-time step is generated, as an output of the recurrent neural network. The output distribution comprises a probability of generating each of a set of one or more requests to the video game server, in addition to a probability of generating a stop token. A first request from the set of one or more requests is selected based on the output distribution.

Abstract: This specification describes systems and methods for aging voice audio, in particular voice audio in computer games. According to one aspect of this specification, there is described a method for aging speech audio data. The method comprises: inputting an initial audio signal and an age embedding into a machine-learned age convertor model, wherein: the initial audio signal comprises speech audio; and the age embedding is based on an age classification of a plurality of speech audio samples of subjects in a target age category; processing, by the machine-learned age convertor model, the initial audio signal and the age embedding to generate an age-altered audio signal, wherein the age-altered audio signal corresponds to a version of the initial audio signal in the target age category; and outputting, from the machine-learned age convertor model, the age-altered audio signal.

Abstract: This specification relates to animation and physics updates in computer games. According to a first aspect of this disclosure, there is described a computer implemented method comprising: updating, using an animation engine, an in-game animation at a first rate; and updating, using an in-game physics engine, an in-game physics state at a second rate, the second rate being different to the first rate. Updating the in-game physics state comprises: interpolating one or more in-game physical parameters corresponding to a physics update time that lies between two consecutive animation update times, the interpolation based on in-game animation frames corresponding to the two consecutive animation update times; and determining the update to the in-game physics state based on the interpolated physical parameters.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present application provide a network-based game modification system. The network based game modification system can provide users with access to game application source data and editing tools through a game editor client. The game editor client can provide an interface by which the developers can provide access to public source data while preventing access to private game source data. Additionally, the game editor client can provide an interface for access to some of the developers tools.

Abstract: A graphics rendering system is disclosed for generating and streaming graphics data of a 3D environment from a server for rendering on a client in 2.5D. 2D textures can be transmitted in advance of frames showing the textures. Data transmitted for each frame can include 2D vertex positions of 2D meshes and depth data. The 2D vertex positions can be positions on a 2D projection as seen from a viewpoint within the 3D environment. Data for each frame can include changes to vertex positions and/or depth data. A prediction system can be used to predict when new objects will be displayed, and textures of those new objects can be transmitted in advance.

Abstract: A test case selection system and method uses a test selection model to select test cases from a library of test cases to be used for quality assurance (QA) testing of a software application to maximize the chances of finding bugs from executing the selected test cases. The test case selection model may be a machine learning based regression model trained using outcomes of previous QA testing. In some case, the test case selection system may provide periodic and/or continuous refinement of the test case selection model from one QA testing run to the next. The model refinements may include updating weights associated with the test case selection model in the form of a regression model. Additionally, the test case selection system may provide performance analytics between a test case selection model-based selection of test cases and random selection of test cases.

Abstract: Various aspects of the subject technology relate to systems, methods, and machine-readable media for generating insights for video games. The method includes gathering information regarding a player for a plurality of video games, the information comprising at least one of in-world state data, player action data, player progression data, and/or real-world events relevant to each video game. The method also includes tracking events in at least one video game of the plurality of video games, the events comprising an action event or a standby event. The method also includes determining that an event of the tracked events is an action event. The method also includes generating insights regarding the action event based on the information gathered regarding the player, the insights for improving the player's performance in the video game. The method also includes relaying the insights to the player to improve the player's performance in the video game.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a video game based seasonal reward distribution system. The seasonal reward system can provide users with a non-linear map that allows the users to choose how to progress through the reward map when advancing or leveling up a virtual character or user account within the video game. The virtual map can provide a visual representation of a non-linear pathway or tracks that a user can follow based on how the user would like to proceed and what types of rewards the user prefers to unlock. The reward map provides a series of reward nodes connected by links, resulting in a plurality of pathways or tracks that a user can select during advancement within the video game. The user can select individual reward nodes when the virtual character levels up and progress along a pathway on the virtual map.

Abstract: Embodiments of the present application provide a phased streaming system and process using a dynamic video game client. The dynamic video game client can utilize a state stream game engine in combination with a game application streaming service to provide users with the ability to begin playing games quickly on a huge range of devices.

Abstract: A collusion detection system may detect collusion between entities participating in online gaming. The collusion detection system may identify a plurality of entities associated with and opponents within an instance of an online game, determine social data associated with the plurality of entities, determine in-game behavior data associated with the plurality of entities, and determine, for one or more pairings of the plurality of entities, respective pairwise feature sets based at least in part on the social data and the in-game behavior data. The collusion detection system may then perform anomaly detection on the respective pairwise feature sets and, in response to the anomaly detection detecting one or more anomalous pairwise feature sets, output one or more suspect pairings of the plurality of entities corresponding to the one or more anomalous pairwise feature sets as suspected colluding pairings.

Abstract: A streaming system may improving online gaming experiences for streaming players and/or providing device independent input processing. The streaming system may receive, from a client device, a selection of a game to be played via a streaming system, determine network connection parameters based at least in part on the game, determine a current streaming quality of the network connection of the client device, and determine the current streaming quality does not meet the network connection parameters. Based on the determination that the current streaming quality does not meet the network connection parameters, the streaming system may cause a prompt to be displayed to a player associated with the client device regarding alternative content for the player to play or cause at least a portion of the gameplay of the game to be slowed based at least in part on the current streaming quality and the network connection parameters.

Abstract: An improved virtual environment creation and testing process can be achieved by a combination of spatial partitioning and reverse tree generation. The reverse tree may be representative of the virtual environment and may be generated starting from a smallest portion or zone of the virtual environment (represented as a leaf node) and expanding up towards a root node representative of the entire virtual environment. Advantageously, the system can add new zones to the virtual environment and representative tree data structure that are external to the existing virtual environment without generating a new tree data structure. Thus, the computing resources utilized by the system disclosed herein may be significantly reduced compared to existing processes while improving the flexibility of the spatial partitioning and tree generation process thereby enabling spatial partitioning to be performed in real or near real time as a developer authors the virtual environment.