Abstract: The disclosed systems and methods track and continuously monitor data about a player or a multiple players and create a non-playing character (NPC) and/or modify an existing NPC that replicates the player(s) play style. The disclosed systems implement an artificial intelligence engine that monitors how a real player responds to one or more events in a game and correlates game outcomes with real player actions, with the actions or reactions of third players, and/or with an amount or extent of engagement. The engine may be used to generate, host, or otherwise provide data representative of one or more NPCs to multiple different games, being hosted by one or more servers, concurrently.

Abstract: The specification discloses methods and systems for enabling users to configure one or more actuators in data communication with a user's computing device and positioned on a prop to generate and deliver feedback to a motion capture actor engaged with the prop. At least one graphical interface in the computing device is configured to enable the user to configure occurrence of at least one event during a scene, associate a time and duration of occurrence to the at least one event within an overall duration of the scene, select the prop, assign the at least one event and the associated time and duration of occurrence to at least one actuator on the prop, configure at least one parameter for the feedback, and activate the at least one actuator to generate and deliver the feedback to the actor in response to an occurrence of the at least one event.

Abstract: The present specification discloses systems and methods of creating a point cloud around a portion of a virtual landscape of a video game. A mesh is generated based on the point cloud, and then the mesh is simplified to create a series of proxy meshes that are dynamically used to render level of detail (LOD) visual assets.

Abstract: Systems and methods for enabling automated, gradual visual rotation of a player's weapon and arms view model around an edge that the player intends to corner slice include imparting realistic motion and dynamism to the player's weapon and arms view model as the player engages in cover negotiation. The weapon and arms view model rolls and translates away from the edge in hip mode and rolls away from the edge in ADS (Aim Down Sight) mode so that the weapon and arms view model is canted away from the edge while being centered on the sight.

Abstract: Testing of a video game may include a test farm of game machines having different configurations. Different builds of a video game may be provided to the game machines, and the game machines may execute the video game. While executing the video game, the game machines may have an avatar travel along a path, with the game machines capturing performance data while the avatar travels along the path. The performance data may be compared with desired performance of the game machines, to assist in determining viability of the video game builds.

Abstract: A method may include, at a computing device: establishing a virtual camera at a first location relative to an avatar model of the virtual character, wherein the virtual camera has a camera orientation and the avatar model has a model orientation, wherein the virtual camera is configured to view the virtual environment from a first-person perspective and at a camera height, obtaining a posture of the avatar model, obtaining an angular displacement between the camera orientation and the model orientation, determining camera height of the virtual camera based on the posture and the angular displacement, positioning the virtual camera based on the camera height, rendering a video frame of the virtual environment by the virtual camera at the camera height; and providing for display the video frame on a display device.

Abstract: Systems and methods for customizing a video game to a player defined time period include content units of the video game that are selected based on at least one of multiple pre-defined criteria. Content units are then edited to fit into the player defined time period. Game gear required for playing the selected content units is determined. The edited content units and the selected game gear are provided to the player to play within the player defined time period.

Abstract: A system adapted to generate video game content by real-time modifying a virtual background displayed on a display wall from a perspective of a physical actor is described. A first set of motion capture tracking sensors, coupled to the physical actor, is used to generate a first set of motion capture data. A first computing engine receives the first set of motion capture data and determines a first field of view of the physical actor based at least in part on the first set of motion capture data. A display wall projection system, that is at least 60 feet wide and 18 feet tall, defines a second field of view that is larger than the first field of view. A second computing engine configured generates video game content for display and transmits the video game content to the display wall projection system.

Abstract: Systems and methods are described for imparting dynamic, non-linear and realistic movement and look and feel to a player's/virtual character's first-person limbs and hand-held object model, and procedurally animating a first-person virtual camera such that it simulates the movement of a camera handheld by the player/virtual character. To impart chaotic or random motion to the first-person limbs and hand-held object model a first module defines and implements first and second two dimensional mass-spring-damper systems, each of which is linked to the player's/virtual vector's view vector. Procedural animation or rotational shake is implemented by a second module by applying a coherent noise function to each of the six axes of the first-person virtual camera.

Abstract: The patent discloses improved methods and systems for detecting a collision between a player controlled virtual character in a video game and an object positioned on a surface in a virtual environment of the video game. Two geometric models are defined, one of which is preferably a cylinder and the other of which is preferably a capsule. For a frame of the video game, data indicative of a position, velocity and direction of the virtual character is acquired and, in a subsequent frame, data indicative of another position of the virtual character is acquired. The first geometric model is moved vertically downward by a predefined distance to identify a level of the ground surface and the second geometric model is moved horizontally forward to detect a collision of the virtual character with the object.

Abstract: A method for selecting a mode for interacting with a video game is provided. The method includes identifying an input to the video game and providing the game in a first mode based on the identified input. The method further includes providing the game in a second mode based on identifying a change to the input.

Abstract: The present specification describes a system and method for providing conditional access to a virtual gaming item possessed by a first player of a video game to a second player. The method includes: creating a database of conditionally accessible virtual items, wherein said accessibility is determined based on at least one predefined condition; modifying an attribute of the virtual item for making the second player aware that said item is available for conditional access for a predefined period of time; fulfilling, by the second player, at least one access condition; and providing accessibility to the item to the second player for the predefined period of time.

Abstract: The present specification describes a method of generating one or more customized gaming assets of a generic gaming asset for a video game, including receiving, using a GUI generated by a module implemented in a host computer, a first response from a user representative of data indicative of the generic gaming asset, receiving, using a second GUI generated by the module, a second response from the user representative of second data indicative of selected one or more parameters associated with the generic gaming asset, receiving, using a third GUI generated by the module, a third response from the user representative of third data indicative of at least one relationship of at least two of the one or more parameters, and causing, by the module, a display of the one or more customized gaming assets based on the first, second and third responses.

Abstract: In a multiplayer video game, virtual cameras are controlled by continually assessing and ranking storylines relating to the interactions of various players during a game session. A ranking for each storyline may be based on various factors such as, but not limited to, what the players can see, the distance between certain players, nearby game items or in-game. Subsequently, at least one virtual camera is navigated to provide a view of the highest-ranking storyline, subject to certain limitations on how the camera can move, transition, or otherwise display the interactions between players. A set of rules including rules of cinematography, are used to provide additional control of the movement of the virtual camera. Movements of a human camera-person are used on a mocap system to control the movement of the virtual camera.

Abstract: A multiplayer game implementing a method for generating a plurality of training virtual areas; generating at least one GUI to display a list of the plurality of training virtual areas; using the at least one GUI, enabling a player to choose one of the plurality of training virtual areas, wherein said one of the plurality of training virtual areas is associated with at least one attribute; allowing the player to navigate a virtual character to said one of the plurality of training virtual areas; monitoring an activity of the virtual character in said one of the plurality of training virtual areas; determining a value of the at least one attribute based on the monitored activity; and updating a first attributes profile of the virtual character to a second attributes profile based on the determined value of the at least one attribute.

Abstract: A virtual game world may have game locations based on electronic devices with communications capabilities. In some embodiments electronic devices with communications capabilities are identified to a server, which forms a game location for the identified devices, or at least some of them. The game locations may have non-player controlled game characters as inhabitants of the game locations. One or more characteristics of the inhabitants of a game location may be based on an aspect relating to the electronic device with communication capability with which the game location is associated.

Abstract: A seed number for use in generating aspects of a game world may be formed using GPS location information of a game device. The game device may include GPS circuitry for providing the GPS location information.

Abstract: Facets of a video game are modified based on scanning of bar codes. The bar codes may be bar codes of retail products. The facets of the video game may one or more of availability of game characters for use in play of the video game, characteristics of the game characters, availability or characteristics of in-game items, or game player status.

Abstract: An approach is provided for streaming of media streams (e.g., from a game console). In one implementation, a media stream that includes a secondary view of the game world may be generated at the game console. The secondary view may be of a lower-quality version of a primary view of the game world. The generation of the media stream may include: prefetching, to a cache of the game console, portions of the primary view and/or instructions for encoding the portions; and encoding, based on the prefetching, the portions to produce the secondary view. In another implementation, game play information may be executed to reproduce previous game play of a previous game session during a reproduction of the previous game session. Augmentation content may be added to the reproduced game session during the reproduction of the previous game session, creating an augmented game session having one or more views for streaming.

Abstract: In computer-implemented methods and systems for secure storage and transmission of data in a distributed network environment, each piece of data is transformed in to multiple pieces of metadata for transmission and storage. Each piece of metadata is transmitted and stored on a different server, which is selected from separate pools of servers.