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.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides embodiments of a virtual mapping system for using real world geographical locations to generate virtual environments within game applications. The virtual mapping system allows a game application to identify geographical information associated with real world locations. The geographical information can be used by the game application to recreate the selected geographical location using virtual assets from the game application.

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: A dual-camera image capture system may include a first light source, disposed above a target area, a first mobile unit, configured to rotate around the target area, and a second mobile unit, operatively coupled to the first mobile unit, configured to move vertically along the first mobile unit. The dual-camera image capture system may further include a second light source, operatively coupled to the second mobile unit and a dual-camera unit, operatively coupled to the second mobile unit. The dual-camera image capture system may include a first camera configured to capture structural data and a second camera configured to capture color data. The first mobile unit and the second mobile unit may be configured to move the first camera and the second camera to face the target area in a variety of positions around the target area.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a system for a game application host system and game application that can determine the hardware characteristics of a user computing system for use during online matchmaking in a multiplayer game application. The game application can include a hardware analysis module that can evaluate the user computing system to determine the speed and operational characteristics of the hardware. The hardware characteristics can be used for matchmaking by a matchmaking module of the host application system to select hosts and users for a game match. The hardware analysis module that can run tests, such as a data throughput analysis and a processing analysis, to evaluate and rate the user computing system. The ratings can be incorporated into the matchmaking analysis along with other matchmaking characteristics, such as latency, player skill level, geographical location, and other existing matchmaking characteristics, in order to selects users for game matches.

Abstract: A persona system determines a player persona for a player of a gaming system based on gameplay information for the user and, for example, performs dynamic content generation or additional product recommendations based on the player persona. The persona system may receive a request for content based on a persona of a player and receive gameplay data associated with gameplay of the player in a plurality of games. The persona system may then generate a player persona of the player based on the gameplay data associated with the gameplay of the player in the plurality of games, determine persona based content based at least in part on a portion of the player persona, and output the persona based content in response to the request.

Abstract: One aspect of the disclosure relates to determining prices for a protection extension in an online game. The protection extension may be implemented, for example, after a user's beginning protection and/or any other in-game protection period has ceased. The protection extension may be dynamically priced for individual users. The protection extension may be priced, for example, based on the user's power and/or strength in a game, and/or based on other factors. For example, the stronger the user is in the game, the more expensive the extension of protection, and the weaker the user is in the game, the cheaper the extension of protection. This may provide an opportunity for a less experienced player to build up their strength in a game, thus promoting further player engagement. Individualizing the price of protection extensions may provide other enhancements.

Abstract: A persona system determines a player persona for a player of a gaming system based on gameplay information for the user and, for example, performs dynamic content generation or additional product recommendations based on the player persona. The persona system may receive a request for content based on a persona of a player and receive gameplay data associated with gameplay of the player in a plurality of games. The persona system may then generate a player persona of the player based on the gameplay data associated with the gameplay of the player in the plurality of games, determine persona based content based at least in part on a portion of the player persona, and output the persona based content in response to the request.

Abstract: Embodiments of the systems and methods described herein provide an editor hub that can host a virtual environment and allow multiple game developer systems to connect to. The editor hub can manage all change requests by connected game developers and execute the change requests into the runtime version of the data. The connected game developers can receive the same cached build results from the build pipeline, which can allow for simultaneous updates for a plurality of game developers working together on the same virtual content.

Abstract: A cheating enforcement system and method determines if a player profile that is to play an online game is linked to another player profile that had been identified as cheating. If such a link is found, then one or more penalties may be imposed on the player profile, so that penalties for cheating cannot be averted by a player by opening a new player profile to play the online game. If a certain period of time has transpired since cheating was detected for the other player profile, then the one or more penalties may be removed from the player profile. The penalties imposed on the player profile may include server-side hit detection, latency penalty, damage scaling, and/or dropped moves. In the case of a chain of linked player profiles, severity of penalties may increase based on the number of linked accounts where cheating use was detected.

Abstract: A system for use in video game development to generate expressive speech audio comprises a user interface configured to receive user-input text data and a user selection of a speech style. The system includes a machine-learned synthesizer comprising a text encoder, a speech style encoder and a decoder. The machine-learned synthesizer is configured to generate one or more text encodings derived from the user-input text data, using the text encoder of the machine-learned synthesizer; generate a speech style encoding by processing a set of speech style features associated with the selected speech style using the speech style encoder of the machine-learned synthesizer; combine the one or more text encodings and the speech style encoding to generate one or more combined encodings; and decode the one or more combined encodings with the decoder of the machine-learned synthesizer to generate predicted acoustic features.

Abstract: The systems and methods described herein can pre-process a blendshape matrix via a global clusterization process and a local clusterization process. The pre-processing can cause the blendshape matrix to be divided into multiple blocks. The techniques can further apply a matrix compression technique to each block of the blendshape matrix to generate a compression result. The matrix compression technique can comprise a matrix approximation step, an accuracy verification step, and a recursive compression step. The compression result for each block may be combined to generate a compressed blendshape matrix for rendering a virtual entity.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides for the dynamic mapping of functions within a content development application to a control surface including a plurality of distinct modular input consoles. The system includes a console controller that is configured to monitor usage of the content development application by the user and to dynamically control the mapping of functions to the control surface based on the contextual operation of the content development application. The console controller can determine the functions that are to be mapped to the control surface based on the context of the application and the functions that are prioritized for use by a user of the content development application.

Abstract: A visual-programming tool provides an encapsulation mechanism configured to operate as a discrete section of a graph corresponding to a program in a visual-programming language. The encapsulation mechanism is configured to bind control flow of the visual-programming language to the encapsulation mechanism, determine logic associated with an encapsulated section of the graph, determine input and/or output associated with the encapsulated section, and present a visual representation of the encapsulation mechanism encompassing a visual representation of the input and/or output and logic in a graphical-user interface associated with the visual-programming tool. In some examples, the visual-programming tool can automatically position nodes associated with the encapsulation mechanism in the graphical-user interface.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating a customized virtual animal character are disclosed. A system may obtain video data or other media depicting a real animal, and then may provide the obtained media to one or more machine learning models configured to learn visual appearance and behavior information regarding the particular animal depicted in the video or other media. The system may then generate a custom visual appearance model and a custom behavior model corresponding to the real animal, which may subsequently be used to render, within a virtual environment of a video game, a virtual animal character that resembles the real animal in appearance and in-game behavior.

Abstract: A visual-programming tool processes nodes of a graph corresponding to operations or functions in program code associated with a plurality of programs, (e.g., games), stored as graph of nodes with logical connections signifying inputs, outputs, and/or units of connected nodes. The visual-programming tool resolves valid types and/or units associated with respective connected nodes and can propagate valid types and/or units throughout the graph.

Abstract: A video game includes a single player mode where completion of storyline objectives advances the single player storyline. The video game also includes a multiplayer mode where a plurality of players can play on an instance of a multiplayer map. Storyline objectives from the single player mode are selected and made available for completion to players in the multiplayer mode, and the single player storylines can be advanced by players completing respective storyline objectives while playing in the multiplayer mode. Combinations of storyline objectives are selected from pending storyline objectives for players connecting to a multiplayer game for compatibility with multiplayer maps. Constraints can be used to determine compatibility.

Abstract: Apparatuses and methods pertaining to computer handling of three-dimensional volumes are disclosed. One such method comprises obtaining data representing an input set of one or more three-dimensional volumes; selecting a first three-dimensional volume from among the input set of three-dimensional volumes; identifying a concavity in the first three-dimensional volume, the concavity having a region of deepest concavity; splitting the first three-dimensional volume along a split plane or intersection loop contacting or intersecting the region of deepest concavity, such as to provide plural three-dimensional volumes; and providing data representing an output set of two or more three-dimensional volumes.

Abstract: A matchmaking system matches players for online gaming, when some of the players may be human players and others may be simulated players. The matchmaking system may determine a first skill score associated with a first player for an online game, determine a behavior simulation model for a simulated player is available for the online game, determine a second skill score associated with the behavior simulation model for the online game, and determine the behavior simulation model matches with the first player based at on the first skill score being within a threshold of the second skill score. The matchmaking system may then instantiate a simulated player based on the behavior simulation model and instantiate the online game with the first player and the simulated player.

Abstract: A bot detection system and method analyzes application programming interface (API) data associated with an online gaming player account to make a determination of whether the player account is engaging in cheating by using a bot during online game play. The API data may be analyzed to generate API metadata that is descriptive of the API data, such as an indication of how many API calls were made to a particular API during a particular time period on behalf of the player account. The API data may be applied to one or more bot detection models to make an assessment of whether the player account is using a bot. If bot usage is detected with a player account, enforcement actions, such as slowing down game play or banning the player account, may be implemented for that player account.