Abstract: Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a tutorial system that can aid a user in performing various game commands in response to different game states in a virtual game environment. As the user plays the game, various game states may be encountered. A tutorial engine may, based on a current game state, determine one or more game commands to be recommended to the user, based on historical information of the user and a game state model, wherein the game state model maintains associations between game states and different segments of users. The user is recommended relevant game commands during the normal course of gameplay, based on their own gameplay history and on game commands commonly performed by other users of the game application.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems presented herein may identify users to include in a match plan. A parameter model may be generated to predict the retention time of a set of users. A queue of potential users, a set of teammates, and/or opponents may be selected from a queue of waiting users. User information for the set of teammates and/or opponents may be provided to the parameter model to generate a predicted retention time. The set of teammates and/or opponents may be approved if the predicted retention time meets a predetermined threshold. Advantageously, by creating a match plan based on retention rates, the engagement and/or retention level for a number of users may be improved compared to existing multiplayer matching systems.

Abstract: Embodiments of the systems and methods described herein provide game terrain generation system that can generate height field data from a sketch of graphical inputs from a user via a graphical user interface. The game terrain generation system can use a model, such as a trained neural network, to apply macro and micro topological features on top of the height field data to generate game terrain data. The game terrain generation system can identify boundaries between different styles of terrain and generate transitions between the styles to create a more realistic terrain boundary.

Abstract: Methods and apparatus for automatic game generation are described. The method may include receiving, from a first video game console, a first game play result of a first user playing a video game; receiving, from a second video game console, a second game play result of a second user playing the video game; producing, by comparing the first game play result with the second game play results, a message comprising a recommendation for the first user to improve a future game play result over the first game play result, wherein the message further references the second game play result; and communicating the recommendation to the first user.

Abstract: Approaches for secondary-game-mode sessions based on primary-game-mode arrangements of user-controlled elements are provided. Actions by user-controlled elements of a first user or other game-space elements in a primary game mode of a game space may be managed. A session request for a session in a secondary game mode of the game space may be received from the first user. A first session for the first user may be executed in the secondary game mode such that: (i) the first session involves artificial-intelligence-controlled elements as opponents against the user-controlled elements; (ii) an arrangement of the user-controlled elements at a beginning of the first session is the same as an arrangement of the user-controlled elements in the primary game mode at a time of the session request; and (iii) impacts on the user-controlled elements during the first session in the secondary game mode are not reflected in the primary game mode.

Abstract: Various aspects of the subject technology relate to systems, methods, and machine-readable media for a proxy agent as an intermediary that hosts electronic exchange transactions between distributing computing devices to reduce the number of fraudulent transactions with respect to items of a multiplayer game. The proxy agent listens for events such as an item being listed for sale on an electronic marketplace associated with the multiplayer game, or a listed item being purchased from the electronic marketplace, before the proxy agent transitions to a state for initiating purchase transactions to obtain additional items from users and thereafter automatically listing the purchased items for sale on the electronic marketplace. The proxy agent serves as a conduit for sale and purchase transactions to restrict transactions from occurring outside of the electronic marketplace and to map pricing data for a given item to market data trends over the transactional life of the item.

Abstract: A system and method for recursively rendering, caching, and/or retrieving a display object bitmap is provided. In some implementations, an image may be rendered on a client computing platform using an image list of one or more bitmap objects. The one or more object bitmaps may be generated in response to obtaining information defining a vector image in an image frame in an animation. An image list may be maintained for an image to be rendered based on the vector image of a frame of animation and/or some or all of the frames in the animation. The image list may store one or more references to one or more respective bitmap objects that are associated with the image to be rendered.

Abstract: A remediation server utilizing a deep neural network to analyze a live service to predict when a service is about to experience a failure and determine the least intrusive method of remediation. The remediation server prioritizing maintaining the highest level of system availability when determining a remediation for a failed or failing service.

Abstract: A method of cross database selection and correlation may include receiving an indication that a first graphical object representing a first dataset has been dragged onto a second graphical object representing a second dataset on a dashboard page of a graphical user interface (GUI). The method may further include sending the first and second dataset to a server and receiving a third dataset, based on a combination of the first and second datasets, and one or more options to define the third dataset. The method may include providing, for display on a second page of the GUI, a third graphical object representing the third dataset and one or more graphical objects representing the options associated with the third dataset. The method may further include receiving an indication that the third graphical object should be finalized, and providing the third graphical object for display on the dashboard page of the GUI.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for providing stochastic, tiered awards in an online game based on a user's real-time completion of a task in the online game, where a time clock for the task begins running (in real-time) at the completion of a user's immediately previous task. The game may include a plurality of tasks, where a second task may be made performable in response to a user completing a first task. An award may be distributed to a user based on an amount of real world time taken by the user to complete the second task. A plurality of awards may be available for provision to a user. The plurality of potential awards may include various levels of potential awards.

Abstract: One aspect of the disclosure relates to facilitating the development and provision of enhanced video of game playback, including the ability to augment a video of game playback with information relating to the game state of the game. A video may be generated based on game state information associated with one or more selected portions of the game. The video may include visual features that may not have been present in corresponding views that were presented to the user during game play of those one or more portions of the game. The user may augment the video with displayed information based on game logic for the online game. For example, displayed information may include commentary, tips on how the user could have maximized his game play, influential plays from the one or more portions of the game, and/or other information based on the game logic.

Abstract: A method and system for facilitating chance-based payment for items in a game. In implementations, the disclosure relates to such systems which can be used in the payment for items in an affiliation based game. A user may be part of an affiliation and wish to contribute to their affiliation and show their loyalty in a non-direct manner. The contribution may be achieved by the user entering into a chance-based selection process such as a draw, where the user selected in the draw is the person that pays for a group virtual item used in the game. The item used in the game may benefit all members of the affiliation, simultaneously or in alternating fashion.

Abstract: Embodiments of systems and methods disclosed herein relate to selecting an application host system (for example, a server at a data center) to host an instance of a multiplayer video game session that assesses a quality of a connection to the application host system for each of the users who request or are selected to play within the multiplayer video game session.

Abstract: A system and method for garrisoning virtual units in virtual structures such that the attributes of the virtual structure are modified to reflect the garrisoning of the virtual unit inside the virtual structure.

Abstract: An example method of generating three-dimensional objects based on two-dimensional images of at least part of the object may include receiving a rendering transaction request. The method may further include transmitting, to the requestor, a rendering transaction response identifying a first storage location. The method may further include receiving, from the requestor, a notification indicating that images depicting an object have been uploaded to the first storage location. The method may further include transmitting, to a rendering application, a rendering request. The method may further include receiving, from the rendering application, a rendering response indicating that a polygonal mesh representing the images has been stored at a second storage location. The method may further include producing, using the polygonal mesh, a preview image and storing the preview image at a third storage location.

Abstract: Game players are connected to each other through comparisons of information associated with events in which the game players and their friends have competed. Competition information such as game play results, leader board positions, game attributes, and entitlements are used to compare players and players' friends to each other, and the comparison information is used to recommend additional events to the players in such a way as to enhance social networking and asynchronous game play among the game players and their friends in the game.

Abstract: Techniques are described that can that can modify content in a video game application executing on a game platform. The technique includes communicatively coupling with the game platform to exchange messages with the game platform. A tool may receive data representative of a version of a screen rendered by the game platform. The tool may then render its own version of the screen and modify the content data that comprises the screen image. The tool may then send a content modification message to the game platform, the message including data representative of the modifications made by the tool. The game platform may then modify and render a new version of the screen in the game platform based on the modification message.

Abstract: A method for operating a networked interactive game system is provided. An input command generated by a local user of a local game system that controls a local object of an interactive game may be received. A state for the local object in the present game frame may be predicted based on the input command. State data of a first object of the interactive game that was determined in a network simulation of a previous game frame may be retrieved. A global object of the interactive game in the present game frame may be course-corrected to be aligned with the global object in the previous game frame using the predicted state for the local object in the present game frame and the state data of the first object of the previous game frame. The present game frame may be rendered with the course-corrected global object.

Abstract: An extensible character animation framework is provided that enables video game design teams to develop reusable animation controllers that are customizable for specific applications. According to embodiments, the animation framework enables animators to construct complex animations by creating hierarchies of animation controllers, and the complex animation is created by blending the animation outputs of each of the animation controllers in the hierarchy. The extensible animation framework also provides animators with the ability to customize various attributes of a character being animated and to view the changes to the animation in real-time in order to provide immediate feedback to the animators without requiring that the animators manually rebuild the animation data each time that the animators make a chance to the animation data.

Abstract: A method for enabling interaction with a shared game data file in a game device is provided. The method comprises: providing logic to perform one or more actions associated with the shared game data file; and providing logic to cause the game device to perform an action in the one or more actions with the shared game data file, the shared game data file allowing data associated with a first game in the shared game data file to affect actions in a second game.