Abstract: Incorporating player-generated audio in an electronic game is disclosed. Incorporation may include receiving an audio clip from an electronic game player, applying a modification to the audio clip to generate a chant, associating the chant to the execution of an event in the electronic game, retrieving the chant when the event in the electronic game is executed, and initiating the play of the chant upon execution of the event in the electronic game.

Abstract: A wearable computing device includes a head-mounted display (HMD) that provides a field of view in which at least a portion of the environment of the wearable computing device is viewable. The HMD is operable to display images superimposed over the field of view. When the wearable computing device determines that a target device is within its environment, the wearable computing device obtains target device information related to the target device from a programmed local tag. The target device information may include information that defines a virtual control interface for controlling the target device and an identification of a defined area of the target device on which the virtual control image is to be provided. The wearable computing device controls the HMD to display the virtual control image as an image superimposed over the defined area of the target device in the field of view.

Abstract: A system is provided, including the following: an input device, the input device including, a light emitting diode (LED) array; an image capture device configured to capture images of an interactive environment in which the input device is disposed, the image capture device configured to generate captured image data that is processed to determine a movement of the input device in the interactive environment; wherein a gearing is established that adjusts an amount by which the movement of the input device is mapped to movement of an image that is rendered to a display, the gearing changing to different settings during the movement of the image as the movement of the image is rendered to the display.

Abstract: A podcast system and method are provided to select and deliver media ads over a network to a user device and to insert the media ads in media content subscribed to and delivered over the network to the user device.

Abstract: Systems and methods of managing H.264 compliant video that lacks B Frames include decoding without the use of a significant video frame buffer. This variant of the H.264 standard may include a flag indicating that the video does not include B Frames. The video may be used in applications, such as computer games, in which processing of B Frames introduces undesirable lag.

Abstract: A system and method for delivering content over a network is provided. Content may be primary content (e.g., music or a movie) or ancillary content (e.g., an advertisement). The ancillary content may further be classified as universal ancillary content that all users of the present system will receive; targeted ancillary content that particular users of the present system will receive; and context-specific ancillary content that users of the present system and viewing particular primary content will receive. The type of primary and/or ancillary content delivered to the user will depend, in part, on indicia of the user of a device receiving the content. The present invention seeks to ensure that a user has relevant and up-to-date ancillary content notwithstanding the nature or date of the primary content.

Abstract: A method is provided, including the following operations: receiving at least one video feed from at least one camera disposed in a venue; processing the at least one video feed to generate a video stream that provides a view of the venue; transmitting the video stream over a network to a client device, for rendering to a head-mounted display; wherein processing the at least one video feed includes, analyzing the at least one video feed to identify a projectile object that is launched in the venue, wherein in the video stream, the projectile object is replaced with a virtual object, the virtual object being animated in the video stream so as to exhibit a path of travel that is towards the head-mounted display as the video stream is rendered to the head-mounted display.

Abstract: A method for remote-hosted video effects includes rendering an application frame buffer in a hosting service that is streaming interactive video. Only a portion of the application frame buffer is subsequently displayed on a local device.

Abstract: A system and method are described for managing the state of an online video game. A method includes initiating a new online video game in response to user input from a client device, the online video game being in a first state on a first server when initiated; executing the online video game on the server, thereby causing the online video game to enter a second state; pausing or terminating the online video game; determining differences between the first state and the second state and generating difference data containing the differences; transmitting the difference data over a network to a second server; and recreating the second state from the difference data and the first state in response to user input indicating that the user wishes to resume the online video game and in response to the second server being selected as the server on which to execute the video game.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for an automatic user or friend recommendation system that matches players that have compatible play styles, play schedules, or the like. Behavioral data is collected or entered from players, and a profile of each player is created and compared to calculate a compatibility score. If the compatibility score exceeds a predetermined threshold, then the players are marked as compatible, or a degree of compatibility may be calculated and displayed as well. Users can edit their profile, e.g., on a web application or in-game. Users may also interact with optional and incremental demographic survey questions as they log in. A notification of compatible players may be provided via the web application or via an in-game indication. For example, a glow may appear around a compatible player, or compatible players may be displayed in a list, such as an instant messaging client.

Abstract: Methods for managing mini-games created and executed in a game cloud system are provided. One method includes providing a plurality of mini-games stored in the game cloud system. Each mini-game is created based on a video recording of a game play for a game title, and is shared in a social network. The method further includes identifying user interactions for each mini-game and ranking the mini-games based on the identified user interactions associated with each mini-game. Then, some or all of the mini-games are displayed on a game site and/or a social network site in an order that is based on the ranking.

Abstract: During output of a primary media stream from a cable, satellite, television, radio or internet source, a condition, signal or indication of a commercial break is detected causing a context switch to occur and enabling other services, programming or devices to intervene during the commercial break and causing an alternative output to be produced by a process or device. When the commercial break is over, the system may optionally rejoin with the primary media stream.

Abstract: A virtual reality network provides access to a number of virtual reality representations, each virtual reality representation representing a location in a virtual universe and defined by VR data stored on the network. The VR data can be in a simplified data format. A database stores the network address and the location in the universe of each virtual reality representation. A database server provides access to the database. The database server generates a list of locations in response to a location query from a visitor, and provides the network address of the virtual reality representation of a selected location. A visitor connects to the database server with a client host to visit the locations in the virtual universe.

Abstract: A computer-implemented system and method are described for managing audio chat for an online video game or application. For example, a system according to one embodiment comprises: an online video game or application execution engine to execute an online video game or application in response to input from one or more users of the video game or application and to responsively generate audio and video of the video game or application; and a chat subsystem to establish audio chat sessions with the one or more users and one or more spectators to the video game or application, the chat subsystem establishing a plurality of audio chat channels including a spectator channel over which the spectators participate in audio chat and a user channel over which the users participate in audio chat.

Abstract: A method including establishing a multi-player gaming session of a gaming application that generates an interactive gaming world, the live event being a real-world venue where players playing the gaming application are present. A 3D live view of the venue is generated based on captured video streams, and generated for a physical POV anchored to a physical location in the venue. The 3D live view is streamed to an HMD of a remote user located outside the venue, and presents an augmented reality view of the live event. A request is received from the remote user to jump into the gaming session as a spectator of the interactive gaming world from a virtual POV defined by a virtual location in the gaming world. The spectator view is delivered to the HMD of the remote user for display, the spectator view presenting a virtual reality view of the interactive gaming world.

Abstract: A system and method are disclosed for dynamically loading game software for smooth game play. A load boundary associated with a game environment is identified. A position of a character in the game environment is then monitored. Instructions corresponding to a next game environment are loaded into a memory when the character crosses the load boundary, such that game play is not interrupted.

Abstract: Rewarding a first classification of purchasers of digital media is provided. Such a classification may include initial purchasers (e.g., purchasers of new items) and secondary purchasers (e.g., purchasers of previously used items). A digital medium is played on a digital device and a notification is sent to a server. The server identifies the user of the digital device based on a unique device identifier associated with the digital device and a stored association of that digital device with the user. The user is determined to belong to the first classification of purchasers of the digital medium based on a unique identifier associated with the digital medium. The user, belonging to the first classification of purchasers, is provided with access to a reward that is not generally accessible to users belonging to a second classification. Users that are identified as belonging to the second classification may be offered a chance to upgrade their classification and access the reward.

Abstract: A video server is configured to provide streaming video to players of computer games over a computing network. The video server can provided video of different games to different players simultaneously. This is accomplished by rendering several video streams in parallel using a single GPU. The output of the GPU is provided to graphics processing pipelines that are each associated with a specific client/player and are dynamically allocated as needed. A client qualifier may be used to assure that only clients capable of presenting the streaming video to a player at a minimum level of quality receive the video stream.

Abstract: A method is provided, including: receiving at a client device a first command to initiate a cloud video game; in response to receiving the first command, retrieving, by the client device, initial content from a client local storage; rendering the initial content to a display device; sending a first request from the client device to a cloud gaming service to access the cloud video game, the cloud gaming service being configured to assign the client device to a gaming machine configured to execute the cloud video game; receiving at the client device a second command to initiate interactive gameplay; in response to receiving the second command, sending a second request from the client device to the cloud gaming service, the cloud gaming service being configured to, in response to receiving the second request, initiate streaming of interactive gameplay content generated by the executing cloud video game to the client device.

Abstract: Systems, methods, and computer-readable media are provided for generating computer-mediated reality display data based on user instantaneous motion data. A system includes at least one sensor, a mediated reality data source, and a mediated reality display generator that generates displayable mediated reality scene data based on (a) current reality data of the system from the at least one sensor; (b) mediated reality data from the mediated reality data source; and (c) instantaneous motion data of the system from the at least one sensor. In one example the mediated reality display generator generates the displayable mediated reality scene data by generating displayable mediated reality frame data based on the current reality data and the mediated reality data. The operations further include selecting a portion of the displayable mediated reality frame data as the displayable mediated reality scene data based on the instantaneous motion data.