Abstract: One or more hardware components identify a bottleneck stage within a processor pipeline that processes frames of a video stream. The bottleneck stage has a first clock. An upstream stage receives a feedback signal from the bottleneck stage. The upstream stage has a second clock and the feedback signal includes information as to time required by the bottleneck stage to operate on data and information as to time the data spent queued. The upstream stage adjusts the speed at which the upstream stage operates and queues data to approximate the speed at which the bottleneck stage is operating and queuing data.

Abstract: Systems described herein may automatically and dynamically adjust the amount and type of computing resources usable to execute, process, or perform various tasks associated with a video game. Using one or more machine learning algorithms, a prediction model can be generated that uses the historical and/or current user interaction data obtained by monitoring the users playing the video game. Based on the historical and/or current user interaction data, future user interactions likely to be performed in the future can be predicted. Using the predictions of the users' future interactions, the amount and type of computing resources maintained in the systems can be adjusted such that a proper balance between reducing the consumption of computing resources and reducing the latency experienced by the users of the video game is achieved and maintained.

Abstract: The present invention relates to gaming machines, systems and methods of gaming. There are a number of different ways available for determining an award by current gaming machines and systems. In this embodiment, a game controller is arranged to determine an award depending on the number of columns spanned by a cluster of symbols and the number of symbol positions in the cluster.

Abstract: A method of providing a secondary skill-based game to a player utilizing an electronic game machine includes providing the player with a plurality of wagering units enabling the participants to play a machine-implemented game, initiating the game whereby the player wagers during individual games, displaying indicia representing a game state to the player whereby the player may select from at least two different potentially winning actions to continue each game, determining an outcome for the machine-implemented game, and, if the number of wagering units held by the participant is greater than a predetermined number of wagering units and if the elapsed time from the initiation of the first game played by the player is less than a predetermined time interval and if the number of games played by the player is less than a predetermined maximum number of games, providing the player the a secondary skill-based game prize.

Abstract: A game program causing a computer to execute a function of controlling progress of a video game based on an operation input of a user causes the computer to implement a first control function of controlling operation of a first reference object having a predetermined shape and an enlarging and reducing object that is repeatedly enlarged and reduced between a state of being contained in the first reference object and a state of containing the first reference object, a second control function of displaying a game image that is an image of a game space including the first reference object and the enlarging and reducing object on a display unit, and a decision function of deciding an arrival location of a moving object released from a predetermined position in the game space based on a state of the enlarging and reducing object if a decision operation is performed.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a vibration control apparatus that receives a vibration instruction and vibrates a vibration device in accordance with content obtained by correcting the content of the received vibration instruction, wherein the vibration control apparatus determines the correction content for vibration in accordance with a user using the vibration device.

Abstract: Various aspects of the subject technology relate to systems, methods, and machine-readable media for granting access to a game. The method includes receiving a request to access the game. The method also includes causing to display a set of challenge options representing challenges of varying difficulty levels for a user to select. The method also includes receiving a selection of a challenge option from a user device. The method also includes causing to present a challenge to the user. The method also includes receiving challenge data from the user including interactions with and results of the challenge. The method also includes determining whether the user passed the challenge based on the challenge data. The method also includes executing or enabling execution of the game upon determining that the user passed the challenge. The method also includes providing the user rewards associated with the game for passing the challenge.

Abstract: A dynamic quest-based experience system of an amusement park includes a memory storing instructions and a processor configured to execute the instructions to cause the processor to receive a user input from a computing device indicative of starting a dynamic quest-based narrative, in which the dynamic quest-based narrative includes a plurality of sets of information. The instructions further cause the processor to place an identifier associated with the computing device in a virtual queue associated with a narrative endpoint of the amusement park, select a set of information from the plurality of sets of information based on a determined parameter, wherein the set of information is associated with a requested task, and output the set of information to the computing device.

Abstract: The present disclosure provides a control method and apparatus for a Virtual Reality (VR) shooting game. The control method includes: detecting a shooting operation instruction in the VR shooting game; when the shooting operation instruction is detected, controlling a shooting weapon to execute a shooting action; in response to the shooting weapon executing the shooting action, applying a first acting force to a virtual weapon holder, the first acting force being used for simulating a recoil force to the virtual weapon holder when the shooting weapon executes the shooting action; calculating and controlling a position change of the virtual weapon holder based on the first acting force; and after the first force disappears, applying a second acting force to the virtual weapon holder, and calculating and controlling the position change of the virtual weapon holder based on the second acting force.

Abstract: An information processing program is for improving operability of a player when aiming at one of a plurality of non-player objects. The information processing program causes a computer to function as: a camera control unit that controls an imaging range or an imaging direction of a virtual camera in a virtual space, a display control unit that causes a display unit to display an image taken by the virtual camera, an action control unit that controls an action of a player object in the virtual space according to an operation to an operating unit, and a setting unit that sets any one of the plurality of non-player objects other than the player object as a target object to aim at. The setting unit is capable of setting one of the plurality of non-player objects arranged outside the imaging range of the virtual camera as the target object.

Abstract: A system, server, and method for controlling a game character are provided. The system for controlling a game character according to one embodiment includes a first user terminal configured to acquire an input of a first user, a server configured to generate game play information based on the input of the first user, and a second user terminal configured to perform at least one of control over a game character of a second user and provision of motion guidance information related to the game character based on the game play information.

Abstract: An gaming apparatus, systems and methods with a remote redemption option including a payment acceptance device for accepting payment from a player; at least one display screen that displays symbols, a player's balance and game status information; at least one electronic game module for storing gaming information, operating a game and/or determining a redemption amount to a player; a control electronics in communication with the at least one electronic game module for processing the redemption amount to the player; and a payout dispenser for dispensing a redemption voucher to the player. The disclosure also includes an exchange center having an exchange point of sale within a universal redemption system.

Abstract: A user breeds a virtual life form by practicing good sleep habits and stays motivated toward practicing good sleep habits while enjoying breeding the virtual life form. A game server manages progress of a breeding game of a virtual life form, the game server including circuitry configured to acquire sleep data that at least includes a sleep pattern indicating a bedtime and a wake-up time of a user; store the acquired sleep data as a sleep history; and update the breeding game based on the sleep pattern in the sleep history.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for playing on a player of a client device (11) a content streamed in a network (1), said content consisting of a sequence of segments available in a plurality of quality levels, the player being configured so as to choose the quality level of the segments as a function of at least one parameter representative of a segment reception rate, according to an Adaptive BitRate, ABR, logic of the player; the client device (11) comprising a first buffer (M1) for storing segments in a format adapted for transferring within the network (1), the method being characterized in that it comprises performing by a processing unit (110) of the client device (11): (a) receiving from the player a request for a current segment at a first quality level; (b) estimating, for a second quality level, an optimal response delay such that providing the requested current segment at the expiration of said optimal response delay will cause the player to request according to its ABR logic a next s

Abstract: A method for cloud gaming. The method including generating a video frame when executing a video game at a server. The method including scanning-in the video frame to an encoder at the server scanline-by-scanline. The method including encoding one or more encoder slices as one or more encoded slices at the encoder, wherein each encoded slice is delivered to a buffer at an encoder fill rate. The method including draining a first encoded slice from the buffer to stream the first encoded slice at a buffer drain rate over a network to a client, wherein the first encoded slice is streamed over the network before fully encoding the one or more slices of the video frame.

Abstract: A system, a machine-readable storage medium storing instructions, and a computer-implemented method are described herein for a System Tuner for defining an in-game event requiting accumulation of a pre-defined set of virtual objects in a virtual game (or online game) prior to termination of the in-game event. The System Tuner determines a head-start subset from the pre-defined set of virtual objects for a target player account based on a difference between a reference player skill level for the virtual game and a player skill level of the target player account. The System Tuner determines, based on the player skill level of the target player account and a pre-defined duration of the in-game event, a drop rate for virtual objects remaining in the pre-defined set of virtual objects. The System Tuner sends the head-start subset and the drop rate to a client device associated with the target player account.

Abstract: Systems and methods for generating a customized virtual character are disclosed. A system may obtain video data or other media depicting a real person, 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 person 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 person, which may subsequently be used to render, within a virtual environment of a video game, a virtual character that resembles the real person in appearance and in-game behavior.

Abstract: A method is provided, including the following operations: receiving a request to initiate gameplay of a video game, the gameplay being configured to occur in a virtual environment resembling a requested real-world location; responsive to the request, obtaining exterior data associated to the requested real-world location, the exterior data describing external structures of physical objects in the requested real-world location; using a trained machine learning model to infer interior data for the physical objects based on the exterior data, the interior data describing inferred internal structures of the physical objects; generating the virtual environment using the exterior data and the interior data; initiating gameplay of the video game in the generated virtual environment.

Abstract: In one embodiment, a system and method for facilitating intra-casino mobile gaming, the method includes forming an intra-casino mobile gaming zone internal to a casino establishment; pairing a player ID tag with a PGD; determining whether one of the player ID tag or the PGD is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone using a zone specific local positioning system; and permitting the PGD to provide a wager gaming capability associated with the intra-casino mobile gaming zone while wirelessly interacting with a gaming server if the determining determines that at least one of the player ID tag or the PGD is within the intra-casino mobile gaming zone.

Abstract: A method for cloud gaming. The method including generating a video frame when executing a video game at a server, wherein the video frame is stored in a frame buffer. The method including determining a maximum pixel clock for a chip-set including a scan-out block. The method including determining a frame rate setting based on the maximum pixel clock and an image size of a target display of a client. The method including determining a speed setting value for the chip-set. The method including scanning the video frame into the scan-out block from the frame buffer. The method including scanning-out the video frame from the scan-out block to the encoder at the speed setting value.