Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for training a machine learning model to control an in-game character or other entity in a video game in a manner that aims to imitate how a particular player would control the character or entity. A generic behavior model that is trained without respect to the particular player may be obtained and then customized based on observed gameplay of the particular player. The customization training process may include freezing at least a subset of layers or levels in the generic model, then generating one or more additional layers or levels that are trained using gameplay data for the particular player.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for enabling a player of a video game to designate custom voice utterances to control an in-game character. One or more machine learning models may learn in-game character actions associated with each of a number of player-defined utterances based on player demonstration of desired character actions. During execution of an instance of a video game, current game state information may be provided to the one or more trained machine learning models based on an indication that a given utterance was spoken by the player. A system may then cause one or more in-game actions to be performed by a non-player character in the instance of the video game based on output of the one or more machine learning models.

Abstract: System and methods for utilizing a video game console to monitor the player's video game, detect when a particular gameplay situation occurs during the player's video game experience, and collect game state data corresponding to how the player reacts to the particular gameplay situation or an effect of the reaction. In some cases, the video game console can receive an exploratory rule set to apply during the particular gameplay situation. In some cases, the video game console can trigger the particular gameplay situation. A system can receive the game state data from many video game consoles and train a rule set based on the game state data. Advantageously, the system can save computational resources by utilizing the players' video game experience to train the rule set.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for training a machine learning model to control an in-game character or other entity in a video game in a manner that aims to imitate how a particular player would control the character or entity. A generic behavior model that is trained without respect to the particular player may be obtained and then customized based on observed gameplay of the particular player. The customization training process may include freezing at least a subset of layers or levels in the generic model, then generating one or more additional layers or levels that are trained using gameplay data for the particular player.

Abstract: Various aspects of the subject technology relate to systems, methods, and machine-readable media for interactive computer-operated agents for user engagement in an interactive environment. Computer-operated agents are introduced to help populate a session and are configured to maximize engagement rates among users associated with user-controlled agents. During these interactions, engagement metrics are collected that indicate different interaction rates at different times by the computer-operated agents. The number of popular computer-operated agents (with relatively high interaction rates) can be kept in circulation while some less popular computer-operated agents (with relatively smaller interaction rates) can be kept in circulation for diversity or are purged from circulation.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for converting a player-controlled character or virtual entity in a video game to at least temporarily be under emulated control when certain criteria is met, such as when the player's device has lost its network connection to a game server. The character or virtual entity may continue to behave in the game in a manner that emulates or mimics play of the actual player until the end of the game session or until the underlying connection problem or other issue is resolved, such that other players participating in the game session have the same or similar gameplay experience as they would have had if the disconnected player had continued to play.

Abstract: Systems and methods are disclosed for enabling a player of a video game to designate custom voice utterances to control an in-game character. One or more machine learning models may learn in-game character actions associated with each of a number of player-defined utterances based on player demonstration of desired character actions. During execution of an instance of a video game, current game state information may be provided to the one or more trained machine learning models based on an indication that a given utterance was spoken by the player. A system may then cause one or more in-game actions to be performed by a non-player character in the instance of the video game based on output of the one or more machine learning models.

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: Systems and methods are disclosed for converting a player-controlled character or virtual entity in a video game to at least temporarily be under emulated control when certain criteria is met, such as when the player's device has lost its network connection to a game server. The character or virtual entity may continue to behave in the game in a manner that emulates or mimics play of the actual player until the end of the game session or until the underlying connection problem or other issue is resolved, such that other players participating in the game session have the same or similar gameplay experience as they would have had if the disconnected player had continued to play.

Abstract: A list of attribute categories associated with a plurality of graphical assets to construct a simulated element of a graphical simulation is received. An element profile for the simulated element using the list of attribute categories is determined, wherein the element profile comprises an attribute value for each attribute category of the list of attribute categories. A list of graphical assets from the plurality of graphical assets that match the element profile is identified. A set of graphical assets from the identified list of graphical assets to be used to construct the simulated character is selected non-deterministically from the list, and the simulated element is subsequently constructed using the selected set of graphical assets.

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: Various aspects of the subject technology relate to systems, methods, and machine-readable media for interactive computer-operated agents for user engagement in an interactive environment. Computer-operated agents are introduced to help populate a session and are configured to maximize engagement rates among users associated with user-controlled agents. During these interactions, engagement metrics are collected that indicate different interaction rates at different times by the computer-operated agents. The number of popular computer-operated agents (with relatively high interaction rates) can be kept in circulation while some less popular computer-operated agents (with relatively smaller interaction rates) can be kept in circulation for diversity or are purged from circulation.

Abstract: A list of attribute categories associated with a plurality of graphical assets to construct a simulated element of a graphical simulation is received. An element profile for the simulated element using the list of attribute categories is determined, wherein the element profile comprises an attribute value for each attribute category of the list of attribute categories. A list of graphical assets from the plurality of graphical assets that match the element profile is identified. A set of graphical assets from the identified list of graphical assets to be used to construct the simulated character is selected non-deterministically from the list, and the simulated element is subsequently constructed using the selected set of graphical assets.

Abstract: A list of attribute categories associated with a plurality of graphical assets to construct a simulated element of a graphical simulation is received. An element profile for the simulated element using the list of attribute categories is determined, wherein the element profile comprises an attribute value for each attribute category of the list of attribute categories. A list of graphical assets from the plurality of graphical assets that match the element profile is identified. A set of graphical assets from the identified list of graphical assets to be used to construct the simulated character is selected non-deterministically from the list, and the simulated element is subsequently constructed using the selected set of graphical assets.

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 graphical asset associated with a simulated character of a video game is received. A first image and a second image associated with the simulated character are subsequently received, the first image comprising graphical displacement mapping information for a first topology of image deformation and the second image comprising graphical displacement mapping information for a second topology of deformation. A portion of the graphical asset is then deformed using the graphical displacement mapping information from the first image and the second image to change the 3D geometry of the portion of the graphical asset.

Abstract: A graphical asset associated with a simulated character of a video game is received. A first image and a second image associated with the simulated character are subsequently received, the first image comprising graphical displacement mapping information for a first topology of image deformation and the second image comprising graphical displacement mapping information for a second topology of deformation. A portion of the graphical asset is then deformed using the graphical displacement mapping information from the first image and the second image to change the 3D geometry of the portion of the graphical asset.

Abstract: A request is received to assign a first graphical asset and a second graphical asset associated with a three-dimensional (3D) geometry of a simulated character of a video game to the same physical location on the 3D geometry. A graphical conflict between the first graphical asset and the second graphical asset is detected, where the graphical conflict indicates that at least a portion of the first graphical asset and at least a portion of the second graphical asset graphically overlap at the same physical location on the 3D geometry. Attributes of the first and second graphical assets at the same physical location on the 3D geometry are compared. One of the first graphical asset or the second graphical asset is then provided for display at the physical location on the 3D geometry.

Abstract: A graphical asset associated with a simulated character of a video game is received. A first image and a second image associated with the simulated character are subsequently received, the first image comprising graphical displacement mapping information for a first topology of image deformation and the second image comprising graphical displacement mapping information for a second topology of deformation. A portion of the graphical asset is then deformed using the graphical displacement mapping information from the first image and the second image to change the 3D geometry of the portion of the graphical asset.

Abstract: A request is received to assign a first graphical asset and a second graphical asset associated with a three-dimensional (3D) geometry of a simulated character of a video game to the same physical location on the 3D geometry. A graphical conflict between the first graphical asset and the second graphical asset is detected, where the graphical conflict indicates that at least a portion of the first graphical asset and at least a portion of the second graphical asset graphically overlap at the same physical location on the 3D geometry. Attributes of the first and second graphical assets at the same physical location on the 3D geometry are compared. One of the first graphical asset or the second graphical asset is then provided for display at the physical location on the 3D geometry.