Abstract: A method for gaming assistance. Information relating to game plays of player for a gaming application is received at a back-end server. A current game context of a first game play of a first player is determined from the information. Historical expert game contexts of expert game plays of experts that have played the gaming application are determined from the information. An assistance query related to the first game play is received. The current game context of the first player is compared to the historical expert game contexts to determine at least one expert having a corresponding historical expert game context that matches the first game context. A first expert is assigned to the first player for obtaining assistance. A communication session is generated between a device of the first expert and a device of the first player to enable the first expert to render assistance to the first player.

Abstract: A method for gaming. The method including receiving location based information of game play of a user playing a gaming application as displayed on a first computing device, wherein the location based information is made with reference to a location of a character in the game play of the user in a gaming world associated with the gaming application. The method including aggregating location based information of a plurality of game plays of a plurality of users playing the gaming application. The method including generating contextually relevant information for the location of the character based on the location based information of the plurality of game plays. The method including generating a companion interface including the contextually relevant information. The method including sending the companion interface to a second computing device associated with the user for display concurrent with the game play of the user.

Abstract: A method for dramatizing video gaming is disclosed. The method includes receiving over a network from a client device contextual data corresponding to game play of a player playing a gaming application. The method includes identifying an event of dramatic significance is occurring or likely will occur in the game play based on the contextual data and historical data of a plurality of game plays relating to the gaming application. The method includes generating information dramatizing the event of dramatic significance. The method includes surfacing the information in connection with the game play.

Abstract: A method for navigating through a gaming world, including capturing a plurality of snapshots generated from instances of a video game; generating for display a timeline of a first user playing the video game, wherein the timeline includes snapshot images of at least one user progressing through the video game displayed in relation to a currently rendered image displayed in association with the first user; generating for display in the timeline thumbnails including first snapshot images associated with the first user, wherein the first snapshots shows past progress of the first user in comparison to the currently rendered image; and generating for display in the timeline second thumbnails including second snapshot images associated with a second user, wherein the second snapshot images shows progress of the second user at a point in the video game after the currently rendered image.

Abstract: A method for navigating through a gaming world, including capturing a plurality of snapshots generated from instances of a video game; generating for display a timeline of a first user playing the video game, wherein the timeline includes snapshot images of at least one user progressing through the video game displayed in relation to a currently rendered image displayed in association with the first user; generating for display in the timeline thumbnails including first snapshot images associated with the first user, wherein the first snapshots shows past progress of the first user in comparison to the currently rendered image; and generating for display in the timeline second thumbnails including second snapshot images associated with a second user, wherein the second snapshot images shows progress of the second user at a point in the video game after the currently rendered image.

Abstract: A method for dramatizing video gaming is disclosed. The method includes receiving over a network from a client device contextual data corresponding to game play of a player playing a gaming application. The method includes identifying an event of dramatic significance is occurring or likely will occur in the game play based on the contextual data and historical data of a plurality of game plays relating to the gaming application. The method includes generating information dramatizing the event of dramatic significance. The method includes surfacing the information in connection with the game play.

Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods for providing contextual game guidance are described herein. An example method includes determining based on contextual information regarding an application an objective of the user; automatically deriving based on the contextual information and the objective contextual guidance to assist the user; generating a user interface having the contextual guidance; and transmitting the user interface to a client device.

Abstract: A technique for scaling a multiplayer co-op and competitive computer gaming to dozens or even scores of people playing simultaneously, for example in a movie theater. The gameplay occurs on the giant screen at the front of the theater. Each person has a controller to control one character or avatar in a gameplay space that is projected on the screen. In a theater with one hundred people in the seats, for example, one hundred respective avatars can appear on the screen, each controlled by a respective different player.

Abstract: A method for gaming. The method including receiving location based information of game play of a user playing a gaming application as displayed on a first computing device, wherein the location based information is made with reference to a location of a character in the game play of the user in a gaming world associated with the gaming application. The method including aggregating location based information of a plurality of game plays of a plurality of users playing the gaming application. The method including generating contextually relevant information for the location of the character based on the location based information of the plurality of game plays. The method including generating a companion interface including the contextually relevant information. The method including sending the companion interface to a second computing device associated with the user for display concurrent with the game play of the user.

Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for enabling the creation, game play, and third party view of a head-to-head challenge game played synchronously or asynchronously by a first and second player. In one embodiment, a method includes operations for receiving a request to view the challenge game for obtaining a first and second video associated with a predefined segment of a single player game as played by the first and second player. The method further includes operations for executing the challenge game that plays the first video alongside the second video in a spectator interface, for accessing and processing telemetry data of the game play of the predefined segment to generate modified game play metrics, and for replacing game states that were produced when the predefined segment of the game was played with the modified game play metrics. The modified game play metrics are rendered to the spectator interface.

Abstract: A method for dramatizing video gaming is disclosed. The method includes receiving over a network from a client device contextual data corresponding to game play of a player playing a gaming application. The method includes identifying an event of dramatic significance is occurring or likely will occur in the game play based on the contextual data and historical data of a plurality of game plays relating to the gaming application. The method includes generating information dramatizing the event of dramatic significance. The method includes surfacing the information in connection with the game play.

Abstract: A method for gaming assistance. Information relating to game plays of player for a gaming application is received at a back-end server. A current game context of a first game play of a first player is determined from the information. Historical expert game contexts of expert game plays of experts that have played the gaming application are determined from the information. An assistance query related to the first game play is received. The current game context of the first player is compared to the historical expert game contexts to determine at least one expert having a corresponding historical expert game context that matches the first game context. A first expert is assigned to the first player for obtaining assistance. A communication session is generated between a device of the first expert and a device of the first player to enable the first expert to render assistance to the first player.

Abstract: The present disclosure describes methods and systems directed towards identifying player engagement to generate contextual game play assistance. User gameplay information is monitored so that the user can be provided assistance within the video game where the user may have problems. User gameplay information is monitored in order to identify what type(s) of assistance could be provided to the user. The information can be based on the current level of frustration of the user with the video game.

Abstract: Methods and systems for providing assistance for an online game executed by a cloud gaming system includes receiving a game objective of a user playing the online game. A current location of the user in the online game is identified. A map of vector points defined for the online game is traversed in a backward direction from a vector point corresponding to location of the game objective to the current location, to identify vector points corresponding to activities performed by a plurality of prior players to achieve the game objective for the online game. A predicate list of the activities identified from the traversing is generated for presenting to the user. The predicate list specifies a sequence in which the activities need to be performed to achieve the game objective. The activities presented in the predicate list are dynamically adjusted based on changes to the current location of the user detected in the online game.

Abstract: A method for gaming assistance. Information relating to game plays of player for a gaming application is received at a back-end server. A current game context of a first game play of a first player is determined from the information. Historical expert game contexts of expert game plays of experts that have played the gaming application are determined from the information. An assistance query related to the first game play is received. The current game context of the first player is compared to the historical expert game contexts to determine at least one expert having a corresponding historical expert game context that matches the first game context. A first expert is assigned to the first player for obtaining assistance. A communication session is generated between a device of the first expert and a device of the first player to enable the first expert to render assistance to the first player.

Abstract: A method for gaming assistance. Information related to a plurality of game plays of players for a gaming application is received over a network at a back-end server. A query is received from a first player playing the gaming application, wherein the query is related to a first game play of the first player. A current game context of a first game play of a first player is determined from the information. A response to the query and the current game context is generated based on the information related to the plurality of game plays. The response is delivered back to a device of the first player.

Abstract: A method for gaming including receiving game states of game plays of players playing a gaming application. The method includes tracking game play progression for each of the game plays based on game states, wherein game play progression is defined by a corresponding set of relationship characteristics. A first game play of a first player is associated with a first set of relationship characteristics. The method includes identifying for the first player players having corresponding game plays that include one or more relationship characteristics from the first set of relationship characteristics. The method includes surfacing the identified players for display to the first player. Each surfaced players have a corresponding game play progression that is related to the first game play progression. Each surfaced players is associated with a corresponding communication warning indicator that provides relative game play progression between game plays the corresponding surfaced player and the first player.

Abstract: A method for gaming interaction. The method including capturing a plurality of snapshots generated from a gaming application executed for a first user. The method including generating a user defined package according to parameter information provided by the first user through a first companion interface of a first computing device of the first user, wherein the parameter information is based on one or more snapshots of the plurality of snapshots. The method including generating a marker for the user defined package. The method including providing the marker for display on a second computing device of a second user, wherein the marker enables access to the user defined package.

Abstract: A method for gaming assistance. Information related to a plurality of game plays of players for a gaming application is received over a network at a back-end server. A query is received from a first player playing the gaming application, wherein the query is related to a first game play of the first player. A current game context of a first game play of a first player is determined from the information. A response to the query and the current game context is generated based on the information related to the plurality of game plays. The response is delivered back to a device of the first player.

Abstract: Computer-implemented systems and methods for providing contextual game guidance are described herein. An example method includes determining based on contextual information regarding an application an objective of the user; automatically deriving based on the contextual information and the objective contextual guidance to assist the user; generating a user interface having the contextual guidance; and transmitting the user interface to a client device.