Abstract: A method of mapping a virtual environment comprises obtaining a first sequence of video images output by a videogame title; obtaining a corresponding sequence of in-game virtual camera positions at which the video images were created; obtaining a corresponding sequence of depth buffer values for a depth buffer used by the videogame whilst creating the video images; and for each of a plurality of video images and corresponding depth buffer values of the obtained sequences, obtain mapping points corresponding to a sampling distribution of points over the area of a respective video image and their associated depth values; wherein respective mapping points are obtained by projecting co-ordinated derived from the sample points from the video image and associated depth values back into a 3D game world co-ordinate system of the videogame title; thereby obtaining a point cloud dataset of mapping points corresponding to the first sequence of video images.

Abstract: Computer implemented methods and systems for providing a uniform data platform for at least one application of a plurality of applications are disclosed. Exemplary methods include receiving application data from at least one of a device and a server, a device executing a portion of an application of a plurality of applications, storing the application data in a data platform, the data model including at least one metadata and at least one event, the one metadata corresponding to at least one object indicated in the data model, and the one event corresponding to a trigger condition associated with the one metadata entry, wherein values of the one metadata and one event are associated with a user profile and accessing via a plurality of remote networked services, the application data stored in the data platform, the plurality of remote network services accessing the application data using the data model.

Abstract: A method of mapping a virtual environment comprises obtaining a first sequence of video images output by a videogame title; obtaining a corresponding sequence of in-game virtual camera positions at which the video images were created; obtaining a corresponding sequence of depth buffer values for a depth buffer used by the videogame whilst creating the video images; and for each of a plurality of video images and corresponding depth buffer values of the obtained sequences, obtain mapping points corresponding to a sampling distribution of points over the area of a respective video image and their associated depth values; wherein respective mapping points are obtained by projecting co-ordinated derived from the sample points from the video image and associated depth values back into a 3D game world co-ordinate system of the videogame title; thereby obtaining a point cloud dataset of mapping points corresponding to the first sequence of video images.

Abstract: A user analysis method of assisting a current user within the videogame, includes: obtaining an indication that a hint is required for a scenario within the videogame; and if so, providing a hint to the current user relating to successful behaviour in the scenario; where providing a hint comprises: obtaining one or more indicators of behaviour for the scenario within the videogame, a difference detecting step comprising detecting a respective difference between the one or more obtained indicators of behaviour and corresponding data derived from a corpus of measured indicators of behaviour previously generated from a subset of other users detected to have a predetermined level of success in the scenario, and the providing step comprising providing a hint to the current user indicating a change in one or more behaviours that reduces a respective difference in the one or more measured indicators of behaviour between the current user and the subset of other users detected to have a predetermined level of success

Abstract: A user analysis method for assisting a current user within the videogame includes: measuring one or more indicators of success for a scenario within the videogame as played by the current user, detecting if the one or more measured indicators of success are below an evaluation threshold, and if so then providing a hint to the current user relating to successful behaviour in the scenario, wherein providing a hint has a measuring step including measuring one or more indicators of behaviour for the scenario within the videogame as played by the current user, an evaluating step including evaluating the one or more measured indicators of behaviour with respect to data derived from a corpus of measured indicators of behaviour previously generated for other users for the scenario, a difference detecting step including detecting a respective difference in the one or more measured indicators of behaviour between the current user and a subset of other users detected to have a predetermined level of success in the scena

Abstract: A method of mapping a virtual environment includes: obtaining a first sequence of video images output by a videogame title; obtaining a corresponding sequence of in-game virtual camera positions at which the video images were created; obtaining a corresponding sequence of depth buffer values for a depth buffer used by the videogame whilst creating the video images; and, for each of a plurality of video images and corresponding depth buffer values of the obtained sequences, obtain mapping points corresponding to a selected predetermined set of depth values corresponding to a predetermined set of positions within a respective video image; where for each pair of depth values and video image positions, a mapping point has a distance from the virtual camera position based upon the depth value, and a position based upon the relative positions of the virtual camera and the respective video image position, thereby obtaining a map dataset of mapping points corresponding to the first sequence of video images.

Abstract: A method of automatically providing a hint to a first user about how a second user is likely to interact with them within a videogame includes: obtaining first indicators of behaviour for the second user recorded during at least a first previous interaction with the first user or an approximate representation of the first user, obtaining second indicators of behaviour for a corpus of a plurality of players having had at least a first successful previous interaction with the first user or an approximate representation of the first user, comparing the first and second indicators of behaviour to obtain comparison information about how the second user compares to the corpus of successful players, and providing a hint to the first user about the second user, based upon the comparison information.

Abstract: A user analysis method for assisting a current user within the videogame includes: measuring one or more indicators of success for a scenario within the videogame as played by the current user, detecting if the one or more measured indicators of success are below an evaluation threshold, and if so then providing a hint to the current user relating to successful behaviour in the scenario, wherein providing a hint has a measuring step including measuring one or more indicators of behaviour for the scenario within the videogame as played by the current user, an evaluating step including evaluating the one or more measured indicators of behaviour with respect to data derived from a corpus of measured indicators of behaviour previously generated for other users for the scenario, a difference detecting step including detecting a respective difference in the one or more measured indicators of behaviour between the current user and a subset of other users detected to have a predetermined level of success in the scena

Abstract: Computer implemented methods and systems for providing a uniform data platform for at least one application of a plurality of applications are disclosed. Exemplary methods include receiving application data from at least one of a device and a server, a device executing a portion of an application of a plurality of applications, storing the application data in a data platform, the data model including at least one metadata and at least one event, the one metadata corresponding to at least one object indicated in the data model, and the one event corresponding to a trigger condition associated with the one metadata entry, wherein values of the one metadata and one event are associated with a user profile and accessing via a plurality of remote networked services, the application data stored in the data platform, the plurality of remote network services accessing the application data using the data model.

Abstract: A method of mapping a virtual environment includes: obtaining a first sequence of video images output by a videogame title; obtaining a corresponding sequence of in-game virtual camera positions at which the video images were created; obtaining a corresponding sequence of depth buffer values for a depth buffer used by the videogame whilst creating the video images; and, for each of a plurality of video images and corresponding depth buffer values of the obtained sequences, obtain mapping points corresponding to a selected predetermined set of depth values corresponding to a predetermined set of positions within a respective video image; where for each pair of depth values and video image positions, a mapping point has a distance from the virtual camera position based upon the depth value, and a position based upon the relative positions of the virtual camera and the respective video image position, thereby obtaining a map dataset of mapping points corresponding to the first sequence of video images.

Abstract: A method of automatically providing a hint to a first user about how a second user is likely to interact with them within a videogame includes: obtaining first indicators of behaviour for the second user recorded during at least a first previous interaction with the first user or an approximate representation of the first user, obtaining second indicators of behaviour for a corpus of a plurality of players having had at least a first successful previous interaction with the first user or an approximate representation of the first user, comparing the first and second indicators of behaviour to obtain comparison information about how the second user compares to the corpus of successful players, and providing a hint to the first user about the second user, based upon the comparison information.

Abstract: A user analysis method of assisting a current user within the videogame, includes: obtaining an indication that a hint is required for a scenario within the videogame; and if so, providing a hint to the current user relating to successful behaviour in the scenario; where providing a hint comprises: obtaining one or more indicators of behaviour for the scenario within the videogame, a difference detecting step comprising detecting a respective difference between the one or more obtained indicators of behaviour and corresponding data derived from a corpus of measured indicators of behaviour previously generated from a subset of other users detected to have a predetermined level of success in the scenario, and the providing step comprising providing a hint to the current user indicating a change in one or more behaviours that reduces a respective difference in the one or more measured indicators of behaviour between the current user and the subset of other users detected to have a predetermined level of success

Abstract: A user analysis method of generating supplementary content for a videogame comprises the steps of obtaining one or more indicators of game play behaviour for a scenario within the videogame as played by a first user; evaluating the one or more obtained indicators of game play behaviour with respect to data derived from a corpus of measured indicators of game play behaviour previously generated for other users for the scenario; detecting a respective significance in the one or more obtained indicators of game play behaviour of the first user with respect to measured indicators of game play behaviour of at least a subset of the corpus; and providing supplementary content indicating the respective significance of one or more obtained indicators of game play behaviour of the first user in response to the detection of a respective significance.