Abstract: A method for implementing a modification microservice with a game cloud system is described. The method includes executing a game instance of a game. The game instance is executed using a plurality of microservices assembled for the game instance. The method further includes accessing a modification microservice engineered to be executed with the game instance. The modification microservice adds a compute capability to the game instance. The modification microservice is executed outside of a server system in which the plurality of microservices is assembled for the game instance. Also, the modification microservice is accessed by one or more application programming interface (API) calls that obtain results data from said execution of the modification microservice. The one or more API calls are managed via a modification interface that manages the access to the modification microservice and use of the results data by the game instance.

Abstract: A method for using a distributed game engine includes receiving a request from a user account via a computer network to play a game, identifying processing power assignment for the user account, and determining node assembly for the user account to utilize two or more processing nodes for the play of the game based on the processing power assignment. The method further includes initializing the two or more processing nodes for execution of the game for the user account. The operation of initializing is performed to set up a transfer of processing code for the game from one processing nods to another processing node. The method includes defining an internal communication channel between the two or more processing nodes for exchange of state information of the game. The exchange of state information is performed to enable shared processing of the game by the two or more nodes.

Abstract: In a multi-GPU simulation environment, frame buffer management may be implemented by multiple GPUs rendering respective frames of video, or by rendering respective portions of each frame of video. One of the GPUs controls HDMI frame output by virtue of receiving frame information from the other GPU(s) and reading out complete frames through a physically connected HDMI output port. Or, the outputs of the GPUs can be multiplexed together.

Abstract: A method for game allocation in a game cloud system. The method including tracking state of a plurality of compute nodes of a data center, wherein the plurality of compute nodes is distributed across a plurality of rack assemblies. The method including tracking a plurality of popularity valuations of a plurality of video games. The method including determining a distribution of one or more video games from the plurality of video games across the plurality of rack assemblies based on the plurality of popularity valuations of the plurality of video games. The method including storing the one or more video games from the plurality of video games across the plurality of rack assemblies based on the distribution of the one or more video game that is determined.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for requesting data in a cloud gaming system that includes a cloud storage system and a cloud compute system, each of which has a respective peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface and a respective computer memory. The cloud gaming system includes a PCIe switch connected to both the PCIe interface of the cloud storage system and the PCIe interface of the cloud compute system. The PCIe switch exposes a doorbell register that is monitored by the cloud storage system. The cloud compute system writes to the doorbell register, which causes an interrupt to fire on the cloud storage system. The cloud storage system handles the interrupt, which directs the cloud storage system to read a message from a specified computer memory location. The message directs the cloud storage system to read requested data from a storage device accessible by the cloud storage system.

Abstract: Methods and systems to identify options of secondary client devices for a device handover of game play include establishing a session of game play of a game for a primary client device by executing the game on a server and streaming video frames to the primary client device. A profile is generated for each secondary client device that is identified to be local to the primary client device. A handover option is provided to the primary client device during game play, identifying one or more of the secondary client devices, based on the profile. A selection of a secondary client device from the handover option causes pausing of the streaming of video frames to the primary client device, accessing the game state for the game, and resuming game play using the secondary client device.

Abstract: A method for performing a system start up. The method including receiving at a board management controller (BMC) a startup configuration instruction to boot up a compute node with an operating system, wherein the compute node is located on a sled including a plurality of compute nodes, wherein the BMC is configured for managing a plurality of communication interfaces providing communication to the plurality of compute nodes. The method including sending a boot instruction from the BMC to a boot controller of the compute node over a communication interface to execute a basic input/output system (BIOS) firmware that is stored remote from the compute node. The method including performing execution of the BIOS firmware on the compute node to initiate loading of the operating system for execution by the compute node.

Abstract: A network architecture including a streaming array that includes a plurality of compute sleds, wherein each compute sled includes one or more compute nodes. The network architecture including a network storage of the streaming array. The network architecture including a PCIe fabric of the streaming array configured to provide direct access to the network storage from a plurality of compute nodes of the streaming array. The PCIe fabric including one or more array-level PCIe switches, wherein each array-level PCIe switch is communicatively coupled to corresponding compute nodes of corresponding compute sleds and communicatively coupled to the network storage. The network storage is shared by the plurality of compute nodes of the streaming array.

Abstract: Systems and methods are configured to adjust the timing of rendered frame scanout in response to fluctuations in a variable frame rate at which source frames are rendered.

Abstract: A method is provided, including the following operations: executing a video game by a cloud game machine, the execution of the video game includes rendering gameplay video; processing the gameplay video by a streaming server for streaming over a network to a client device; monitoring connection quality over the network between the streaming server and the client device; responsive to detecting a change in the connection quality between the streaming server and the client device, then adjusting the rendering of the gameplay video by the cloud game machine.

Abstract: A method is disclosed for requesting data in a cloud gaming system that includes a cloud storage system and a cloud compute system, each of which has a respective peripheral component interconnect express (PCIe) interface and a respective computer memory. The cloud gaming system includes a PCIe switch connected to both the PCIe interface of the cloud storage system and the PCIe interface of the cloud compute system. The PCIe switch exposes a doorbell register that is monitored by the cloud storage system. The cloud compute system writes to the doorbell register, which causes an interrupt to fire on the cloud storage system. The cloud storage system handles the interrupt, which directs the cloud storage system to read a message from a specified computer memory location. The message directs the cloud storage system to read requested data from a storage device accessible by the cloud storage system.

Abstract: Methods and systems to identify options of secondary client devices for a device handover of game play include establishing a session of game play of a game for a primary client device by executing the game on a server and streaming video frames to the primary client device. A profile is generated for each secondary client device that is identified to be local to the primary client device. A handover option is provided to the primary client device during game play, identifying one or more of the secondary client devices, based on the profile. A selection of a secondary client device from the handover option causes pausing of the streaming of video frames to the primary client device, accessing the game state for the game, and resuming game play using the secondary client device.

Abstract: A video game is executed on a cloud gaming server for play by a user. User data for the user is stored in a cloud storage server. A data access request issued by the video game is received by a management server. The data access request identifies requested user data stored in the cloud storage server. The requested user data is copied from a lower performance data storage device within the cloud storage server into a high-speed data storage device within the management server. The high-speed data storage device operates at a higher data rate and a lower latency than the data storage device within the cloud storage server. The high-speed data storage device in the management server is used to fulfill the data access request by the video game instead of using the lower performance data storage device in the cloud storage server to fulfill the data access request.

Abstract: A method for load balancing. The method including measuring load demands of a plurality of applications between a plurality of compute nodes and a plurality of network storage distributed across a plurality of rack assemblies of one or more data centers. The method including determining a functional load demand for each application in the plurality of applications based on load demands that are measured for the each application between the plurality of compute nodes and the plurality of network storage. The method including assigning a load score to each of the plurality of applications based on a plurality of functional load demands determined for the plurality of applications. The method including load balancing a plurality of gaming sessions of one or more applications executing across the plurality of rack assemblies based on a plurality of load scores associated with the one or more applications facilitating the plurality of gaming sessions.

Abstract: A method for game allocation in a game cloud system. The method including tracking state of a plurality of compute nodes of a data center, wherein the plurality of compute nodes is distributed across a plurality of rack assemblies. The method including tracking a plurality of popularity valuations of a plurality of video games. The method including determining a distribution of one or more video games from the plurality of video games across the plurality of rack assemblies based on the plurality of popularity valuations of the plurality of video games. The method including storing the one or more video games from the plurality of video games across the plurality of rack assemblies based on the distribution of the one or more video game that is determined.

Abstract: A method is provided, including the following operations: executing a cloud video game in a data center; streaming video generated by the executing cloud video game over a network to a client device that is connected to a base station; identifying an edge compute that is integrated into a computer near the base station, and further responsive to identifying the edge compute, then deploying a cloud gaming proxy to the edge compute; wherein streaming the video includes transmission of the video to the cloud gaming proxy, and wherein the cloud gaming proxy buffers the video for retransmission as needed.

Abstract: In dynamic adjustment of data streamed over a network for display on an output device, display capability information of an output device is requested and received. The display capability information includes information indicating whether the output device is in a horizontal or vertical orientation relative to a user. Two or more data streams configured for display on the output device are formatted such that in a manner consistent with the display capability information and formatted for either vertical or horizontal orientation of the output device. The data streams include a user interface data stream and a separate video data stream. The user interface data and the video data are scaled separately. The streams are delivered to the output device via a network connection by a server to a client device platform used in combination with the output device.

Abstract: A network architecture including a streaming array that includes a plurality of compute sleds, wherein each compute sled includes one or more compute nodes. The network architecture including a network storage of the streaming array. The network architecture including a PCIe fabric of the streaming array configured to provide direct access to the network storage from a plurality of compute nodes of the streaming array. The PCIe fabric including one or more array-level PCIe switches, wherein each array-level PCIe switch is communicatively coupled to corresponding compute nodes of corresponding compute sleds and communicatively coupled to the network storage. The network storage is shared by the plurality of compute nodes of the streaming array.

Abstract: A video game is executed on a cloud gaming server for play by a user. User data for the user is stored in a cloud storage server. A data access request issued by the video game is received by a management server. The data access request identifies requested user data stored in the cloud storage server. The requested user data is copied from a lower performance data storage device within the cloud storage server into a high-speed data storage device within the management server. The high-speed data storage device operates at a higher data rate and a lower latency than the data storage device within the cloud storage server. The high-speed data storage device in the management server is used to fulfill the data access request by the video game instead of using the lower performance data storage device in the cloud storage server to fulfill the data access request.

Abstract: A system and method of pausing a game in a cloud gaming system including playing a game on a first game computer included in the cloud gaming system, pausing the game at a selected point in the game and capturing game state data for the paused game. The paused game can be resumed by retrieving the game state data and applying the game state data to a selected game computer and resuming the game at the selected point in the game on the selected game computer.