Summary:

The ‘764 patent describes a video game system where enemy characters can be forced to attack each other whenever the main character throws an item (ex. a smoke screen ball). In the game the enemy characters are programmed to attack the main character. In order to identify the enemy characters, the enemies had a flag above them which easily identify them. Whenever a player throws a smoke screen enemy flags are changed which then makes the enemy characters identify each other as enemies and they then turn on each other.

Abstract:

A method and a video game device are provided which are capable of controlling enemy characters who are originally programmed to attack a main character, to injure each other for a predetermined time period when a user instructs a predetermined action to the main character. The predetermined action may be an action of throwing a smoke screen ball.

Illustrative Claim:

1. A video game device which is capable of controlling fight between a main character manipulated by a user and enemy characters programmed to attack the main character in a video game, the video game device comprising: a character control table which includes an active flag for showing whether or not the corresponding character appears in a present scene and an enemy flag for each character, the enemy flag showing whether the corresponding character is an enemy or not for the enemy characters other than the main character; an attack objects determining device which determines a character having an enemy flag showing that the character is an enemy, as an attack object of the enemy characters other than the character; and an enemy flag changing device which changes a value of the enemy flag of an enemy character from a value showing that the enemy character is not an enemy to a value showing that the enemy character is an enemy, when the user makes a predetermined instruction, wherein the attack objects determining device further determines the character having the enemy flag showing that the character is an enemy, as an attack object of the enemy characters other than the character, when the distance between the character and one of the enemy characters falls within a predetermined range and the relative angle facing the character with the one of the enemy characters falls within a predetermined range, wherein the predetermined instruction is operative to make the main character throw a smoke screen ball to cause a smoke screen to occur between the main character and the enemy character; wherein the enemy flag changing device is operative, in conjunction with the throwing the smoke screen ball and the resulting occurrence of the smoke screens to change the enemy flag value for a character as determined by the attack objects determining device, to thereby render the flag changed character into a non-enemy character, only when the character appears in the present scene, which is specified by the active flag, and wherein the main character escapes from the present screen and characters with enemy flags attack characters with flags changed from enemy flags.

Courtesy of :

SCHULTERIESENKAMPFF

Internet services that specifically target German consumer, e.g. by addressing them in German, have to adhere to German law when doing so. In a default judgment, the regional court Berlin recently held that Whatsapp Inc. was violating German law (judgment of 9 May 2014, case no. 15 O 44/13). Whatsapp is providing its service and website in German. However, the terms and conditions were available in English only. Additionally, the service operator identification, required by Art. 5 of the E-Commerce Directive (2000/31/EC), was not available at all. In order to comply with German law, Whatsapp will have to make its terms and conditions available in German and provide a service provider identification in German as well.

This judgment is part of a campaign by consumer watchdog Verbraucherzentrale Bundesverband e.V. (VZBV). The VZBV has obtained numerous decisions regarding the validity of terms and conditions of Internet services in light of binding German law in recent years. This also concerned terms and conditions which have been translated into German, but not adapted to German law.

Businesses should check legal requirements of consumer protection laws when targeting the German market. Most important are the following:

· Identification of the operator of the service;
· Translation of terms and conditions;
· Validity of terms and conditions under German law;
· Compliance with ecommerce (e.g. distance contracts) regulations;
· Privacy protection.

Summary:

For those of you who play Xbox Live, the ‘481 patent (aka “Quitters Play Together”) will be right up your alley. This patent describes a method for matching users with similar backgrounds. Whenever a player logs in, an input is sent to the host whereby the information is analyzed and the player is placed into a session alongside other users determined to match the requesting player.

Abstract:

A simplified matchmaker matches users of a computer network, such as the Internet, based on the number of games the users have abandoned. A one-action input is received at a requesting client application executing on a computer connected to the computer network. Next, information that is stored within the computer is collected. The information is stored within the computer using a process that is unrelated to and separate from the one-action input received from the user. Then, at least one message is sent from the requesting client application to a host computer connected to the computer network containing information relating to a request for initiating a matchmaking process on the host computer that matches requesting user into an online interactive session along with other suitable users, such that each suitable user is connected to the computer network through a client application compatible with the requesting client application.

Illustrative Claim:

1. A method for matching users over a computer network, the method comprising steps of: receiving a one-action input at a requesting client application executing on a computer connected to the computer network, the one-action input being received from a requesting user associated with the requesting client application; sending at least one message from the requesting client application to a host computer connected to the computer network, the message containing information relating to a request for initiating a matchmaking process on the host computer, the matchmaking process matching the requesting user into an online session instance along with other suitable users automatically, without further input being received from the requesting user associated with the requesting client application, each suitable user being connected to the computer network through a client application that is compatible with the requesting client application; receiving at the host computer the at least one message from the requesting client application; and matching the requesting user into an online session instance with other suitable users determined to match the requesting user, wherein the step of matching the requesting user into an online session matches the requesting user during a first predetermined period of time based on information relating to at least one operating parameter of the computer on which the requesting client application is executing and at least one user-defined parameter relating to the requesting user, wherein when the requesting user has a predetermined user status with respect to the requesting client application, the step of matching the requesting user into an online session matches the requesting user during a second period of time with other users that have the predetermined user status with respect to a client application corresponding to the requesting client application, wherein the predetermined user status based on a predetermined number of abandoned games.

Jumping on the "Hey, that's me!" bandwagon, Former Panama dictator Manuel Noriega, 80, filed a lawsuit in California yesterday against video game publisher Activision Blizzard Inc., alleging that Call of Duty: Black Ops II portrays him as "a kidnapper, murderer and enemy of the state."

In the game, a character that looks like the real Manuel Noriega and is also named Manuel Noriega assists the CIA but then betrays them. In real life, Noriega was a close US ally until the Americans became concerned with the dictator's penchant for using violence against his enemies and citizens. The US dropped ties and invaded Panama in 1989. Hat tip to The Verge for the news.

This sounds somewhat similar to Linday Lohan's recent lawsuit against Take-Two Interactive and Rock Star Games. As you may recall, Lindsay Lohan recently sued Rockstar Games and its owner Take-Two Interactive over a character in Grand Theft Auto V that she alleges is an "unequivocal" representation of her image, according to the Associated Press. The suit was filed in Manhattan, claiming that Lohan's voice and image are reproduced in the game, as well as styles directly from her clothing line. The character at issue is Lacey Jonas, a vain and demanding actress trying to escape from a group of paparazzi. Strangely enough, Jonas drew Lohan's attention despite being a fairly minor character in GTA V. It's not clear if Jonas is meant to be a direct play off of Lohan or a caricature of Hollywood stars in general, but the Grand Theft Auto series has never been a stranger to parodying anything, from businesses, to television shows, to people.  Read on at The Verge.

Summary:

The ‘948 patent allows a second player to seamlessly join a game without affecting gameplay. Whenever a player is involved in a game, a second player can send a request to join the game. If the game request is accepted the two players will connect over the same network and the two will then be able to play the game at the same time. The invention is set up so at to create minimal lag between the joining of the two players so that the second player can join without any interfering with player one’s game experience.

Abstract:

The objective is to provide a game system and an information storage medium that enable another player to enter into a game space that a first player is playing in, at any time during the game. When a 2P player issues a request to join into a game within a first game space, while a 1P player is already playing the game in the first game space, that request is accepted. Reconstruction information for reconstructing the first game space is created and sent to a second game machine. The second game machine reconstructs the first game space based on this reconstruction information, so that the 2P player can play the game within the reconstructed game space. This enables the 2P player to join into a game within the first game space, at any time during the game.

Illustrative Claim:

1. A multi-player type of game system having a plurality of game machines that correspond to a plurality of players, said players comprising first and second players and being able to play a game together, wherein said game system comprises: means for accepting a mid-game entry request, said mid-game entry request being requested while one of said first and second players is playing a game in a first game space, and said mid-game entry request asking permission for another player to play said game together within said first game space; means for creating reconstruction information for reconstructing said first game space; means for transferring said reconstruction information from one game machine to another game machine; and means for reconstructing said first game space in another game machine, based on said reconstruction information, and for allowing said other player to play said game in the reconstructed game space.

Summary:

The ‘706 patent describes an image data generator which allows a player, while playing a three-dimensional game, to focus his character’s attention on non-player controlled objects with the push of a button. Whenever the button is pressed, the camera angle of the game changes to reflect the character’s new focused attention on the non-player object.

Abstract:

A video game apparatus includes a reality coprocessor. The reality coprocessor performs a conversion process on image data to display a player object or non-player object according to image data transferred from an external ROM to a RAM, and supplies the image signal through the display. The reality coprocessor detects whether or not there exists a non-player object at around the player object on the display in response to an operation of a Z button. If a non-player object is detected, the reality coprocessor selects the non-player object as an attention non-player object. At this time, the hypothetical camera is changed in position and photographing direction such that photographing can be made for the player object directly facing the non-player object.

Illustrative Claim:

1. A video game apparatus coupled to a display, comprising: an image data generator for generating first image data to display a player object; an image processor for supplying an image signal to said display according to said image data in order to display, in a virtual three-dimensional space on said display, the player object photographed through a hypothetical camera from a third person perspective; a controller including a first operating member to instruct a moving direction of the player object and a second operating member that is operable to fix the photographing direction of the player object during game play to a current direction in which the player object is oriented regardless of changes in orientation of the player object after the photographing direction is fixed, wherein the fixed photographing direction is used during real-time game play display the player object from the third person perspective.

Lindsay Lohan is suing Rockstar Games and its owner Take-Two Interactive over a character in Grand Theft Auto V that she alleges is an "unequivocal" representation of her image, according to the Associated Press. The suit was reportedly filed today in Manhattan, claiming that Lohan's voice and image are reproduced in the game, as well as styles directly from her clothing line. Take-Two did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Verge.

The character at issue is Lacey Jonas, a vain and demanding actress trying to escape from a group of paparazzi (as seen in the video above). Strangely enough, Jonas drew Lohan's attention despite being a fairly minor character in GTA V. It's not clear if Jonas is meant to be a direct play off of Lohan or a caricature of Hollywood stars in general, but the Grand Theft Auto series has never been a stranger to parodying anything, from businesses, to television shows, to people.

Summary:

The ‘176 patent describes a computer-based growing simulation system used in role-playing games. Players can advance their characters automatically upon completion of certain objectives. Whenever a character fulfills the current objective, a number of points is awarded to him. With enough points the character is then progressed further in the game and upgraded. One goal of the invention is to not have a linear feel to it. Players can advance their character according to their own desires and do not have to follow a set path. In this free-roam game players move about on their own desires and complete the tasks that they want to so that the character is upgraded according to the wishes of the player, not by the computer. This free-roam style to the game also can create alternate endings since the game does not progress the same with every player. This should make the game more interesting for the RPG players.

Abstract:

A computer-based growing simulation method and system is adaptable for a game and particularly a role playing game that reflects the growth of a selected role. In the game, the system will generate many different events such as simulated environments. Each simulated environment includes simulated lifelike objects (such as views or things) and conditions or selection items for the role to behave. Each condition or selection item links or relates to a selected object. The growth journeys are shown through the role's progress in the game. The game does not progress in a fixed path or rounds format, but is determined by the behavior of the role in the game. The role's growth status is indicated by a set of corresponding parameter groups. The parameter groups will change and accumulate according to the role's growth journey. Variations of the parameter groups will reflect the player's growth journey and feelings in the real world. The invention offers diversified game content to allow players to have lifelike participation experiences.

Illustrative Claim:

1. A computer-based growing simulation method for a role playing game implemented on a computer having a read and write recording medium for storing data executable by the computer, an output unit linked to the computer and an input unit linked to the computer to complete the game by executing the following steps: a. providing a role library which includes: data of plurality of different roles that are presentable in visual picture images on the output unit; and basic parameter groups corresponding to every role, the parameter groups including at least one parameter, and an age parameter for every role in the game; b. providing an event library which includes: data of a plurality of different simulated environments including simulated lifelike environment objects and things which are presentable in visual picture images on the output unit; and selection item groups for any one of the roles to show behaviors accordingly including at least one selection item, any selection item being related to a selected event in the event library, wherein triggering (selecting) a selection item will cause the computer to change a role's basic parameter value in the corresponding event; c. providing a relation recording table for recording the relationship between every role and the events; d. displaying in a visualized fashion the role and the role's behaviors corresponding to the events on the output unit; e. receiving signals or commands of devices operated by players through the input unit for changing the role's behaviors or triggering a selected preceding event; and f. processing the corresponding events through the processing unit and sending processing results in visualized formats to the output unit.