U.S. Patent No. 9,367,543: Game achievements system
Issued June 14, 2016 to Microsoft Technology Licensing, LLC
Priority Date December 7, 2004

Summary:
U.S. Patent No. 9,367,543 (the '543 Patent) is for all the achievement hunters out there. Consoles with an online mode have the option for players to create a username and profile to give themselves a unique identity in the gaming community. Gaming profiles used to be nothing more than a way for friends to identify each other and did not convey much information about the individual.

The '543 Patent solves this by creating a method for providing a game achievements system where games reward players with achievements based on performing certain tasks. Every earned achievement is shown in the player’s gaming profile as a badge or trophy. Achievements helped prolong a game's life by pushing players to play the game in unusual ways that would not have been encouraged during a normal play through. Players may also receive points based on the number achievements earned, exemplified in Xbox’s gamerscore system. Xbox's gamerscore interface allows players to compare points and achievements. The points systems fuel friendly competition amongst friends to see who could earn more achievements.


Abstract:
Systems and method for providing a game achievements system where players are rewarded with game achievements based on mastering certain in-game facets of the games they play. Each game achievement may be conveyed in a profile as a badge or trophy, title, description, date, etc. Players may also accumulate points based on game achievements. A display interface may be made available such that a player may see his achievements and total points, as well as those of others.


Illustrative Claim:
1. A system comprising: a first computing device having a first processing unit and a first memory device storing first computer executable instructions; and a second computing device having a second processing unit and a second memory device storing second computer executable instructions; wherein the first computer executable instructions, when executed by the first processing unit, cause the first processing unit to: receive inputs from a gamer for populating a gamer profile, the inputs identifying a gamer name of the gamer profile; receive further inputs from the gamer identifying specific other gamers that can receive the gamer profile; provide at least the gamer name of the gamer profile to a remote service on the second computing device that maintains the gamer profile; execute game code of a game; identify occurrences of a plurality of achievements, wherein the occurrences are achieved while the game is being played on the first computing device by the gamer and the occurrences include: an occurrence of a first individual achievement having a first title, wherein the gamer is credited a first number of points for the occurrence of the first individual achievement, and an occurrence of a second individual achievement having a second title, wherein the gamer is credited a second number of points for the occurrence of the second individual achievement, report the occurrence of the first individual achievement to the remote service on the second computing device, wherein the remote service updates the gamer profile to reflect the occurrence of the first individual achievement; and report the occurrence of the second individual achievement to the remote service on the second computing device, wherein the remote service updates the gamer profile to reflect the occurrence of the second individual achievement, and wherein the second computer executable instructions, when executed by the second processing unit, cause the second processing unit to: execute the remote service; obtain the gamer profile at the remote service via communicating with the first computing device; obtain identities of the specific other garners that can receive the gamer profile of the gamer; update the gamer profile to reflect the occurrence of the first individual achievement and the occurrence of the second individual achievement; and selectively provide the updated gamer profile to other computing devices associated with the specific other garners while preventing further computing devices associated with further garners from receiving the updated gamer profile.

Research By: Rachel Johns

Edited by: Andrew F. Thomas