System, network entity, client and method for facilitating fairness in a multiplayer game

Abstract

A system for facilitating fairness in a multiplayer game includes a network entity (e.g., game server) capable of operating a game application that can operate a multiplayer game. A plurality of clients is associated with a network latency, and can communicate with the network entity across at least one network. The system further includes a time-delay module disposed between the clients and the game application. The time-delay module can receive a data packet associated with a particular client during play of the multiplayer game, and delaying the data packet for at least a portion of delay time associated with the particular client before passing the delayed packet to the game application or the particular client for processing. In this regard, the delay time is based upon the network latency of the first client and an effective network latency set based upon the network latencies of the plurality of clients.

Description

FIELD OF THE INVENTION [0001] The present invention generally relates to systems and methods of operating a multiplayer game and, more particularly, relates to systems and methods of facilitating fairness in a game operated by a plurality of clients experiencing differing network latencies. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION [0002] Multiplayer gaming poses an interesting application for wireless networks. Particularly, the so-called “first-person shooter” games are some of the most challenging interactive games to implement in a wireless network. These kinds of games, which generally involve one or more players taking some form of action against other players in the game, are not usually turn-based. As a result, game play is affected by latencies in the network in that players with low latency can actually have an advantage over players exhibiting high latency in the network. [0003] In wireless networks, the likelihood of large discrepancies between gamers compounds the issue of different ...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0011] The system can further include at least one routing server for routing data packets between a game server network entity and the plurality of clients. In such instances, the game server or routing server(s) may be capable of comparing the latencies of the clients against a threshold latency. Then, the game server or routing server(s) may prevent those clients having a network latency above the threshold latency from playing the multiplayer game. To also allow clients with higher network latencies to play the game, the game application may be capable of providing a plurality of occurrences of the multiplayer game, each occurrence being capable of being played by a plurality of clients. Thus, each occurrence is associated with the effective network latency of the clients playing the occurrence. The game application, then, may be further capable of receiving an additional client into an occurrence of the multiplayer game based upon the effective network latency associated with the occurrence and the network latency of the additional client. Even within each occurrence, however, the time-delay module may be capable of receiving a da

Problems solved by technology

More particularly, data packets received from clients across one or more networks

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