Electronic game tracking

Abstract

An electronic game tracking program facilitates deployment, use, and sponsoring of electronic games in a manner that avoids limitations associated with proprietary solutions. The electronic game tracking program provides a basis for rewarding game developers, sponsors, and the like. The program further provides methods and systems for game assessment, feedback, market research, trial offers, subscription, pay-per-use and the like. An electronic game tracking program facilitates local and on-line gaming, including multi-player games, online interactive games, sample games, downloaded games, uploading games, and the like. Access to games, features of games, and repeated use of a game may be enabled by the methods and systems provided by the electronic game tracking program. The electronic game tracking program facilitates aspects of social networking, such as determining membership in online clubs, access to individuals' online information associated with a social networking site or page, and distribution and tracking of games offered through social networking sites.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS [0001] This application claims the benefit of the following provisional application that is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety: [0002] U.S. Provisional App. No. 60 / 825,870 filed Sep. 15, 2006.BACKGROUND [0003] 1. Field [0004] This invention generally relates to electronic gaming and particularly relates to tracking use of electronic games and other digital media. [0005] 2. Description of the Related Art [0006] Handheld electronic game platforms frequently use proprietary platforms that limit the available community of sponsors and in turn limit the number of available games and related media. Due to the proprietary nature of game platforms, many game developers do not have access to the platforms without working out costly and complex business arrangements with the providers of the proprietary electronic game platforms. Game developers and users have found electronic games to be an excellent source of entertainment and skill deve...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007] An electronic game tracking platform may facilitate deployment, use, and sponsoring of electronic games in a manner that avoids limitations associated with proprietary solutions. The electronic game tracking platform may provide a basis for rewarding game developers, sponsors, and the like. The platform may further provide methods and systems for game assessment, feedback, market research, trial offers, subscription, pay-per-use and the like. An electronic game tracking platform may be embodied as a game console, handheld game, handheld game controller, a USB dongle, electronic components within a standard computing facility, software deployed on a gaming device or computer, and the like.

[0008] An electronic game tracking platform may facilitate tracking aspects of a game, such as a count of executions that may include the number of times the game is played, the duration of time a game is played, a count of game events (such as number of laps completed, levels completed, opponents defeated, items captured, property accumulated, goals achieved, items acquired, challenges overcome, lives lost, levels failed, times defeated, items lost, property lost, goals not achieved, and a wide range of other game events), processor time used, or the like. An electronic game tracking platform may facilitate local and on-line gaming, including multi-player games, online interactive games, sample games, downloaded games, uploading games, and the like. Access to games, features of games, and repeated use of a game may be enabled by the methods and systems provided by the electronic game tracking platform.

[0009] The electronic game tracking platform may facilitate aspects of social networking, such as determining membership in online clubs, access to individuals' online information associated with a social networking site or page, distribution and tracking of games offered through social networking sites, and the like.

Problems solved by technology

Handheld electronic game platforms frequently use proprietary platforms that limit the available community of sponsors and in turn limit the number of available games and related media.

Due to the proprietary nature of game platforms, many game developers do not have access to the platforms without working out costly and complex business arrangements with the providers of the proprietary electronic game platforms.

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