Player Feedback for Enhancing Audience Relationships in Video Games

Abstract

A method is provided, the method comprising the following operations: analyzing gameplay data and audience data from a previous session of a video game, wherein the analysis is configured to associate audience preferences with gameplay conditions of the video game; generating in-game recommendations for the gameplay conditions using the associated audience preferences; identifying the gameplay conditions occurring in a current session of the video game; and responsive to identifying the gameplay conditions occurring in the current session, then presenting the in-game recommendations to a player of the current session of the video game.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to systems and methods for providing player feedback to enhance spectator relationships in video games. Background Art

[0002] Description of Related Technology

[0003] An expanding area of ​​the gaming industry is the area of ​​sharing game videos and watching games. Users are now able to record and share their games through websites, social media, etc. In addition, users can live broadcast their games so that others can watch their games in essentially real time as the game occurs.

[0004] Another current trend in the gaming industry is the move toward cloud gaming. Cloud gaming offers advantages to end users by enabling remote execution of video games in data centers that guarantee the resources required for the games. The video generated by the remotely executed video game is streamed to the user's device, and the user's input is sent back to the data center. This eliminates the need for end users to own specific hardware to play the game itself. Instead, end users only need to own sufficient hardware to stream the game and still enjoy a high-quality gaming experience. Furthermore, cloud gaming theoretically enables gaming from anywhere with an internet connection.

[0005] A continuing trend in the video game industry is the increasing complexity of graphics and the availability of computing resources to meet the demands of modern game engines. As video games evolve, their resolutions and frame rates continue to increase, enabling the rendering of highly realistic and detailed virtual environments. Additionally, the popularity of cloud gaming continues to grow, and the shift to cloud-based video game execution is increasing access to high-quality gaming experiences.

[0006] It is against this background that embodiments of the present disclosure are presented. Summary of the Invention

[0007] Implementations of the present disclosure provide systems and methods for providing player feedback to enhance spectator relationships in video games.

[0008] In some embodiments, a method is provided that includes the following operations: analyzing gameplay data and audience data from a previous session of a video game, wherein the analysis is configured to associate audience preferences with gameplay conditions of the video game; generating in-game recommendations for the gameplay conditions using the associated audience preferences; identifying the gameplay conditions that occurred in a current session of the video game; and responsive to identifying the gameplay conditions that occurred in the current session, then presenting the in-game recommendations to a player of the current session of the video game.

[0009] In some embodiments, associating spectator preferences with gameplay conditions is configured to identify player activities that increase or maximize spectator numbers during the gameplay conditions, and wherein the in-game recommendation is configured to recommend to a player of the current session that the player activity that increases or maximizes spectator numbers during the gameplay conditions be performed.

[0010] In some implementations, associating spectator preferences with gameplay conditions is configured to identify player activities that increase or maximize spectator engagement during the gameplay conditions, and wherein the in-game recommendation is configured to recommend to a player of a current session that the player activity that increases or maximizes spectator engagement during the gameplay conditions be performed.

[0011] In some implementations, audience engagement is defined using one or more of comments, likes, and shares.

[0012] In some implementations, the gameplay conditions of a video game are defined by one or more of a time of day, a location within a virtual environment of the video game, a level or stage of the video game.

[0013] In some implementations, the gameplay data includes one or more of gameplay event data, player input, and player position data.

[0014] In some implementations, the viewer data includes one or more of viewer number, comments, and viewer profile data.

[0015] In some embodiments, a method is provided that includes the following method operations: analyzing one or more characteristics of an audience of a session of a video game to identify one or more common characteristics of the audience; generating one or more recommendations for a player of the session of the video game based on the common characteristics of the audience; and presenting the one or more recommendations to the player during the session of the video game.

[0016] In some implementations, the characteristics of the audience include one or more of age, gender, geographic location, nationality, language, and game play history.

[0017] In some implementations, the one or more recommendations are configured to recommend to the player that an activity be performed to increase spectator engagement.

[0018] In some implementations, analyzing a characteristic of the audience is configured to identify one or more clusters of values ​​for a given characteristic of the audience.

[0019] In some implementations, analyzing a characteristic of the audience is configured to identify a mean, median, or mode for a given characteristic of the audience.

[0020] In some implementations, the method further includes analyzing previous sessions of the video game to determine one or more audience preferences based on the one or more characteristics; wherein the one or more recommendations are configured to recommend to the player that an activity be performed that aligns with the audience preferences.

[0021] In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions embodied thereon is provided that, when executed by at least one computing device, causes the at least one computing device to perform a method comprising: analyzing gameplay data and spectator data from a previous session of a video game, wherein the analysis is configured to associate spectator preferences with gameplay conditions of the video game; generating in-game recommendations for the gameplay conditions using the associated spectator preferences; identifying the gameplay conditions occurring in a current session of the video game; and, in response to identifying the gameplay conditions occurring in the current session, then presenting the in-game recommendations to a player of the current session of the video game.

[0022] Other aspects and advantages of the present disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, illustrating by way of example the principles of the disclosure. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] The present disclosure and further advantages thereof may be best understood by referring to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0024] Figure 1 A system for providing feedback to players of a video game based on audience preferences is conceptually illustrated in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 2 is a graph conceptually illustrating various audience attributes or characteristics over time over the course of a day in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 3 Conceptually illustrated is a virtual environment / space in which video game gameplay occurs, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 4 The use of a machine learning model to provide feedback to players of a video game to help players increase their popularity is conceptually illustrated in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0028] Figure 5 A player's view of a virtual environment during gameplay of a video game is shown, in accordance with an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0029] Figure 6 Conceptually illustrating audience feedback for adjusting gameplay of a video game, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0030] Figure 7A An exemplary system for loading game files for games available through a cloud gaming site according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown.

[0031] Figure 7B is a flow diagram conceptually illustrating various operations performed to stream a cloud video game to a client device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0032] Figure 8 An embodiment of an information service provider architecture according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present disclosure. However, it will be apparent to one skilled in the art that the present disclosure may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known process steps have not been described in detail in order to avoid obscuring the present disclosure.

[0034] Figure 1 A system for providing feedback to players of a video game based on audience preferences, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is conceptually illustrated. In an illustrative embodiment, a player 100 participates in gameplay of a video game using a player client device 102. By way of example and not limitation, player client device 102 may be one or more of a game console, a personal computer, a laptop computer, a tablet computer, a cell phone, a mobile device, or any other computing device a user may use to access and participate in gameplay of a video game. In some embodiments, player client device 102 may include a display on which game video is rendered, while in other embodiments, player client device 102 may be connected to a display device such as a television, LCD display, monitor, or projector. In some embodiments, the video game is executed by player client device 102. In other embodiments, the video game is executed by a cloud gaming system 106, with gameplay streamed over a network 104. In some embodiments, cloud gaming system 106 includes one or more cloud gaming consoles that execute the video game and generate gameplay video that is streamed to player client device 102 over network 104. Inputs generated by the player 100 , such as through operation of a controller device or other interface device, are transmitted from the player client device 102 over the network 104 to the cloud gaming system 106 , where such inputs are applied to the execution of the video game to drive gameplay.

[0035] As gameplay of the video game occurs, spectators 108 are able to watch the game session using spectator client devices 110. Spectator client devices 110 can be devices similar to player client devices 102 described above. To enable observation of the game session of the video game, in some embodiments, a game streaming system 112 is implemented over network 104. In general terms, game streaming system 112 receives game video from either player client devices 102 or cloud gaming system 106, depending on which is executing the video game in a particular embodiment, and distributes the gameplay video to spectator client devices 110 over network 104 for viewing by spectators 108.

[0036] The player feedback system 114 is implemented to provide feedback to players 100 based on audience preferences, allowing players to increase their popularity, strengthen their audience relationships, and improve their activities and gameplay to enhance audience engagement. As various gameplay sessions of the video game occur, gameplay data 116 and audience data 118 are collected and stored. Gameplay data 116 broadly includes data related to or describing the gameplay of a particular session of the video game. By way of example and not limitation, gameplay data 116 may include one or more of gameplay events, player input / actions, player position / movement within the virtual space / environment of the video game, and the like. Audience data 118 broadly includes data related to or describing characteristics / attributes of the audience of the gaming session. By way of example and not limitation, the audience data 118 may include one or more of the number of viewers for a gaming session (tracked over time), viewer comments for a given gaming session, viewer sentiment / emotion (e.g., detected through analysis of the viewer's video, language, biometric sensors, etc.), viewer age, gender, geographic location, primary language, secondary language, income level, gaming experience level, games owned, games played, viewer client device type / hardware, etc.

[0037] The audience preference analyzer 120 is configured to analyze the gameplay data 116 and the audience data 118 to determine audience preferences regarding the gameplay of the video game. In other words, the audience preference analyzer 120 determines what is popular among the audience, what may lead to an increase in audience numbers, what may result in increased audience engagement, what the audience prefers or likes, etc.

[0038] In some embodiments, the audience preference analyzer 120 identifies correlations between indicators of audience popularity / preference and types of gameplay activities. For example, indicators of audience popularity may include the number of viewers over time, comments made by viewers that can be semantically analyzed for sentiment, audience sharing (such as sharing to social networks), subscriptions, spending, or sponsorship (e.g., how many people purchased the game, purchased game content, gifted the watched player, joined the player's crowdfunding page (e.g., Patreon page), etc.). These indicators can be correlated with gameplay activities to determine what types of gameplay activities are popular among the audience. Some non-limiting examples include the following: determining which types of gameplay actions or events are popular, determining where in a virtual environment or game arena those types of gameplay actions or events are popular, determining when particular gameplay actions or events are popular, determining which styles of gameplay are popular, determining which areas of a virtual environment or game arena are popular for viewing, determining which levels or stages of a video game are popular for viewing, determining which attributes of player characters or other player-controlled entities (e.g., vehicles, weapons, character groups, etc.) are popular, determining which virtual objects are popular, determining popular skills / actions, and the like.

[0039] Furthermore, specific characteristics or attributes of the audience may be considered to determine audience preferences based on the type or characteristics of the audience. For example, any of the aforementioned gameplay activities may be correlated with audience attributes to understand which types of gameplay activities (and when those types of gameplay activities) are preferred by, or popular among, which types of audience. By way of example and not limitation, this may include determining audience preferences regarding gameplay based on audience age, geographic location, gender, or any other audience characteristic.

[0040] It should be understood that understanding the popular gameplay activities determined by the audience preference analyzer 120 can be used to provide feedback to video game players to help them enhance their audience relationships, such as by increasing their audience size or enhancing audience engagement. To achieve this, the gameplay / audience monitor 122 is implemented to monitor the gameplay activities occurring in the current game session and further monitor the audience of the game session. It should be understood that this monitoring occurs in real time as the game session is executed. Based on the characteristics of the gameplay and the characteristics of the audience playing the game, the recommendation generator 124 then uses the previously determined audience preferences to provide feedback to the players of the current game session. This feedback is configured to encourage the players of the current game session to take actions or gameplay activities related to enhancing audience relationships. In this way, video game players can take steps to increase their popularity with the audience. In various embodiments, feedback can be provided to players in various forms, such as messages / notifications displayed or audible to the players during the game, haptic feedback, etc.

[0041] In some embodiments, the system is further configured to implement a feedback loop as a whole. More specifically, the effectiveness of player feedback that informs players about what to do can be tracked and measured. This measurement can include determining the extent to which players heed the suggestions and perform the recommended activities, and also determining whether and to what extent the recommended activities improve the player's audience relationships. In some embodiments, if players consistently ignore the recommended activities, or follow the suggestions at a very low rate, the amount or frequency of player feedback provided can be reduced. Conversely, if players consistently follow the feedback, its amount / frequency can be increased. In some embodiments, if the recommended activities are determined to be highly effective in enhancing audience relationships, player feedback is provided in a greater amount / frequency; however, if the recommended activities are determined to be not very effective in enhancing audience relationships, player feedback is provided in a lesser amount / frequency.

[0042] In some implementations, the threshold strength of the correlation between player activities and audience relationships in the historical analysis used to determine which activities to recommend to the player may be increased or decreased depending on the determined effectiveness of the recommended activities. For example, if one or more recommended activities are determined to have low effectiveness in enhancing audience relationships, the threshold strength of the correlation required to recommend such activities may be increased, making it more likely that, when such activities are recommended, they will enhance audience relationships if followed.

[0043] Figure 2 is a chart conceptually illustrating various audience attributes or characteristics over time over the course of a day, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. It will be appreciated that the type of audience viewing a video game will change depending on the time of day. Based on this, players can be provided with feedback that encourages them to perform gameplay activities that are preferred by the given type of audience currently viewing their gaming session.

[0044] As an example, curve 200 illustrates the average age of the audience for video game sessions over the course of a day. In some embodiments, curve 200 represents the median age of the audience, or another measure of the prevalent age of the audience, rather than the average age. Using this information, player feedback can be provided based on the time of day to encourage players to perform gameplay actions or other activities that are preferred by the average or prevalent age group of the audience. For example, at 12 noon, when the average age of the audience is older, players can be encouraged to play in a particular style preferred by older audiences, while at 6 p.m., when the average age of the audience is lower, players can be encouraged to play in a different style preferred by younger audiences. In some embodiments, players can be encouraged to take age-appropriate actions, such as avoiding explicit language when their audience is primarily young.

[0045] As another example, curve 202 conceptually illustrates how gender mix changes over time during a single day. In some embodiments, gender mix is ​​defined as the ratio of males to females in the audience. For example, it may be found that female audience members prefer a more cooperative gameplay style, while male audience members prefer a more individualistic gameplay style. Thus, when the number of female audience members increases, players may be encouraged to engage in the more cooperative gameplay style preferred by female audience members (relative to males), while other times when the number of male audience members increases (relative to females), players may be encouraged to engage in the more individualistic gameplay style preferred by male audience members. While cooperative versus individualistic gameplay preferences are used as an example, it should be understood that any other preference distinctions between males and females may be applied.

[0046] In another example, curve 204 conceptually illustrates the relative amount of local and foreign spectators that occur over the course of a day over time. In some embodiments, local and foreign spectators can be defined based on the spectator's geographic location (e.g., using IP addresses or other indicators of geographic location). For example, local spectators can be spectators located in the same country or region as the player, while foreign spectators are spectators located outside the player's country or region. Feedback can be provided to the player based on the geographic distribution of the spectators. For example, at 4 a.m., when there are more foreign spectators than local spectators, the player can be encouraged not to speak too much in the local language, or to speak a different language that is more likely to be understood by the foreign spectators. For example, if the player is located in an English-speaking country, they can be encouraged not to speak too much English, but to use non-verbal sounds or gestures or other forms of communication. Expanding this concept, it can be determined that at certain times of the day, the number of spectators from a specific region (such as a Spanish-speaking country) increases, and during such times, the player can be encouraged to use Spanish more instead of English.

[0047] In another example, curve 206 conceptually illustrates how gameplay style preferences change over time during the course of a day. In some implementations, such a curve may represent the relative preference for one style of gameplay over another style of gameplay (e.g., cooperative versus individualistic / competitive, aggressive versus less aggressive / passive, open versus stealthy, using more talents versus using fewer talents, etc.). For example, at 1 p.m., players may be encouraged to play the video game using a certain gameplay style preferred by the majority of the audience at that time, while at 2 a.m., players may be encouraged to play the video game using a different gameplay style preferred by the audience at that time.

[0048] As another example, curve 208 conceptually illustrates the audience's ownership of a video game over time during the course of a day. In some embodiments, the curve identifies the percentage of the audience that owns the video game. For example, it may be determined that a higher percentage of the audience owns the video game around 6 p.m., while a lower percentage of the audience owns the video game at 6 a.m. Therefore, feedback may be provided to the player to perform activities preferred by video game owners at 6 p.m. and activities preferred by non-owners of the video game at 6 a.m. In some embodiments, when more non-owners are watching, the player may be encouraged to explain more about the gameplay, slow down their gameplay, or otherwise take actions that will enable viewers less familiar with the video game to better understand the game session.

[0049] Figure 3 A virtual environment / space in which video game gameplay occurs, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is conceptually illustrated. In the illustrated embodiment, a top-down view of virtual environment 300 is shown. In various embodiments, virtual environment 300 may be a portion of a larger gaming arena, a level or stage of a video game, or other portion of a gaming environment in which video game gameplay occurs. Various isometric lines are depicted in the illustrated view of virtual environment 300. Similar to a topographic map, isometric lines represent constant values ​​along each line.

[0050] In some embodiments, audience preference / popularity for a given activity can be determined as a function of location within the virtual environment 300. Thus, isometric lines indicate audience preference values ​​for certain activities. Thus, for example, region 304 within the illustrated virtual environment 300 may be an area with high audience preference for a given activity, while region 306 may be an area with low audience preference for the given activity. Thus, when the player character 302 within the virtual environment 300 is located at or near region 304, the player is encouraged to perform an activity with high audience preference. However, when the player character 302 is located at or near region 306, the player is discouraged from performing that activity because of low audience preference in that area of ​​the virtual environment 300. It should be understood that audience preferences for an activity may include preferences for gameplay actions or events, gameplay styles, the player's own activities, and the like.

[0051] In some embodiments, the isometry lines indicate the relative preference for one activity over another. By way of example and not limitation, in one embodiment, the isometry lines indicate the audience's preference for punches versus kicks. Thus, in the example shown, in area 304, the audience prefers punches over kicks, while in area 306, the audience prefers kicks over punches. Thus, if the player wishes to perform more punches, they may be encouraged to move to area 304, or if they wish to perform more kicks, they may be encouraged to move to area 306. Similarly, if the player character 302 is located at or near area 304, the player may be informed that the audience prefers more punches in that area; however, if they wish to perform more kicks, they should move to area 306.

[0052] In the above-described embodiment, audience preferences have been mapped / associated to locations within the video game's virtual environment. It should be understood that in other embodiments, any other type of game- or audience-related data can be associated or mapped to locations within the virtual environment. For example, audience attributes or characteristics can be mapped to locations within the virtual environment to understand which locations within the virtual environment are popular with which audience types. Using this information, players can be informed that gameplay within a given location or area is popular with a certain audience type, or that if they wish to increase their popularity with a certain audience type, they should move to a specific area or location within the virtual environment. In other embodiments, other players' gameplay activities can be mapped or associated to locations within the virtual environment via the video game. Using this information, players can be informed about which gameplay moves are popular with other players of the video game. Thus, players can be encouraged to perform different gameplay moves to differentiate themselves from other players, thereby differentiating their gameplay and increasing their popularity.

[0053] Figure 4 The use of a machine learning model to provide feedback to players of a video game to help them increase their popularity, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure, is conceptually illustrated. In the illustrated embodiment, a player 400 participates in the gameplay of a video game by interacting with a game session 404 in which the video game is executed. The gameplay is viewed by a viewer 402. Data generated from the gameplay and viewing activity is stored as training data 406, which may include any of the aforementioned gameplay data and viewer data.

[0054] A machine learning (ML) or artificial intelligence (AI) model 408 is trained using training data 406. In some embodiments, machine learning model 408 is configured to determine categorization of viewers. Machine learning model 408 can be configured to automatically identify various clusters of viewers based on, for example, characteristics or traits of the viewers and their viewing behavior (such as based on which game sessions they watch and their reactions during such viewing). The categorization of viewers and their preferences for video game gameplay can be determined. That is, machine learning model 408 can be trained to identify different types of viewers and preferred aspects of video game gameplay for these different types of viewers.

[0055] Using the classifications learned from the machine learning model 408, an analysis process 410 can be performed during a given game session to, for example, identify which types of viewers are viewing the given game session. It should be understood that it is often the case that multiple types of viewers are present among the viewers of a given game session, and therefore, in some embodiments, the predominant categories / types of viewers are identified. Player feedback 412 is provided to the player based on the predominant types of viewers among the viewers. For example, such player feedback can indicate to the player which types of viewers are common or predominant or otherwise viewing the game, and can further suggest activities that are preferred by the predominant types of viewers.

[0056] In some embodiments, the training data 406 is used to train a machine learning model 408 to identify what activities are popular among the audience under various conditions. For example, the machine learning model 408 can be configured to identify activities that are likely to maximize audience relationships for a player, such as in terms of audience numbers or audience engagement. The trained machine learning model 408 can then be applied to an existing game session, and based on the current conditions of gameplay and the composition of the audience, the machine learning model can be used to predict the types of activities that are likely to enhance audience relationships for the player. This information can be transmitted as feedback 412 to the players of the current existing game session, thereby helping the players in enhancing their audience relationships.

[0057] It should be understood that in typical video game gameplay, most players simply seek to achieve a goal or objective for the video game, such as by achieving the highest possible score, defeating enemies or other players, etc. However, according to embodiments of the present disclosure, by providing players with feedback on their activities or actions, they may seek to enhance their audience relationships, which provides players with new goals to pursue. This enables players to optimize their activities and gameplay to achieve enhanced audience relationships, which may or may not be consistent with the typical goals of video games.

[0058] Figure 5A player view of a virtual environment during gameplay of a video game is shown, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, player view 500 is a first-person view of the video game virtual environment in which gameplay occurs. By displaying various types of information in player view 500, feedback can be provided that enables the player to optimize their activities and gameplay with respect to audience relationships.

[0059] In some embodiments, viewer profile data 502 is displayed in player view 500. Generally speaking, viewer profile data 502 includes information or data describing the characteristics or attributes of the viewer currently viewing the game. By way of example, such data may include a graphical display (e.g., a graph, chart, etc.) or textual display of data describing attributes such as the age distribution of the viewer, the geographic distribution of the viewer, the level / experience distribution of the viewer, etc. By understanding the characteristics of the viewer, the player can adjust their gameplay or activities, such as voice / gestures, to better suit the current viewer.

[0060] In some embodiments, messages or notifications may be displayed in player view 500 to provide guidance to the player regarding activities or information that may be useful in enhancing the player's audience relationships / popularity. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, message 504 is configured to tell the player to try using more grenades because, based on the characteristics of the audience or the player's current location in the video game virtual environment, it may be determined that the audience prefers using grenades over other actions. For another example, message 506 is configured to inform the player that if they want to snipe, they should move to a different location.

[0061] In some embodiments, a map 508 is rendered in the player view 500, and the map 508 is configured to indicate data regarding audience preferences relative to the virtual environment in which gameplay is occurring. For example, the map 508 can be configured as a heat map, such as having colors or isometric lines or other indicators that indicate locations in the virtual environment that are more or less popular with the audience. That is, the map 508 can indicate locations or areas within the virtual environment where the gameplay employed by the player is more likely or predicted to enhance their audience relationships. It should be understood that such a heat map can be generated based on characteristics of the audience as well as characteristics of the player (such as the player's gameplay style). Using such a map 508, a player can move to a specific location in the virtual environment in order to improve its popularity and audience relationships.

[0062] Figure 6The present invention conceptually illustrates audience feedback for adjusting gameplay in a video game, according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. In the illustrated embodiment, a player 600 participates in gameplay of a video game. The player's game session 602 is further defined by the execution of a game engine 604. As the game engine 604 continuously updates the game state of the game session, the game engine 604 renders video frames of the gameplay video viewed by the player 600. The gameplay video can be distributed by a video distribution module 610 of a game streaming system 608, allowing viewers 614 to observe the player's gameplay.

[0063] The game streaming system 608 also includes an audience feedback module 612 configured to enable and process feedback mechanisms for viewers 614. Examples of feedback mechanisms may include comments (e.g., text comments) as well as visual or audio input from viewers 614, biometric feedback from viewers, relevant activities such as social network sharing, etc. Audience feedback may also be determined by tracking the increase or decrease in the number of viewers for the game session 602. Such indicators of audience feedback may be processed by the audience feedback module 612 to determine the current level of engagement or emotional or emotional state of the audience. In some embodiments, messages or notifications regarding audience engagement may be displayed or otherwise provided to the player 600 as feedback.

[0064] Furthermore, in some embodiments, audience feedback can be used to drive changes in the execution of a video game. For example, if low or declining audience engagement is detected, the game streaming system 608 can trigger the game engine 604 to adjust its execution or game state to increase the interest in the gameplay or make the gameplay more intense. For example, in some embodiments, the game engine AI 606 can be adjusted to, for example, spawn more enemies or otherwise increase activity that would make the gameplay more interesting. In this way, audience feedback is used to drive changes to the game environment, such as changing the game engine AI to generate more or less activity based on audience feedback and attitudes.

[0065] In some embodiments, other actions can be taken to engage viewers during periods of low viewer interest. For example, when low viewer engagement and / or low gameplay activity is detected, the game streaming system 608 can introduce other items of interest, such as displaying advertisements or providing statistics about the current game session. In this way, periods of otherwise low interest are used to insert additional information that may be of interest to the viewer and prevent them from becoming bored.

[0066] In summary, embodiments of the present disclosure have been described in which spectators watch a player's video game gameplay over a network. However, in other embodiments, the methods and systems of the present disclosure are applied in the context of electronic sports viewed by spectators in a public space, such as an arena or stadium, optionally using public displays. Mechanisms can be implemented in such settings to enable spectators to be identified and provide feedback, such as in the form of commentary or audio or video. Furthermore, using information about spectators, feedback can be provided to players configured to help them increase their popularity with spectators.

[0067] Implementations of the present disclosure may be included as part of a game engine. Broadly speaking, a game engine is a software development framework that provides features that enable efficient development of video games. A game engine may include a software library of reusable modules to handle various aspects of game functionality, including, by way of example and not limitation, graphics rendering (e.g., including vertex processing, polygon processing, shading, lighting, texturing, etc.), sound, physics (including collision handling), animation, scripting, artificial intelligence, networking, streaming, memory management, threading, localization support, scene graphs, cinematics, etc.

[0068] The game engine can be optimized for different hardware platforms such as game consoles, mobile devices, personal computers, etc. By way of example and not limitation, the game engine can optimize memory usage (e.g., how to prioritize various tasks in the graphics pipeline, etc.) depending on the platform. In some embodiments, the hardware can be a bladed version of some specific processing entity, such as a game console. Thus, a user can be assigned to a specific blade, which results in the same hardware that the console game has been optimized for.

[0069] It should be understood that game server logic may also be present to provide streaming and / or other services (packetization, encoding, quality of service (QOS) monitoring, bandwidth testing, access to social networks / friends, etc.).

[0070] In some embodiments, the cloud infrastructure may run a hypervisor that abstracts the hardware and provides a virtual machine framework on which an operating system (OS) can be loaded. Thus, a stack may include an application / video game running on the OS loaded into a virtual machine (VM) instantiated by the hypervisor, which is loaded onto the underlying hardware. In this way, the execution of the application does not have to be tied to specific hardware.

[0071] In some embodiments, the application / video game may be executed on a container that abstracts at the application layer, encapsulating the code and dependencies together, making software development agnostic to the OS or hardware platform and facilitating software portability across platforms.

[0072] In some embodiments, a distributed game engine is employed, wherein different parts of the game engine can be handled by different computing entities. For example, functions of the game engine, such as a physics engine, a rendering engine (2D / 3D graphics), sound, scripting, animation, AI, networking, streaming (encoding), memory management, threading, etc., can be divided into different functional processing blocks and / or services distributed across many different computers. It should be understood that for a distributed game engine, low-latency communication is required to avoid latency issues. In order to maintain the desired frame rate, the total time for calculation and communication should meet certain constraints. Therefore, dividing certain tasks may or may not be effective, depending on whether the process can be completed in a shorter time.

[0073] The advantage of using a distributed game engine is that it allows for elastic computing, where computing resources can be scaled up or down as needed. For example, in a large multiplayer game traditionally executed on a single hardware server, after, say, about 100 players, the hardware resources become limited, making it impossible to add more players. The game would queue additional players, meaning they would have to wait to join the game. However, with a distributed game engine, by using elastic cloud computing resources, more computing nodes can be added to meet demand, enabling, for example, tens of thousands of players. The game is no longer constrained by the limitations of a specific hardware server.

[0074] Therefore, a cloud gaming engine may have functionality distributed to different processing entities. It should be understood that different functions may be executed in different frameworks. For example, some functions (such as social) may be more easily run in a container, while graphics may be better run using a VM connected to a GPU.

[0075] To facilitate the distribution of cloud gaming engine functionality, the distribution / synchronization layer can manage the distribution of jobs, such as sending out jobs, receiving data back, identifying which tasks have been executed, and when to process queues, such as if a job completed faster than necessary. In some embodiments, a given task can be dynamically subdivided if necessary. For example, an animation may have lighting, and if the lighting is particularly complex, the lighting can be subdivided into three lighting jobs that are sent out for calculation and reassembled upon return. Thus, if a game engine function requires more work, it can be subdivided.

[0076] Cloud service providers offer computing at specified performance levels, such as in input / output operations per second (IOPS). Thus, game vendors can specify VMs, dedicated processing power, memory, etc. from a cloud service provider and use the cloud service provider's system to instantiate a distributed cloud game engine.

[0077] In some embodiments, the library module and update handler can be one or more components or modules of the game engine. In some embodiments, the library module and update handler can be separate components or integrated. In some embodiments, the library module and update handler can operate as a supplement to the game engine. In some embodiments, the game engine can be a distributed game engine as described above.

[0078] As described above, the embodiments of the present disclosure may be applied to a cloud gaming system. An example of a cloud gaming system is Now cloud gaming system. In such a system, the client device can be a game console such as 4 game console, or it could be another device such as a personal computer, laptop, tablet, mobile phone, mobile device, etc.

[0079] Broadly speaking, to implement cloud gaming, when a user request for a game title is received, several operations are performed by one or more servers within a data center associated with the cloud gaming site. When the cloud gaming site receives a user request, it identifies the data center hosting the game associated with the selected game title and sends the request to the identified data center to instantiate the game for the selected game title. In response to the request, the server at the data center identifies the game code, loads the identified game code, and initializes files related to the game code to prepare to present the game content to the user. The game data associated with the game may include general game data and user-specific game data. Therefore, the initialization file may include identifying, loading, and initializing general game data and user-specific game data. Initializing general game data may include initializing the graphics engine, installing graphics data, initializing sound files, installing original images, etc. Initializing user-specific data may include locating, transmitting, and installing user data, user history, game history, etc.

[0080] When loading and initializing universal game data, a "startup" screen can be provided for rendering at the client device. A kind of startup screen can be designed to provide a representative image of the game being loaded to allow the user to preview the type of the game being loaded. Once the universal game data has been loaded, some initial content can be rendered, and a selection / navigation screen can be presented for the user to select and customize. The user selection input provided at the selection / navigation screen may include game level selection, game icon selection, game mode selection, game rewards, and other user-related data that may need to upload additional game content. In some embodiments, game content is made available for viewing and interaction by streaming the game content from the game cloud system to the user's computing device. In some embodiments, after loading user-specific data, the game content can be used to play the game.

[0081] Figure 7A An exemplary system for loading game files for games available through a cloud gaming site is shown. The system includes a plurality of client devices 700 communicatively connected to a cloud gaming site 704 via a network 702, and the network may include a LAN, wired, wireless, cellular (e.g., 4G, 5G, etc.), or any other type of data network including the Internet. When a request to access a cloud gaming site 704 is received from a client device 700, the cloud gaming site 704 accesses user account information 706 stored in a user data storage area 708 to identify the user associated with the client device through which the request was initiated. In some embodiments, the cloud gaming site may also verify the identified user to determine all games that the user is authorized to view / play. After user account identification / verification, the cloud gaming site accesses the game name data storage area 710 to identify the game names available at the game cloud site for the user account that initiated the request. The game name data storage area 710 then interacts with a game database 712 to obtain the game names of all games available for the cloud gaming site. When a new game is launched, the game database 712 will be updated with the game code, and the game name information of the newly launched game will be provided to the game name data storage area 710. When a request is made, the client device making the request may or may not be registered with the cloud gaming site. If the user of the client device making the request is not a registered user, the cloud gaming site may identify the user as a new user and select a game name suitable for the new user (e.g., a default set of game names). The identified game name is returned to the client device for presentation on the display screen 700-a, as shown in FIG. Figure 7A shown.

[0082] A user interaction is detected at one of the game titles rendered on the client device, and a signal is sent to the cloud gaming site. The signal includes information about the game title for which the user interaction was detected and the user interaction registered at the game title. In response to the signal received from the client device, the cloud gaming site proactively identifies the data center hosting the game and sends a signal to the identified data center to load the game associated with the game title for which the user interaction was detected. In some embodiments, there may be more than one data center hosting the game. In such embodiments, the cloud gaming site can determine the geographic location of the client device initiating the request, identify a data center geographically close to the client device, and signal that data center to preload the game. The user's geographic location can be determined using a Global Positioning System (GPS) mechanism within the client device, the client's IP address, ping information from the client, and the like. Of course, the aforementioned methods of detecting the user's geographic location are exemplary, and other types of mechanisms or tools may be used to determine the user's geographic location. Identifying a data center close to the client device can minimize latency during user interaction with the game. In some embodiments, the identified data center may not have the bandwidth / capacity required to host the game or may be overutilized. In these embodiments, the cloud gaming site can identify a second data center geographically close to the client device. Loading a game involves loading the game code and executing an instance of the game.

[0083] In response to receiving a signal from the cloud gaming site, the identified data center may select a server at the data center to instantiate the game on the server. The server is selected based on the available hardware / software capabilities and the game requirements. The server may include multiple game consoles, and the server may determine which of the multiple game consoles to use to load the game. The game console may be similar to a stand-alone game console, or may be a rack server or a blade server. The blade server may then include multiple server blades, each of which has the circuitry required to instantiate a single dedicated application (such as a game). Of course, the above-mentioned game consoles are exemplary and should not be considered restrictive. Other types of game consoles (including game stations, etc.) and other forms of blade servers may also be used to host the identified games.

[0084] Once the game console is identified, the generic game-related code for the game is loaded onto the game console, and a signal is returned to the client device via the cloud gaming site over the network, identifying the game console on which the game is instantiated. The loaded game is then made available to the user.

[0085] Figure 7B7 is a flowchart conceptually illustrating various operations performed to stream a cloud video game to a client device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. A gaming system 718 executes a video game and generates raw (uncompressed) video 720 and audio 722. The video 720 and audio 722 are captured and encoded for streaming purposes, as indicated by reference numeral 724 in the illustrated figure. Encoding can provide compression of the video and audio streams to reduce bandwidth usage and optimize the gaming experience. Examples of encoding formats include H.265 / MPEG-H, H.264 / MPEG-4, H.263 / MPEG-4, H.262 / MPEG-2, WMV, VP6 / 7 / 8 / 9, and the like.

[0086] The encoded audio 726 and encoded video 728 are further packetized into network packets, as indicated at 732, for transmission over a network, such as the Internet. The network packet encoding process may also employ a data encryption process to provide enhanced data security. In the illustrated embodiment, audio packets 734 and video packets 736 are generated for transmission over a network, as indicated at 740.

[0087] The gaming system 718 additionally generates haptic feedback data 730 , which is also packetized into network packets for network transmission. In the illustrated embodiment, a haptic feedback data packet 738 is generated for transmission over the network, as further indicated at reference numeral 740 .

[0088] The aforementioned operations of generating raw video and audio and tactile feedback data, encoding the video and audio, and packetizing the encoded audio / video and tactile feedback data for transmission are performed on one or more servers that jointly define the cloud gaming service / system. As indicated by reference numeral 740, the audio, video, and tactile feedback data packets are transmitted over a network (such as and / or including the Internet). As indicated by reference numeral 742, the audio data packet 734, the video data packet 736, and the tactile feedback data packet 738 are decoded / reassembled by the client device to define the encoded audio 746, the encoded video 748, and the tactile feedback data 750 at the client device. If the data has been encrypted, the network data packet will also be decrypted. Then, as indicated by reference numeral 744, the encoded audio 746 and the encoded video 748 are decoded by the client device to generate client-side raw audio and video data for rendering on a display device 752. The tactile feedback data 750 can be processed / transmitted to produce a tactile feedback effect at a controller device 756 or other interface device that can render a tactile effect. One example of a haptic effect is vibration or rumbling of the controller device 756 .

[0089] It should be understood that the video game responds to user input and, therefore, can execute a program flow similar to the program flow described above for transmitting and processing user input, but in the opposite direction from the client device to the server. As shown, user operation of the controller device 756 can generate input data 758. This input data 758 is packetized at the client device for transmission to the cloud gaming system over the network. The input data packets 760 are unpacked and reassembled by the cloud gaming server to define input data 762 on the server side. The input data 762 is fed to the gaming system 718, which processes the input data 762 to update the game state of the video game.

[0090] During the transmission of audio data packets 734, video data packets 736, and haptic feedback data packets 738 (reference numeral 740), data transmission over the network can be monitored to ensure the quality of service of the cloud game streaming. For example, network conditions, including both upstream and downstream network bandwidth, can be monitored as indicated by reference numeral 764, and game streaming can be adjusted in response to changes in available bandwidth. That is, the encoding and decoding of network packets can be controlled based on current network conditions, as indicated by reference numeral 766.

[0091] Figure 8 An embodiment of an information service provider architecture is shown. An information service provider (ISP) 870 provides a wide range of information services to geographically dispersed users 882 connected via a network 886. An ISP may offer only one type of service, such as stock price updates, or it may offer a variety of services, such as broadcast media, news, sports, games, and the like. Furthermore, the services provided by each ISP are dynamic, meaning that services can be added or removed at any time. Therefore, the ISP providing a particular type of service to a particular individual may change over time. For example, when a user is in her hometown, she may be served by an ISP close to her, but when she travels to a different city, she may be served by a different ISP. The local ISP will transfer the required information and data to the new ISP, allowing the user's information to "follow" the user to the new city, making the data closer to the user and easier to access. In another embodiment, a master-slave relationship may be established between a primary ISP that manages the information for the user and a server ISP that interfaces directly with the user under the control of the primary ISP. In another embodiment, as the client moves around the world, data is transferred from one ISP to another, enabling the ISP that is better positioned to provide the services to the user to become the ISP providing those services.

[0092] ISP 870 includes an application service provider (ASP) 872 that provides computer-based services to customers over a network (e.g., including, by way of example and not limitation, any wired or wireless network, LAN, WAN, WiFi, broadband, cable, fiber optic, satellite, cellular (e.g., 4G, 5G, etc.), the Internet, etc.). Software provided using the ASP model is also sometimes referred to as on-demand software or software as a service (SaaS). A simple form of providing access to a specific application (such as customer relationship management) is to use a standard protocol (such as HTTP). The application software resides on the vendor's system and is accessed by the user through a web browser using HTML, through dedicated client software provided by the vendor, or through other remote interfaces (such as a thin client).

[0093] Services delivered over a wide geographic area often use cloud computing. Cloud computing is a type of computing in which dynamically scalable and often virtualized resources are provided as a service over the Internet. Users do not need to be experts in the technical infrastructure supporting their "cloud." Cloud computing can be divided into different services, such as Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Cloud computing services often provide common business applications online that are accessed from a web browser, while the software and data are stored on servers. Based on the way the Internet is depicted in computer network diagrams, the term cloud is used as a metaphor for the Internet (e.g., using servers, storage devices, and logic) and is an abstract concept for the complex infrastructure that it hides.

[0094] In addition, ISP 870 includes a game processing server (GPS) 874, which is used by game clients to play single-player and multi-player video games. Most video games played on the Internet are run through a connection to a game server. Typically, games use a dedicated server application that collects data from players and distributes the data to other players. This is more efficient and effective than a peer-to-peer arrangement, but it requires a separate server to host the server application. In another embodiment, the GPS establishes communication between players, and the players' respective game playing devices exchange information without relying on a centralized GPS.

[0095] Dedicated servers are servers that operate independently of the client. These servers typically run on dedicated hardware located in a data center, providing increased bandwidth and dedicated processing power. For most PC-based multiplayer games, dedicated servers are the preferred method of hosting game servers. Many multiplayer online games run on dedicated servers, typically hosted by the software company that owns the game title, allowing them to control and update the content.

[0096] The broadcast processing server (BPS) 876 distributes the audio or video signal to the audience. Broadcasting to a very small audience is sometimes called narrowcasting. The final leg of broadcast distribution is how the signal reaches the listener or observer, and it may be transmitted from the air to an antenna and receiver like a radio or television station, or it may be transmitted through cable television or cable broadcast (or "wireless cable") through a workstation or directly from the network. The Internet can also bring radio or TV to receivers, especially through multicasting that allows sharing of signals and bandwidth. Historically, broadcasting has been defined by geographic areas, such as national broadcasting or regional broadcasting. However, with the prevalence of fast Internet, broadcasting is no longer defined by geographical conditions, as content can reach almost any country in the world.

[0097] Storage Service Providers (SSPs) 878 provide computer storage space and related management services. SSPs also provide periodic backup and archiving. By offering storage as a service, users can order more storage as needed. Another major advantage is that SSPs include backup services, so if a computer's hard drive fails, the user will not lose all their data. In addition, multiple SSPs can have full or partial copies of a user's data, allowing users to access data in an efficient manner regardless of their location or the device they use to access the data. For example, a user can access personal files on their home computer and on their mobile phone when they are on the move.

[0098] Communications providers 880 provide connectivity to users. One type of communications provider is an Internet Service Provider (ISP), which provides access to the Internet. ISPs connect their customers using data transmission technologies suitable for delivering Internet Protocol datagrams, such as dial-up, DSL, cable modem, fiber optic, wireless, or dedicated high-speed interconnects. Communications providers may also offer messaging services, such as email, instant messaging, and SMS text messaging. Another type of communications provider is a Network Service Provider (NSP), which sells bandwidth or network access by providing direct backbone access to the Internet. Network service providers may include telecommunications companies, data carriers, wireless communication providers, Internet service providers, cable operators offering high-speed Internet access, and the like.

[0099] Data exchange 888 interconnects several modules within ISP 870 and connects these modules to users 882 via network 886. Data exchange 888 can cover a small area where all modules of ISP 870 are in close proximity, or it can cover a large geographic area when different modules are geographically dispersed. For example, data exchange 888 can include Fast Gigabit Ethernet (or faster Gigabit Ethernet) within a cabinet in a data center, or an intercontinental Virtual Area Network (VLAN).

[0100] User 882 accesses the remote service using a client device 884, which includes at least a CPU, memory, display, and I / O. The client device can be a PC, mobile phone, laptop, tablet, gaming system, PDA, etc. In one embodiment, ISP 870 identifies the type of device used by the client and adjusts the communication method used. In other cases, the client device uses a standard communication method (such as HTML) to access ISP 870.

[0101] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced with various computer system configurations, including handheld devices, microprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, etc. The present disclosure may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a wired or wireless network.

[0102] In some embodiments, wireless technology can be used to facilitate communication. Such technology may include, for example, 5G wireless communication technology. 5G is the fifth generation of cellular network technology. A 5G network is a digital cellular network in which the service area covered by the provider is divided into small geographical areas called cells. Analog signals representing sound and images are digitized in the phone, converted by an analog-to-digital converter, and transmitted as a bit stream. All 5G wireless devices in a cell communicate via radio waves with a local antenna array and low-power automatic transceivers (transmitters and receivers) in the cell using a frequency channel allocated by a transceiver from a frequency pool reused in other cells. The local antenna is connected to the telephone network and the Internet via a high-bandwidth optical fiber or wireless backhaul connection. As in other cell networks, a mobile device crossing from one cell to another automatically switches to the new cell. It should be understood that a 5G network is only an example type of communication network, and the embodiments of the present disclosure can utilize earlier generations of wireless or wired communications, as well as newer generations of wired or wireless technologies after 5G.

[0103] In view of the above embodiments, it should be understood that the present disclosure can employ various computer-implemented operations involving data stored in a computer system. These operations are those requiring physical manipulation of physical quantities. Any operation described herein that forms a part of the present disclosure is a useful machine operation. The present disclosure also relates to apparatus or devices for performing these operations. The apparatus can be specially constructed for the desired purpose, or the apparatus can be a general-purpose computer selectively activated or configured by a computer program stored in the computer. In particular, various general-purpose machines can be used with computer programs written according to the teachings of this article, or it may be more convenient to construct more specialized apparatuses to perform the desired operations.

[0104] The present disclosure can also be implemented as computer-readable code on a computer-readable medium. Alternatively, the computer-readable code can be downloaded from a server using the above-mentioned data exchange interconnection. A computer-readable medium is any data storage device that can store data, which can then be read by a computer system. Examples of computer-readable media include hard drives, network attached storage devices (NAS), read-only memories, random access memories, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, magnetic tapes, and other optical and non-optical data storage devices. A computer-readable medium can include a computer-readable tangible medium distributed on a network-coupled computer system so that the computer-readable code is stored and executed in a distributed manner.

[0105] Although the method operations are described in a particular order, it should be understood that other housekeeping operations may be performed between the operations, or that the operations may be adjusted so that they occur at slightly different times, or may be distributed in a system that allows the processing operations to occur at various intervals associated with the processing, so long as the processing covering the operations is performed in the desired manner.

[0106] Although the foregoing disclosure has been described in some detail for purposes of clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims. The present embodiments are therefore to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the disclosure is not to be limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and range of equivalents of the described embodiments.

Claims

1. A method comprising: analyzing gameplay data and audience data from previous sessions of a video game, wherein the analysis is configured to correlate audience preferences with gameplay conditions of the video game; generating in-game recommendations for the gameplay conditions using the associated viewer preferences; identifying said gameplay condition occurring in a current session of said video game; In response to identifying the gameplay condition occurring in the current session, the in-game recommendation is then presented to a player of the current session of the video game to enhance audience relationships in the video game.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein associating the audience preference with the gameplay condition is configured to identify player activities that increased or maximized the number of spectators during the gameplay condition in the previous session, and wherein the in-game recommendation is configured to recommend to the player of the current session that the player activities that increased or maximized the number of spectators during the gameplay condition in the previous session be performed in order to increase the likelihood of increasing the audience of the player or the current session.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein associating the audience preference with the gameplay condition is configured to identify player activities that increased or maximized audience engagement during the gameplay condition in the previous session, and wherein the in-game recommendation is configured to recommend to the player of the current session that the player activities that increased or maximized audience engagement during the gameplay condition in the previous session be performed in order to increase the likelihood of increasing audience engagement for the player or the current session.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein audience engagement is defined using one or more of comments, likes, shares, subscriptions, spending, and sponsorships.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the gameplay conditions of the video game are defined by one or more of a time of day, a location in a virtual environment of the video game, a level or stage of the video game.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the gameplay data comprises one or more of gameplay event data, player input, and player position data.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the viewer data comprises one or more of viewer number, comments, and viewer profile data.

8. A method comprising: analyzing one or more characteristics of an audience of a session of a video game to identify one or more general characteristics of the audience; generating one or more recommendations for a player of the session of the video game based on the general characteristics of the audience; The one or more recommendations are presented to the player during the session of the video game to enhance audience engagement in the video game.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the characteristics of the audience include one or more of age, gender, geographic location, nationality, language, and game playing history.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the one or more recommendations are configured to recommend to the player to perform an activity that increases spectator engagement.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein analyzing the characteristic of the audience is configured to identify one or more clusters of values ​​for a given characteristic of the audience.

12. The method of claim 8, wherein analyzing the characteristic of the audience is configured to identify a mean, a median, or a mode for a given characteristic of the audience.

13. The method of claim 8, further comprising: analyzing previous sessions of the video game to determine one or more viewer preferences based on the one or more characteristics; The one or more recommendations are configured to recommend to the player to perform an activity that matches the audience's preferences.

14. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having program instructions embodied thereon, the program instructions, when executed by at least one computing device, causing the at least one computing device to perform a method comprising the following method operations: analyzing gameplay data and audience data from previous sessions of a video game, wherein the analysis is configured to correlate audience preferences with gameplay conditions of the video game; generating in-game recommendations for the gameplay conditions using the associated viewer preferences; identifying said gameplay condition occurring in a current session of said video game; In response to identifying the gameplay condition occurring in the current session, the in-game recommendation is then presented to a player of the current session of the video game to enhance audience relationships in the video game.

15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein associating the audience preference with the gameplay condition is configured to identify player activities that increased or maximized the number of spectators during the gameplay condition in the previous session, and wherein the in-game recommendation is configured to recommend to the player of the current session that the player activities that increased or maximized the number of spectators during the gameplay condition in the previous session be performed in order to increase the likelihood of increasing the audience of the player or the current session.

16. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein associating the audience preference with the gameplay condition is configured to identify player activities that increased or maximized audience engagement during the gameplay condition in the previous session, and wherein the in-game recommendation is configured to recommend to the player of the current session that the player activities that increased or maximized audience engagement during the gameplay condition in the previous session be performed in order to increase the likelihood of increasing audience engagement for the player or the current session.

17. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 16, wherein audience engagement is defined using one or more of commenting, liking, sharing, subscribing, spending, and sponsoring.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the gameplay conditions of the video game are defined by one or more of a time of day, a location in a virtual environment of the video game, a level or stage of the video game.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the gameplay data comprises one or more of gameplay event data, player input, and player position data.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 14, wherein the viewer data comprises one or more of viewer number, comments, viewer profile data.

Images