Fractional non-fungible tokens for gaming-related digital assets

Abstract

A method and system are provided for dividing non-fungible token (NFT) shares of a digital gaming asset. The method includes generating a digital asset depicting a gaming event associated with a game. The method includes acquiring a non-fungible token (NFT) of the digital asset. The NFT is stored on a blockchain with a reference to a storage location of the digital asset. Acquiring the NFT includes instructions or parameters for dividing the NFT. Dividing the NFT creates a share set of the NFT. The method includes allocating shares of the NFT to users of an online gaming system. The shares are exchangeable among a community of users. The method includes tracking usage of each of the shares of the NFT and assigning a value indicator to each share by the online gaming system. The value indicator indicates a level of usage of the share within the online gaming system.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates generally to the creation and use of gaming-related digital assets, and the use of non-fungible tokens for such digital assets. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of Related Art The video game industry has undergone many changes over the years. In recent years, social media has increased the popularity of games and the visibility of some gamers. Popular gamers often attract audiences who want to see unique gaming moves and techniques, or who simply want to watch videos of gamers playing a particular game. Gamers often advertise when they play to their followers, and one or more followers can log in to the session to view, learn, or interact with other followers or players. In the context of gaming, gamers and / or followers may create digital media. This digital media may be created while playing a game or interacting with other users related to the game. Sometimes, the generated digital media may be a part of gameplay or a record of an interesting event or action that occurred during the game. Regardless of how the digital media is created, viewers of the digital media may not understand the significance of the media and / or may attempt to use the digital media without the permission or approval of the creator who created the digital media. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0003] It is in this context that embodiments of the present disclosure arise. [Means for solving the problem]

[0004] Embodiments of the present disclosure include methods and systems for managing digital media created by creators. Digital media may include any content that can be viewed or heard when rendered by a computing device. In one example, a video game player may play the game, and the way the player plays the game to accomplish certain actions or goals may be represented by video clips of the game showcasing the gameplay. Thus, even though the player did not create the game, the player's gameplay may include, for example, movements, actions, points earned, interactions with content or controls, spectator perspectives, game shares, chat dialogue, etc. In one configuration, if the gameplay is recorded into a video clip or a shareable portion of the game content, the gameplay may represent player-created digital media.

[0005] In some situations, an event may occur, such as a player achieving an important goal or performing a unique challenge, and a recording of the event (e.g., a video clip) may be generated. In this example, the video clip is digital media created in response to a player selecting to create a video clip of a portion of their gameplay, or in response to some other request by the player or another viewer to create a clip of a portion of the event that occurred. In some cases, an event may involve multiple players, and the event may showcase some achievement achieved by two or more players by playing together as a team or group, or against other players.

[0006] In one embodiment, a player who participates in an event and is associated with a generated video clip (e.g., digital media) of the event may wish to share the event with other users. However, if the event presents unique content, the digital media may be shared by people unrelated to the event, who may even benefit from presenting the event online or in some other form. To protect player creators of digital media, players may decide to generate non-fungible tokens (NFTs) of the digital media. A digital media NFT is an encrypted or secured tokenization of the digital media associated with the NFT. The NFT provides the owner of the NFT with a way to verify the authenticity of the digital media and further allows the NFT to be sold or traded according to rules established for the NFT.

[0007] In one embodiment, a method is provided that allows for the division of NFTs for digital media created by players. In one embodiment, when an NFT is created, the creator of the NFT sets a number of divided shares associated with the NFT. In one embodiment, the divided shares can be set to any number of shares, and each share can have a different percentage. In another embodiment, the number of shares is related to participants in the event that produced the digital media. For example, if a group of three players were part of a team that achieved a goal, each of those players would be assigned a divided share of the NFT associated with the event. In some embodiments, followers or viewers who watched the event live or as the event occurred may be assigned a divided NFT as a reward for being present when the event occurred.

[0008] In some cases, these fractional NFTs may have intrinsic value to the holder or others who become aware that the holder owns a fraction. For example, a holder of a fractional share of an NFT may receive a unique image identifying their fractional ownership of the NFT. The unique image or symbol may be displayed on the user / player's profile or presented to the player while playing a live game or to followers / spectators while watching. The image representing the NFT, in some embodiments, can function like a trophy in the game world. In some embodiments, fractional shares of an NFT can be sold or traded, and each trade or sale can be tracked. In this way, if an NFT share is traded frequently, its value may inherently increase due to its popularity or desirability by the game community, users, people, or players. For example, each trade can be tracked and assigned a trade value representing the popularity or desirability of the NFT share. The NFT image may also have a counter that indicates a popularity score based on the number of trades and / or "likes" by other users.

[0009] In one embodiment, a method for sharing digital game assets in an online gaming system is provided. The method includes generating a digital asset depicting a game event associated with a game. Obtaining a non-fungible token (NFT) for the digital asset. The NFT is stored on a blockchain along with a reference to a storage location for the digital asset. The method includes dividing the NFT, where dividing creates a set of shares of the NFT. Shares of the NFT are then allocated to users of the online gaming system. The shares are exchangeable among a user community of the online gaming system. The method further includes tracking usage of each of the set of shares of the NFT and assigning a value indicator to each share by the online gaming system. The value indicator indicates a level of usage of the share within the online gaming system.

[0010] In some embodiments, the usage level of each share is associated with a trading metric that identifies trading of shares of NFTs among the online game's user community.

[0011] In some embodiments, a value indicator is associated with a profile of each user's profile, the value indicator visually notifying other users of the ownership of the share.

[0012] In another embodiment, a method for dividing non-fungible token (NFT) shares of a digital gaming asset is provided. The method includes generating a digital asset depicting a gaming event associated with a game. The method includes acquiring a non-fungible token (NFT) of the digital asset. The NFT is stored on a blockchain along with a reference to a storage location of the digital asset. Acquiring the NFT includes instructions or parameters for dividing the NFT. Dividing the NFT creates a set of shares of the NFT. The method includes allocating shares of the NFT to users of an online gaming system. The shares are exchangeable among a user community. The method includes tracking usage of each of the set of shares of the NFT and assigning a value indicator to each share by the online gaming system. The value indicator indicates the level of usage of the share within the online gaming system. In some embodiments, the NFT shares can be traded outside of the online gaming system or community and can be shared with any user via any communication method, program, social media, or private message, for example.

[0013] 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.

[0014] The present disclosure may be better understood by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 illustrates an embodiment in which a user decides to create an NFT from digital media and the NFT is divided, according to one embodiment. [Figure 2] 1 illustrates an example of a game event 102 selected by one or more users, according to one embodiment. [Figure 3] 1 illustrates an example of divided NFT shares that are individually associated with value indicators, according to one embodiment. [Figure 4] Illustrates an example of an NFT share 206 displayed in some form on the screen while User A is playing the game 202, according to one embodiment. [Figure 5] 1 illustrates an embodiment in which an NFT share may be selected by a third party, such as a spectator or social media viewer, to identify details of the NFT share, according to one embodiment. [Figure 6] 1 illustrates components of an exemplary device that can be used to implement aspects of various embodiments of the present disclosure. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0016] The following embodiments of the present disclosure provide methods, systems, and devices that enable the creation of fractional non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for digital media. In one embodiment, the digital media is game-related content, such as a recording of a portion of a game, or an image related to a game or an event depicted in a game, or a recording of a game.

[0017] In one embodiment, a method is provided that allows for the division of NFTs for digital media created by players. In one embodiment, when an NFT is created, the creator of the NFT sets a number of divided shares associated with the NFT. In other embodiments, the number of divided shares is automatically set by the system depending on the context of the digital media used to create the NFT. In one embodiment, the divided shares can be set to any number of shares, and each share can have a different percentage. In another embodiment, the number of shares is related to participants in the event that created the digital media. For example, if a group of three players were part of a team that achieved a goal, each of those players would automatically be assigned a divided share of the NFT associated with the event. In some embodiments, followers or viewers who watched the event live or as the event occurred may be assigned a divided NFT as a reward for being present when the event occurred.

[0018] In some cases, these fractional NFTs may have intrinsic value to the holder or others who become aware that the holder owns a fraction. For example, a holder of a fractional share of an NFT may receive a unique image identifying their fractional ownership of the NFT. The unique image or symbol may be displayed on the user / player's profile or presented to the player while playing a live game or to followers / spectators while watching. The image representing the NFT, in some embodiments, can function like a trophy in the game world. In some embodiments, fractional shares of an NFT can be sold or traded, and each trade or sale can be tracked. In this way, if an NFT share is traded frequently, its value may inherently increase due to its popularity or desirability by the game community, users, people, or players. For example, each trade can be tracked and assigned a trade value representing the popularity or desirability of the NFT share. The NFT image may also have a counter that indicates a popularity score based on the number of trades and / or "likes" by other users.

[0019] FIG. 1 illustrates an embodiment in which a user decides to create an NFT from digital media and the NFT is divided, according to one embodiment. In this example, User A is playing a game and may experience a particular level of gameplay enjoyment, a sense of accomplishment, a level, or a point of interest within the game. A portion of the game, such as a video clip of a portion of the game that includes a moment of interest to the user, may be captured. In one embodiment, the point of interest within the game selected by the user may be associated with a game event 102. Once the game event 102 is captured or created, a portion of that content is identified as digital media (DM) 104 for the game event. The digital media may be in file format or some other digital format and may be stored locally on the user's device or remotely in storage accessible via the internet (e.g., cloud storage). Once the digital media 104 is selected by the user, the user may decide to generate an NFT for the digital media in operation 106.

[0020] The generation of NFTs for digital media may include the process of utilizing a digital wallet to enable minting of the NFT. Digital wallets can be loaded with cryptocurrency, and digital wallets can be created on numerous websites or custom websites to allow users to purchase cryptocurrency in order to find a digital wallet to use to mint an NFT. Generally speaking, minting an NFT is how digital media becomes part of a public ledger, or blockchain. One such public ledger is the Ethereum blockchain, which is an immutable and tamper-proof public ledger. In one embodiment, minting an NFT onto a blockchain also allows for the assignment of rules or programming to the minting process. In one embodiment, custom programming is provided that allows for the creation of share assignments for the NFT.

[0021] In some embodiments, a private blockchain, such as one provided by a gaming system, may be utilized. The private blockchain may utilize a private ledger that allows tracking of NFT minting and the associated shares of each NFT. In this manner, an NFT is not a single NFT, but rather a share of one original NFT. Shares define divisions of an NFT and assign those divisions to specific users. As previously mentioned, a user may be a user associated with the digital media at the time of its creation, e.g., a player in a game or a spectator in a game, or may be assigned to a third-party user who was not part of the digital media's content. In some embodiments, each recipient of an NFT share may be able to trade their NFT share among friends or sell their NFT share.

[0022] In one embodiment, a tracking mechanism is provided to identify when a transaction occurs for an NFT share or usage level and provide a value associated with the shares being traded. For example, an NFT may be deemed more valuable if more shares are traded than others. In some embodiments, a unique identifier may be provided for the graphical representation of the NFT share so that others can verify the value of those NFT shares. In some embodiments, the unique identifier may be in the form of an icon or image in a graphical user interface. A value indicator may be provided in the form of a numeric value that identifies an tally associated with its usage, transactions, likes, interest comments, etc.

[0023] When an NFT split 108 occurs, those split NFT shares 110 are associated with the user who created the NFT. As an example, the creator of the split NFT may be identified with each share, even if those shares are distributed 112 by the original creator to other users. In some embodiments, as described below, when a split NFT is created, distribution of the NFT shares may occur automatically via a system that identifies the holders of the NFT shares.

[0024] FIG. 2 illustrates an example of a game event 102 selected by one or more users. A user may select an NFT event from an online game, a console game that is not online, or a streaming game that is viewable by multiple spectators. There are many types of game events that can occur, and identifying those significant game events may include logic for identifying significant game events. As an example, a higher-than-expected score in a particular game, or a score higher than that achieved by a community member, may be automatically identified. In other embodiments, the identification of significant events may be performed by one or more game players. Once digital media (DM) 104 has been identified and selected by one or more users, the DM 104 becomes available for generating NFTs 106.

[0025] As previously described, the DM's creation of the NFT may include programming instructions that identify the NFT as being split 108. In one embodiment, the context data 126 is automatically generated in response to the context of a game event occurring in the digital media 104. In one embodiment, machine learning is utilized to examine game data that occurred during the game event 102 embodied in the digital media 104. The machine learning may identify metrics such as significant events, characters, game levels, interactions, chat, and past performance. The context data 126 may then be used to generate share allocation parameters 128. The share allocation parameters 128 may be in the form of code, instructions, or rules usable in the split NFT 108 process. For example, if the context data 126 identifies a highly significant game event 102 in which a player achieved a notable goal, the share allocation parameters 128 may identify players and spectators present at the event. In one embodiment, the split NFT 108 process can automatically generate split NFT shares 120, with each player and each spectator participating in the significant event being assigned an NFT share 124.

[0026] Once NFT shares 124 are assigned to particular users who were playing or viewing the game event as spectators, share interaction tracking 130 is utilized to identify interactions with individual NFT shares 124. For example, some users may decide to exchange their NFT shares 124 with friends, while others may decide to keep their NFT shares 124 and utilize them like trophies that can be displayed to demonstrate how the player or user was present during the important event. In some embodiments, users or players who can utilize an icon or graphic associated with their profile (e.g., similar to a trophy) to demonstrate ownership of their NFT shares 124 may also provide information identifying the value generated for each share.

[0027] For example, if a share is frequently "liked," or frequently traded, or frequently sold, or sold at a high price, that information can be used to assess and assign value generated to the particular NFT share 124 in operation 132. Thus, each NFT share 124 maintains its own historical value and interaction metrics because that NFT share exists independently of other NFT shares while at the same time being part of a single game event 102 that generated digital media 104 and was rendered into a divided NFT.

[0028] FIG. 3 illustrates an example of divided NFT shares that are individually associated with value indicators, according to one embodiment. Digital media 104 is first selected and then minted (150). As previously discussed, the minting process may occur using a public ledger / blockchain or a private ledger / blockchain. In one embodiment, the minting process enables coding to set division data in operation 152. The division data is code that sets share allocation parameters. The share allocation parameters identify the number of shares to be allocated to various users, or players, or spectators. In some embodiments, this code can assign different values ​​to each of the NFT shares.

[0029] Thus, not all NFT shares need have the same value. For example, a player in a digital medium may receive a higher value for their NFT share, while audience members may receive correspondingly lower value NFT shares. As an example, if there are two players in a digital medium identified by context data 126, the two players may each receive 25 percent of the NFT, and 10 audience members may each receive a 5 percent share of the NFT. In total, 12 NFT shares may be generated during division 108. It should be understood that this is only one example of how division may occur, and the actual value assigned to each NFT share and the number of shares generated may depend on the code utilized to identify what to do in context data 126 or based on what the creator-user decides to divide the NFT with. For example, if there is a single primary player that decides to create the digital media 104, that single primary player may decide to divide the NFT into creator shares of 51 percent or more in order to maintain control of the NFT, and may allow 49 percent of the shares to be distributed to any number of spectators who are present or cheering on the creator.

[0030] In some embodiments, there may be a large audience, potentially resulting in a large number of NFT shares generated for audience members, but each NFT share can still be tracked individually to identify its value. In the example of FIG. 3, Player 1 and Player 2 receive NFT shares, and the audience also receives NFT shares. Player 1 is a very active player in the game community, while Player 2 is less active. In this example, Spectator 1 is also a very active audience member. Activity tracking of NFT shares 180 occurs over time as each player, or user, or audience member utilizes the NFT shares in the game environment, on social media, or in private shares or sales. NFT shares can track the number of shares, trades, sales, views or impressions between users or players, the number of likes, the number of comments associated with the NFT share, the number of views, etc. As shown, activity tracking of NFT shares 180 may include share or trade tracking 182, sales tracking 184, and view tracking 186. These are just a few examples of the types of tracking possible when users of NFT Shares interact with them in or outside of the gaming environment.

[0031] For illustrative purposes, graphical icon 156 illustrates that NFT share 1 is worth 1,277, graphical icon 156 illustrates that NFT share 2 is worth 3, and graphical icon 158 illustrates that NFT share 3 is worth 5,173. These value indicators can be a combination of metrics related to the use of the NFT. As previously mentioned, the metrics can include the number of views or impressions (similar to trophies) while the user is playing the game, the number of likes for the NFT share, the number of views of the underlined NFT share of the digital media, the number of comments associated with the underlined NFT share of the digital media, clicks on the NFT share, likes for the NFT share, or any interaction with the media content underlying the NFT share. This example illustrates how an NFT share, once created, can exist independently of other NFT shares but is still tied to the original digital media 104, providing independent access to the digital media for viewing, commenting, etc., related to the game event 102 utilized to create the digital media 104.

[0032] 4 illustrates an example of an NFT share 206 displayed in some form on-screen while User A is playing a game 202, according to one embodiment. In this illustration, User A is controlling a player 204 in a video game, and their gameplay may be independent of any game events or digital media associated with the NFT 206. In other embodiments, if an NFT share is earned or acquired in connection with the same game being played, the NFT 206 is automatically displayed during the game. Thus, if User A has an NFT share 206 associated with the game 202, the system automatically accesses the NFT share icon or graphic from the user's profile and displays it so that other users watching as spectators can see User A's performance in the game.

[0033] In some embodiments, multiple NFT shares can be displayed during gameplay to illustrate a player's strength, popularity, or skill level. Displaying NFT shares on the display can be automatic, as described above, or a user can decide to present NFT shares during gameplay. In some embodiments, an NFT share 206 can be displayed as an icon when a player reaches a point in the game associated with content for which the NFT share was acquired, regardless of whether the share was acquired by playing the game or by watching the game, and regardless of whether the scenario occurred within the game.

[0034] FIG. 5 illustrates an embodiment in which an NFT share may be selected by a third party, such as a spectator or social media viewer, to identify details about the NFT share. For example, a spectator may see an NFT share displayed while a player is playing a game, and the spectator may want to understand the significance of the NFT share. Selecting more information 250 provides details 252, such as game event, game event details, and game event view, allowing the user to replay the game event and understand the significance of the NFT share. In some embodiments, if a user selects to view NFT share 1, the user may want to understand the significance of that share and the number of other shares generated for that event. In operation 254, all other shares of the divided NFT may be displayed if the third party or viewer wants to understand the NFT share further and / or its significance.

[0035] In one embodiment, all shares are selectable and can display relevant information about their value. In this example, each share has display data 256, 258, and 260. This display data can identify how valuable an NFT is relative to other NFTs, or how frequently the NFT has been shared, commented on, viewed, displayed, etc. In one embodiment, as the value of an NFT share changes, this information can be batched and minted back into the NFT share to provide a permanent record of the value of the NFT share. In some embodiments, additional mints can be performed immediately when new value data for an NFT share is generated. In some embodiments, additional mints are performed periodically as additional or batched value data for NFT shares is collected for efficiency.

[0036] FIG. 6 illustrates components of an exemplary device 600 that can be used to implement aspects of various embodiments of the present disclosure. The block diagram illustrates device 600, which can incorporate or be a personal computer, video game console, personal digital assistant, server, or other digital device suitable for implementing embodiments of the present disclosure. Device 600 includes a central processing unit (CPU) 602 for executing software applications and optionally an operating system. CPU 602 may be comprised of one or more homogeneous or heterogeneous processing cores. For example, CPU 602 is one or more general-purpose microprocessors having one or more processing cores. Further embodiments can be implemented using one or more CPUs with a microprocessor architecture particularly suited for highly parallel and computationally intensive applications, such as interpreting queries, identifying contextually relevant resources, and immediately implementing and rendering the contextually relevant resources within a video game. Device 600 may be localized to a player playing a game segment (e.g., a game console), or remote from the player (e.g., a back-end server processor), or one of many servers using virtualization in a game cloud system for remote streaming of gameplay to clients.

[0037] Memory 604 stores applications and data used by CPU 602. Storage 606 provides non-volatile storage and other computer-readable media for applications and data and may include fixed disk drives, removable disk drives, flash memory devices, and CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, Blu-ray, HD-DVD, or other optical storage devices, as well as signal transmission and storage media. User input devices 608 communicate user input from one or more users to device 600; examples of user input devices 608 may include a keyboard, mouse, joystick, touchpad, touchscreen, still or video recorder / camera, gesture-recognizing tracking device, and / or microphone. Network interface 614 enables device 600 to communicate with other computer systems over an electronic communications network, which may include wired or wireless communications over a local area network or a wide area network such as the Internet. The audio processor 612 is adapted to generate analog or digital audio output from instructions and / or data provided by the CPU 602, memory 604, and / or storage 606. The components of the device 600, including the CPU 602, memory 604, data storage 606, user input device 608, network interface 610, and audio processor 612, are connected via one or more data buses 622.

[0038] A graphics subsystem 620 is further coupled to the data bus 622 and the components of device 600. Graphics subsystem 620 includes a graphics processing unit (GPU) 616 and a graphics memory 618. The graphics memory 618 includes display memory (e.g., a frame buffer) used to store pixel data for each pixel of an output image. The graphics memory 618 may be integrated into the same device as the GPU 608, connected as a separate device from the GPU 616, and / or incorporated within memory 604. Pixel data may be provided to the graphics memory 618 directly from the CPU 602. Alternatively, the CPU 602 may provide data and / or instructions defining a desired output image to the GPU 616, from which the GPU 616 generates pixel data for one or more output images. The data and / or instructions defining a desired output image may be stored in memory 604 and / or the graphics memory 618. In an embodiment, GPU 616 includes 3D rendering functionality for generating pixel data for output images from instructions and data defining scene geometry, lighting, shading, texturing, motion, and / or camera parameters. GPU 616 may further include one or more programmable execution units capable of executing shader programs.

[0039] Graphics subsystem 614 periodically outputs image pixel data from graphics memory 618 for display on display device 610. Display device 610 may be any device capable of displaying visual information in response to signals from device 600, including CRT, LCD, plasma, and OLED displays. Device 600 may provide analog or digital signals to display device 610, for example.

[0040] It should be noted that access services distributed over a wide geographic area, such as providing access to games in the current embodiment, often use cloud computing. Cloud computing is a computing paradigm in which dynamically scalable, often virtualized resources are provided as a service over the Internet. Users do not need to be experts in the technical infrastructure of the "cloud" that supports them. 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 applications, such as video games, online, accessed through a web browser, but the software and data are stored on servers in the cloud. The term cloud is used as a metaphor for the Internet, based on how the Internet is depicted in computer network diagrams, and is an abstraction of the complex infrastructure it hides.

[0041] In some embodiments, a game server may be used to perform the operation of the duration information platform for video game players. Most video games played over the Internet operate through a connection to a game server. Typically, the game uses a dedicated server application that collects data from players and distributes the collected data to other players. In other embodiments, the video game may be executed by a distributed game engine. In these embodiments, the distributed game engine may run on multiple processing entities (PEs), each of which executes a functional segment of the given game engine on which the video game runs. Each processing entity is viewed by the game engine as simply a computational node. The game engine typically performs a functionally diverse set of operations to execute the video game application along with additional services experienced by the user. For example, the game engine implements game logic and performs game calculations, physics, geometry transformations, rendering, lighting, shading, audio, and additional in-game or game-related services. The additional services may include, for example, messaging, social utilities, audio communication, gameplay playback functions, help functions, and the like. The game engine may run on an operating system virtualized by a hypervisor on a particular server, but in other embodiments the game engine itself may be distributed across multiple processing entities, each residing on a different server unit in a data center.

[0042] According to this embodiment, each processing entity for performing operations may be a server unit, a virtual machine, or a container, depending on the needs of each game engine segment. For example, if a game engine segment is responsible for camera transformations, that particular game engine segment may be provisioned with a virtual machine associated with a graphics processing unit (GPU) since it will be performing a lot of relatively simple mathematical operations (e.g., matrix transformations). Other game engine segments requiring fewer but more complex operations may be provisioned with processing entities associated with one or more more powerful central processing units (CPUs).

[0043] By distributing the game engine, the game engine has elastic computational characteristics that are not bound by the capabilities of a physical server unit. Instead, the game engine is provisioned with more or fewer computational nodes as needed to meet the demands of the video game. From the perspective of the video game and the video game player, a game engine that is distributed across multiple computational nodes is indistinguishable from a non-distributed game engine running on a single processing entity, as a game engine manager or supervisor distributes the workload and seamlessly integrates the results to provide the video game output component to the end user.

[0044] Users access remote services through client devices that include at least a CPU, display, and I / O. The client devices may be PCs, cell phones, netbooks, PDAs, etc. In one embodiment, a network running on the game server recognizes the type of device the client is using and adjusts the communication method employed. In another instance, the client devices access applications on the game server over the Internet using standard communication methods such as HTML.

[0045] Of course, a given video game or game application may be developed for a particular platform and a particular associated controller device. However, if such a game is made available through a game cloud system such as that described herein, users may access the video game using different controller devices. For example, a game may be developed for a game console and its associated controller, but a user may access a cloud-based version of the game from a personal computer using a keyboard and mouse. In such a scenario, input parameter settings may define a mapping from inputs that can be generated by the controller devices available to the user (in this case, the keyboard and mouse) to inputs that are acceptable for execution of the video game.

[0046] In another example, a user may access the cloud gaming system via a tablet computing device, a touchscreen smartphone, or other touchscreen-driven device. In this case, the client device and the controller device are integrated together within the same device, and input is provided through detected touchscreen inputs / gestures. In such devices, input parameter settings may define specific touchscreen inputs that correspond to game inputs for a video game. For example, buttons, directional pads, or other types of input elements may be displayed or overlaid during gameplay to indicate locations on the touchscreen that a user can touch to generate game input. Gestures such as swipes in specific orientations or specific touch motions may also be detected as game inputs. In one embodiment, to familiarize a user with control operations on a touchscreen, a tutorial showing how to input gameplay inputs via the touchscreen may be provided to the user, for example, before beginning gameplay of the video game.

[0047] In some embodiments, the client device serves as a connection point for the controller device. That is, the controller device communicates with the client device via a wireless or wired connection and transmits inputs from the controller device to the client device. The client device may then process these inputs and then transmit the input data to a cloud gaming server over a network (e.g., a network accessed through a local network device such as a router). However, in other embodiments, the controller itself may be a networked device capable of communicating inputs directly to the cloud gaming server over a network, without the need for such inputs to first be communicated through the client device. For example, the controller may connect to a local network device (such as the router mentioned above) to send and receive data from the cloud gaming server. Thus, while the client device is still required to receive video output from the cloud-based video game and render it on a local display, input latency can be reduced by allowing the controller to send inputs directly over the network to the cloud gaming server, bypassing the client device.

[0048] In one embodiment, the networked controller and client device can be configured to transmit certain types of input directly from the controller to the cloud gaming server and other types of input via the client device. For example, inputs detected without relying on any additional hardware or processing, apart from the controller itself, can be transmitted directly from the controller to the cloud gaming server over the network, bypassing the client device. Such inputs can include button inputs, joystick inputs, embedded motion-sensing inputs (e.g., accelerometers, magnetometers, gyroscopes), etc. However, inputs that utilize additional hardware or require processing by the client device can be transmitted by the client device to the cloud gaming server. These can include video or audio captured from the game environment, which can be processed by the client device before transmission to the cloud gaming server. Additionally, inputs from the controller's motion-sensing hardware can be processed by the client device in conjunction with the captured video to detect the position and movement of the controller, which is then communicated by the client device to the cloud gaming server. It should be understood that controller devices according to various embodiments can also receive data (e.g., feedback data) from the client device or directly from the cloud gaming server.

[0049] It should be understood that the various embodiments defined herein may be combined or assembled into specific implementations that use various features disclosed herein. Thus, the examples provided are only some of the possible examples and are not intended to limit the various implementations that are possible by combining various elements to define more implementations. In some instances, some implementations may include fewer elements without departing from the spirit of the disclosed or equivalent implementations.

[0050] Embodiments of the present disclosure may be practiced with a variety of computer system configurations, including handheld devices, microprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, etc. Embodiments of the present disclosure can also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a wire-based or wireless network.

[0051] Although the method operations have been described in a particular order, it should be understood that other housekeeping operations may be performed between operations, or operations may be arranged to occur at slightly different times, or operations may be distributed within the system to allow processing operations to occur at various processing-related intervals, so long as the processing of telemetry and game state data to generate a modified game state is performed in the desired manner.

[0052] One or more embodiments may also be fabricated as computer-readable code on a computer-readable medium. 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 (NAS), read-only memory, random-access memory, CD-ROMs, CD-Rs, CD-RWs, magnetic tape, and other optical and non-optical data storage devices. The computer-readable medium may also include tangible computer-readable media distributed over network-connected computer systems so that the computer-readable code is stored and executed in a distributed fashion.

[0053] In one embodiment, the video game is executed locally on a game console, personal computer, or server. In some cases, the video game is executed by one or more servers in a data center. When the video game is executed, some instances of the video game may be a simulation of the video game. For example, the video game may be executed by an environment or server that generates a simulation of the video game. A simulation, in some embodiments, is an instance of the video game. In other embodiments, the simulation may be generated by an emulator. In either case, when the video game is represented as a simulation, the simulation may be executed to render interactive content that can be interactively streamed, executed, and / or controlled by user input.

[0054] Although the foregoing embodiments have been described in some detail for clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certain changes and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims. Thus, the present embodiments are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive, and the present embodiments should not be limited to the details set forth herein but may be modified within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. 1. A method for sharing digital game assets in an online game system, comprising: generating, by a computer, digital assets depicting game events associated with the game; obtaining, by a computer, a non-fungible token (NFT) of the digital asset; creating, by a computer, a shareset of the NFT; assigning, by a computer, each share of the shareset to one of the users of the online gaming system; For each share of said share set: estimating, by a computer, a measure of popularity of each share in the online gaming system; assigning, by the computer, a value indicator to each share; Including, The NFT is stored on a blockchain along with a reference to the location of the digital asset; The shares are exchangeable within a user community of the online game system; each share in the ShareSet represents a fractional ownership interest in the NFT; The value indicator numerically represents a measure of the popularity of each share.

2. the value indicator is associated with each user's profile; The method of claim 1 , wherein the value indicator visually notifies other users of their ownership of each share.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein one of the users is identified as having been a player or a spectator of the gaming event.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein each user is identified as having been a player or a spectator of the gaming event.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein one or more additional digital assets are generated during the game, each additional digital asset representing an additional game event having significance for the game.

6. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the generating of the digital asset and the acquiring of the NFT for the digital asset are performed automatically during play of the game based on an identification of the importance of the game event.

7. 7. The method of claim 6, wherein creating a shareset of the NFT is performed automatically, and each share of the shareset is assigned to one or more spectators who were watching the game when the gaming event occurred.

8. 1. A method of dividing non-fungible token (NFT) shares of a digital gaming asset, comprising: generating, by a computer, digital assets depicting game events associated with the game; obtaining, by a computer, a non-fungible token (NFT) of the digital asset; assigning, by the computer, each share of the ShareSet to one of the users of the online gaming system; For each share of said share set: estimating, by a computer, a measure of popularity of each share in the online gaming system; assigning, by the computer, a value indicator to each share; Including, obtaining a non-fungible token (NFT) of the digital asset includes instructions for creating, by a computer, a shareset of the NFT; The NFT is stored on a blockchain along with a reference to the location of the digital asset; The shares are exchangeable within a user community of the online game system; each share in the ShareSet represents a fractional ownership interest in the NFT; The value indicator numerically represents a measure of the popularity of each share.

9. the value indicator is associated with each user's profile; The method of claim 8 , wherein the value indicator visually notifies other users of their ownership of each share.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein one of the users is identified as having been a player or a spectator of the gaming event.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein each user is identified as having been a player or a spectator of the gaming event.

12. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein one or more additional digital assets are generated during the game, each additional digital asset representing an additional game event having significance for the game.

13. 10. The method of claim 8, wherein the generating of the digital asset and the acquiring of the NFT for the digital asset are processed automatically based on identifying contextual data from the game events during play of the game using a machine learning model.

14. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein creating a shareset of the NFT is performed automatically, and each share of the shareset is assigned to one or more spectators who were watching the game when the gaming event occurred.

15. 9. The method of claim 8, wherein creating a shareset of the NFT is performed automatically, and each share of the shareset is allocated to one or more of a player and a spectator present during the gaming event.

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