Methods and systems are provided for interactive gaming platform scene generation utilizing captured visual data and artificial intelligence-generated environment, with the gaming platform including at least a user device that has or is coupled to a display, with the gaming platform configured to obtain recorded footage associated with an environment pertinent to a game playable via the user device, to generate, based on the recorded footage, one or more video frames for use during playing of the game via the user device, and to display the one or more video frames via the display during the playing of the game via the user device. The recorded footage may be processed using artificial intelligence, and the one or more video frames may be generated using the artificial intelligence and based on the processing of the recorded footage.

Systems and methods for reducing hops associated with a head mounted display are described. The head mounted display includes a communications circuit for receiving and transmitting interactive media associated with a game program via a network. The interactive media is processed by the game cloud system and streamed directly to the communications circuit of the head mounted display. The head mounted display further includes a user input circuit for receiving an action from a user to generate an input, which includes position and motion detected by the user input circuit. The head mounted display includes a game processing circuit for decoding the interactive media received from the network. The game processing circuit drives a portion of interactivity associated with the game program. The portion of interactivity is generated based on the input.

Systems and methods for reducing hops associated with a head mounted display are described. The head mounted display includes a communications circuit for receiving and transmitting interactive media associated with a game program via a network. The interactive media is processed by the game cloud system and streamed directly to the communications circuit of the head mounted display. The head mounted display further includes a user input circuit for receiving an action from a user to generate an input, which includes position and motion detected by the user input circuit. The head mounted display includes a game processing circuit for decoding the interactive media received from the network. The game processing circuit drives a portion of interactivity associated with the game program. The portion of interactivity is generated based on the input.

A system and method for providing virtual items to users of an online game operated in a virtual space. Multiple users may participate in affiliations or alliances of discrete groups of users in an online game and may access the online game through client computing platforms associated with the users. The affiliations may have affiliation game units associated with affiliations which provide a benefit to the members of the online game. Affiliation members may cumulatively obtain affiliation game units and/or upgrade affiliation game units by providing one or more virtual items. Upgrading affiliation game units may require the cooperation of multiple members of the affiliation.

A system and method for providing virtual items to users of an online game operated in a virtual space. Multiple users may participate in affiliations or alliances of discrete groups of users in an online game and may access the online game through client computing platforms associated with the users. The affiliations may have affiliation game units associated with affiliations which provide a benefit to the members of the online game. Affiliation members may cumulatively obtain affiliation game units and/or upgrade affiliation game units by providing one or more virtual items. Upgrading affiliation game units may require the cooperation of multiple members of the affiliation.

A method for gaming assistance. Information relating to game plays of player for a gaming application is received at a back-end server. A current game context of a first game play of a first player is determined from the information. Historical expert game contexts of expert game plays of experts that have played the gaming application are determined from the information. An assistance query related to the first game play is received. The current game context of the first player is compared to the historical expert game contexts to determine at least one expert having a corresponding historical expert game context that matches the first game context. A first expert is assigned to the first player for obtaining assistance. A communication session is generated between a device of the first expert and a device of the first player to enable the first expert to render assistance to the first player.

A method for gaming assistance. Information relating to game plays of player for a gaming application is received at a back-end server. A current game context of a first game play of a first player is determined from the information. Historical expert game contexts of expert game plays of experts that have played the gaming application are determined from the information. An assistance query related to the first game play is received. The current game context of the first player is compared to the historical expert game contexts to determine at least one expert having a corresponding historical expert game context that matches the first game context. A first expert is assigned to the first player for obtaining assistance. A communication session is generated between a device of the first expert and a device of the first player to enable the first expert to render assistance to the first player.

An apparatus and method for providing social network content in an online game is disclosed herein. Content is obtained from a social network site and is displayed within the game. The game also provides a mechanism for the user of the game to generate content to the posted within the social network from within the game. Such generated content is automatically posted in the social network for a recipient specified by the user.

Methods and apparatus provide for downloading application software from a server, including: downloading the application software from the server, where a first application software file contains only a portion of the application software, and a second application software file contains more than the portion of the application software; executing the application software and generating application images based thereon, where execution of the first application software file contains enough of the application software to execute a limited amount of the application software; and displaying the application images on a display screen based on the execution of the application software, where the acquisition unit begins downloading the second application software file in a background process after downloading the first application software file and at least partially during the execution of the first application software file.

Methods and apparatus provide for downloading application software from a server, including: downloading the application software from the server, where a first application software file contains only a portion of the application software, and a second application software file contains more than the portion of the application software; executing the application software and generating application images based thereon, where execution of the first application software file contains enough of the application software to execute a limited amount of the application software; and displaying the application images on a display screen based on the execution of the application software, where the acquisition unit begins downloading the second application software file in a background process after downloading the first application software file and at least partially during the execution of the first application software file.