An adaptor is provided for a games console which allows users to gain access to interactive television services through the games console. The adaptor includes a television tuner for receiving broadcast television channels, a communications controller which controls communications between the adaptor and the games console and an interface for interfacing the adaptor to the games console. In a preferred embodiment, the adaptor also includes a hard disc for storing video data and for storing game history data. The adaptor may also include a modem via which the user can gain access to remote servers connected to a data network.

The invention concerns an electronic platform-screen comprising (a) a globally flat case (200); electronic processing, storage and interface means housed in the case; (c) a flat screen display (110) arranged at an upper surface (202) of the case; and (d) a plurality of user-interface elements (300) for several users, distributed around the display screen and connected to the interface means housed in the case. The invention also concerns a method for controlling clearance for executing downloaded programmes such as games. The invention is applicable in particular to electronic games involving several players.

User-involved battle development with strategic or tactical elements in a game is enabled. A method, implemented in a computer including a control unit, for providing a battle game in which a user repeatedly attacks and defends against an opponent using a plurality of objects placed in a plurality of areas arranged in a matrix, includes: a selection step of causing the user to select an area from the plurality of areas, and holding the area which has been already selected as a selected area; a first execution step of causing an object placed in the selected area, to execute a first action; a determination step of determining whether or not a combination of an already selected area and the currently selected area matches at least one line which is any of a row, a column, and a diagonal of the matrix; and a second execution step of causing an object to execute a second action, in the case where the determination step determines that the combination matches the at least one line.

A computer-implemented method is provided for enabling virtual gameplay. Access is provided to at least one video game in which a player is able to interact with the video game according to a storyline. A player location is detected and stored. A local element is retrieved from a database based on the player location and the local element is correlated to a local element script actuatable in the video game. This local element script is retrieved and actuated in the video game to supplement or replace the video game's storyline.

User-involved battle development with strategic or tactical elements in a game is enabled. A method, implemented in a computer including a control unit, for providing a battle game in which a user repeatedly attacks and defends against an opponent using a plurality of objects placed in a plurality of areas arranged in a matrix, includes: a selection step of causing the user to select an area from the plurality of areas, and holding the area which has been already selected as a selected area; a first execution step of causing an object placed in the selected area, to execute a first action; a determination step of determining whether or not a combination of an already selected area and the currently selected area matches at least one line which is any of a row, a column, and a diagonal of the matrix; and a second execution step of causing an object to execute a second action, in the case where the determination step determines that the combination matches the at least one line.

A multi-platform gaming system for amusing or entertaining one or more game participants playing a game on a gaming platform is described. The multi-platform gaming system can include collectible toys depicting or representing one or more game characters or objects relevant to a game adapted to be played on the gaming platform. The collectible toys can have associated therewith an RFID tag including a corresponding unique tag identification number. The RFID tag can include an antenna, integrated circuitry for wirelessly transmitting and receiving information to and from an associated RFID tag reader, and non-volatile programmable memory for storing game-relevant information describing skills, abilities or attributes associated with one of said game characters or objects.

Provided is a server device that is capable of extracting and recommending various videos relating to each user from a plurality of videos relating to a game. A center server manages video data for a video group relating to a game such that individual videos are associated with information about a “managed items”, extracts some video from the video group on the basis of that information, and distributes the video data of the some video to a user terminal connected via a network. When a user ID is provided from the user terminal, the center server extracts some related video relating to activity records which is described in play data so as to be associated with user IDs as the some video on the basis of the information about the “management item” and the activity records by using the user ID as a reference, and provides this information.

Methods and apparatus for monitoring video games are disclosed. Example video game monitors disclosed herein include a network analyzer to communicatively couple with a communication interface of a video game console, the network analyzer to detect communication packets transferred over the communication interface of the video game console. Disclosed example video game monitors also include a processor to decode the communication packets detected by the network analyzer to determine an identity of a game being played by the video game console, and report the identity of the game to a data collection facility.

User-involved battle development with strategic or tactical elements in a game is enabled. A method, implemented in a computer including a control unit, for providing a battle game in which a user repeatedly attacks and defends against an opponent using a plurality of objects placed in a plurality of areas arranged in a matrix, includes: a selection step of causing the user to select an area from the plurality of areas, and holding the area which has been already selected as a selected area; a first execution step of causing an object placed in the selected area, to execute a first action; a determination step of determining whether or not a combination of an already selected area and the currently selected area matches at least one line which is any of a row, a column, and a diagonal of the matrix; and a second execution step of causing an object to execute a second action, in the case where the determination step determines that the combination matches the at least one line.

The program stored in the non-transitory computer readable media causes the information processing device to execute a setting processing in which one or more parameters are set with respect to game content appearing in a game, and execute a simulation processing related to a predetermined battle game part using the game content, for which the one or more parameters are set by the setting processing, and user data that includes information on one of more of the game content set by the user playing the game, wherein optimal solutions for the one or more parameters are derived by repeatedly executing the simulation processing while changing (adjusting) the one or more parameters by the setting processing by way of an optimization problem that minimizes the difference between evaluation information retrieved based on the execution of the simulation process and target evaluation information.