User action data characterizing action by a player in a game environment executing at a user client is received at a server. The game environment is created by the user client separate from the server. Data characterizing a selected viewing position is received. The selected viewing position is different than a player viewing position. The selected viewing position characterizes a viewing location within the game environment. A recreated game environment is generated from the user action data at the server. A video stream of the recreated game environment is generated. The video stream includes video from a perspective of the selected viewing position. The video stream is transmitted to a viewing client. Related apparatus, systems, articles, and techniques are also described.

A mobile device is configured as a point and shoot type weapon for gaming, training, or the like. Utilizing the mobile device based weapon, such as a smart phone for example, a user thereof can simply aim the mobile device at a target and shoot. Shooting may be accomplished by tapping the mobile device, activating a button or soft key on the mobile device, making a gesture (e.g., moving a finger as if a trigger is being pulled), providing an audible command (e.g., “shoot”), or the like.

There is provided an image processing apparatus including circuitry configured to acquire first authentication data from a first object and second authentication data from a second object, determine authenticity of the first object based on the first authentication data, determine authenticity of the second object based on the second authentication data, and change activation states of both the first object and the second object based on the determined authenticities of both the first object and the second object. When the determined authenticities of both the first object and the second object are determined to be authentic, the circuitry is further configured to change the activation states of both the first object and the second object.

The live toy system as described affords a user with an experience of interacting with a physical toy as if it were a live toy by communicating and interacting with the toy and its game version (avatar) via a game application. Unlike other products, the system provides a near identical or virtual representation of the physical toy in the online application. The online application provides a virtual world and/or game environment in which the game avatar exists and participates in part by input received from the user. Some of this input is provided to the physical toy from the user who can affect the appearance or behavior of the game avatar. The user can play and interact with both their physical toy in the real world and its game avatar in an online world—which provides an experience of a single live toy for the user.

Systems and methods for updating content of a mobile video game allow for mobile communication devices to receive updated content for video games that operate on the devices. The updates may be promotional in nature, and may be pre-selected based on the device type, service, or service provider. The game may contain instructions that cause the mobile communication device to contact an interface and/or server to receive updated content. After the updated content is received by the mobile communication device, the content may be displayed in-game. The user of the mobile communication device may be provided with one or more options that affect the frequency or ability to receive or display updated content. In addition, the server may track what content has already been received by the mobile communication device.

The virtual location of a player in a location-based game is determined from the real-world location of the player's client device. The location-based game provides the player access to one or more chat room based on their location. To determine the locations of chat room, a server analyzes player locations in a geographic region, clusters player locations to identify centroids, and adjusts the clusters based on constraints. The server selects chat room locations (e.g., at points of interest) to more evenly balance the number of players in each chat room while complying with one or more restraints on the size of the geographic area served by each chat room.

The live toy system as described affords a user with an experience of interacting with a physical toy as if it were a live toy by communicating and interacting with the toy and its game version (avatar) via a game application. Unlike other products, the system provides a near identical or virtual representation of the physical toy in the online application. The online application provides a virtual world and/or game environment in which the game avatar exists and participates in part by input received from the user. Some of this input is provided to the physical toy from the user who can affect the appearance or behavior of the game avatar. The user can play and interact with both their physical toy in the real world and its game avatar in an online world—which provides an experience of a single live toy for the user.

Handheld location based games are provided in which a user's physical location correlates to the virtual location of a virtual character on a virtual playfield.

Augmented Reality (AR) systems are provided in which video game indicia are overlaid onto .a user's physical environment. A landscape detector is provided that may obtain information about the user's landscape, in addition to the user's location, in order to provide overlaying information to an AR head-mounted display and control information to non-user controlled video game characters.

A method of and system for handling latency issues encountered in producing real-time entertainment such as games of skill synchronized with live or taped televised events is described herein. There are multiple situations that are dealt with regarding latencies in receiving a television signal with respect to real-time entertainment based on the unfolding games played along with the telecasts. Systemic delays, arbitrarily imposed delays of a broadcast signal and variances in the precise broadcast times of taped television programs have to be equalized so as to provide fair entertainment.

A method of and system for handling latency issues encountered in producing real-time entertainment such as games of skill synchronized with live or taped televised events is described herein. There are multiple situations that are dealt with regarding latencies in receiving a television signal with respect to real-time entertainment based on the unfolding games played along with the telecasts. Systemic delays, arbitrarily imposed delays of a broadcast signal and variances in the precise broadcast times of taped television programs have to be equalized so as to provide fair entertainment.