It is an object of the present invention to provide a game apparatus and a game system in which a player who operates a game apparatus without having a game program can obtain the same benefit such as an item which is originally obtained through a communication play, when the game apparatus which does not have the game program downloads a part of the game program from a game apparatus which has the game program and performs the communication play with the game apparatus having the game program.

The object of the present invention is to enhance the gaming experience of a videogame by backing up a traditional game controller with an additional object, usable with additional controller functions, realized in the form of a material miniature, representative of the whole virtual gaming world, with which the player can physically interact, in order to modify the physics of the virtual gaming world, consequently influencing the events, in a non-deterministic way. This miniature is equipped with appropriate sensors, designed to detect and map various physical characteristics (movement, orientation in space, temperature, light, sound, magnetic fields, etc.) and to transmit any variations over time to a processing unit, able to dynamically convert, through suitable adaptation algorithms, said information into coherent variations of the physical characteristics simulated within the virtual gaming world, consequently modifying the gameplay experience itself. The physical miniature of the world is also equipped with a radiofrequency communication system, adapted to allow its communication with a suitable base, equipped with sensors as well. The possible actions/interactions of the player with the miniature, implemented in the physical world (unpredictable beforehand), are therefore detected through the sensors integrated into the system and appropriately processed and transmitted to an appropriate physics engine, integrated into the videogame, which deals with converting the variations of said parameters, detected by the system, into coherent variations of the corresponding physical parameters of the virtual world, thus influencing the gaming experience.

Methods and systems are provided for enabling a user of an online game to assemble a crew of additional crew members for accessing a content item after completing a goal with the crew. One example method includes sending, from the one or more servers to a client of a user, data for displaying a crew assembly dialog that includes a graphical user interface (GUI). The crew assembly dialog allowing the user to select crew members for assembling the crew for the online game. Sending, from the one or more servers in response to a selection made at the GUI, a help request directed to the at least one crew member for response from the at least one crew member. The method further includes assembling the crew based on the selection of the user for the at least one crew member and response of the at least one crew member to the help request. The assembling of the crew enables the user to make progress in the online game.

A sliding loop game with move constraints includes a playing field formed by intersecting strings and loops. Each loop is a self-connected chain of sites. Each string consists of a chain of sites. Both ends of a string are virtually connected in a loop via invisible connecting sites. Each site is occupied by a game object specifically marked by a color, pattern, character or characters, number, image, or any other identifying marks. Game objects in a loop or a string are moveable as a whole group along the respective sites in the loop or string. If the game object at the end-site of a string leaves the string, it reappears in the end-side at the other end of the string. Movement constraints are applied to the game objects by using master game objects. Hints on target positions of game objects and allowed movements directions are indicated on the playing field.

Provided is a method for controlling a computer and the like that cause players to effectively use possessed game contents in a game, and increase the attractiveness of the game. The computer includes a storage unit that stores one or more game contents possessed by a player and a game content group, the one or more game contents each having a parameter value, the game content group being composed by using at least one of the one or more game contents, and makes a game proceed based on an instruction from a player. The method includes the steps of modifying the parameter value of a common game content in the game content group possessed by the player and being the same type as the one or more game contents other than the game content group, and processing an event by using the game content group whose parameter value is modified.

A game control method, game server, and program can increase variations on methods for acquiring items, increase the predictability of acquisition of an item with a high rarity value or the like, and heighten interest in the game. Included are the steps of presenting a communication terminal, connected over a communication line, with acquirable item information that, for each item type, includes a total count and an acquisition count or a non-acquisition count of items when receiving, from the communication terminal, a request to present information related to items acquirable by the communication terminal, determining an item to provide to the communication terminal when receiving an item acquisition request from the communication terminal, and changing the acquirable item information when receiving a reset request from the communication terminal.

Aspects of this disclosure relate to rewarding users of an electronic game for real-world physical activity. Further aspects relate to altering virtual items based upon physical activity. An electronic game may comprise or otherwise relate to an online world (such as a Virtual World). Users may be represented through customized graphical representations, such as avatars. An account of a user (or entity) may be associated a virtual region. A threshold level of real-world physical activity may result in obtaining a reward that may be associated with a virtual item. A reward may be configured to result in: (1) altering visual appearance of a virtual item within a virtual region; (2) altering a virtual characteristic of a virtual item, such that the first user may engage in at least one additional virtual activity using that virtual item; and/or (3) acquiring a new virtual item for a virtual region.

Implementations of the present disclosure are directed to a method, a system, and an article for managing the use of global position information in a multi-player online game. An example computer-implemented method can include: identifying a number of random events for which each random event has a plurality of possible outcomes and each possible outcome has a respective probability of occurrence for each random event; selecting a first possible outcome from the plurality of possible outcomes; determining a probability distribution for the first possible outcome that defines a relationship between (i) a number of occurrences of the first possible outcome in the number of random events and (ii) a range of probabilities; selecting a first probability from the range of probabilities; and determining the number of occurrences of the first possible outcome based on the probability distribution and the selected first probability.

A method of incentivizing location-based actions by groups is disclosed. A group of users of a game networking system is notified that an incentive reward is to be provided based on a number of members of the group performing a location-based action transgressing a threshold. The incentive reward is provided based on the number of members of the group performing the location-based action transgressing the threshold.

Acquiring an interactive digital content item including a plurality of content portions includes receiving a first set of the content portions that is less than an entirety of the content portions. A partial functionality version of the interactive digital content item is presented using the first set of content portions. A second set of the content portions is received while the partial functionality version of the interactive digital content item is presented. Functionality is added to the partial functionality version of the interactive digital content item using the second set of content portions without interrupting presentation of the partial functionality version of the interactive digital content item.