The present invention relates to an application that is configured to be operated in a multi-participant environment on a computer network. The application manages participants in an online session of a multi-user application so that if one of the participants exits the session, the session can continue without interruption. The application initiates an online session of the multi-user application, wherein the online session includes two or more participants comprised of network computers that are communicatively linked to a computer network. If the application detects that a first participant has disconnected from the online session, wherein the first participant is responsible for managing certain managerial functionality associated with the running of the multi-user application, then the application broadcasts a notification to existing participants of the online session over the communication network, thereby notifying the existing participants that the first participant has disconnected from the online session. The initiating application then re-assigns the functionality associated with the first participant to an existing participant of the online session. The participants can be communicating in a peer-to-peer arrangement or can be performing server duties in a client-server arrangement.

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a device that can receive a parental control signal that designates undesired content, determine when a restricted user is interacting with a gaming software application, and modify a presentation of the gaming software application to remove the undesired content when the restricted user is interacting with the gaming software application. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Embodiments of the present disclosure provide for systems and methods for generating a platform-agnostic game shortcut that, upon selection, automatically launches a cloud gaming game instance of a game. In operation, a computing device may receive user credentials associated with a user account of a cloud gaming server, as well as user credentials associated with a user account of a gaining platform hosted on the cloud gaming server. The computing device may bind the user account of the cloud gaming server to the user account of the gaining platform using the received user credentials. Responsive to receiving a selection of a game associated with the gaming platform, the computing device may generate a platform-agnostic game shortcut of the selected game. Responsive to selecting the platform-agnostic game shortcut, the computing device may automatically launch a cloud gaming game instance of the game.

A non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having instructions stored therein causes at least one processor of a game apparatus to: communicate with a distribution system configured to distribute videos to a plurality of terminal apparatuses; progress a computer game; generate, based on a progress of the computer game, video information that is used to play a video of the computer game indicating a state of a virtual space of the computer game; supply a distribution video based on the video information to the distribution system; acquire spectator information from the distribution system, the spectator information relating to at least one spectator apparatus that is a part of the plurality of terminal apparatuses, and receives the distribution video from the distribution system; and control content of an advertisement to be displayed in the virtual space, based on the spectator information.

Methods, systems, and computer programs are provided for identifying an abusive player in a game. One method includes receiving gameplay data for a player during gameplay of the game. The method includes processing a plurality of game mechanics of the game as the player provides input for one or more of said plurality of game mechanics. The method includes processing abusive action scores for each of the plurality of game mechanics. The abusive action scores have a number of tagged actions that are inconsistent with predefined use of said plurality of game mechanics based a game context of the gameplay of the game. The method includes qualifying the player as abusive in regard to one or more of the plurality of game mechanics based on one or more of the abusive actions scores exceeding a threshold during a session of the gameplay of the game.

A method performed by at least one server computer is provided, including: during interactive gameplay of a multi-player video game, processing game state data to identify gameplay activity of a player as being abusive; responsive to the identifying the gameplay activity as being abusive, then applying a corrective action to the player during the interactive gameplay, the corrective action providing an indication to the player of the gameplay activity that was identified as being abusive; after applying the corrective action, further processing the game state data to identify additional gameplay activity of the player as being abusive; responsive to the identifying the additional gameplay activity as being abusive, then applying a penalty to the player.

Disclosed herein are a method of providing a game based on the security level of a terminal and an apparatus for performing the same. The method of providing a game based on the security level of a terminal includes: when a user accesses a game using a terminal, checking the security level of the terminal for the account of the user; and determining whether to allow the disposal of in-game goods according to the found security level, but providing the game so that the game can be played regardless of the found security level.

Embodiments include a system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, detecting a current trigger during a video game and determining a group of players involved in the current trigger. Further embodiments include recording a trigger clip of game content for each player in the group of players resulting in a group of trigger clips. Each trigger clip of the group of trigger clips is a portion of game content that includes the current trigger from a perspective of each player of the group of players. Additional embodiments include providing the group of trigger clips to a group of gaming devices over a communication network. Each gaming device of the group of gaming devices is associated with one player of the group of players. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Systems and methods for modifying game assets based on tradeable items that are associated with user accounts of users of an online gaming platform are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: store item information, asset information, user inventories, item-account connections, and item-asset connections, obtain first item identifier, of first tradeable item from a client computing platform of a second user; obtain, by the first item identifier, first modification information; obtain second user information; link the first tradeable item with the second user account, establishing a second item-account connection; store the second item-account connection; receive, from the client computing platform, indication of a selection of a second game asset to be modified based on the first modification information, establishing a second item-asset connection; record the second item-asset connection; perform second modification, based on the first modification information, of the second attribute information; and adjust a first modification of first attribute information of a first game asset.

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.