Methods and systems are provided for fractionalizing non-fungible token (NFT) shares for digital game assets. The method includes generating a digital asset depicting a gaming event associated with a game. The method includes obtaining a non-fungible token (NFT) for the digital asset. The NFT is stored in a block chain with a reference to a storage location of said digital asset. The obtaining of the NFT includes instructions or parameters for fractionalizing said NFT. The fractionalizing of the NFT creates a set of shares of the NFT. The method includes assigning a share the NFT to a user of the online gaming system. The share is exchangeable among a community of users. The method includes tracking use of each of the set of shares of the NFT and applying a value indicator to each share by the online gaming system. The value indicator is indicative of a level of use of the share within the online gaming system.

A media appliance comprising: video apparatus for outputting signals to a screen; a control device allowing a user to control the output of signals from the video apparatus to the screen, thereby selecting a viewing activity; a network interface for accessing a packet-based network; a memory storing a communication client application; and processing apparatus, coupled to the memory, network interface and video apparatus, and arranged to execute the communication client application; wherein the client application is configured so as when executed to allow the user to conduct bidirectional communications with other users via the packet-based network, and output notifications to the user of incoming communication events received from other users over the packet-based network; and wherein the client application is further configured to defer one or more of said notifications of incoming communication events received during said viewing activity, determine a delineation in the viewing activity, and automatically output the one or more notifications to the user following said delineation.

An approach is provided for streaming of media streams (e.g., from a game console). In one implementation, a media stream that includes a secondary view of the game world may be generated at the game console. The secondary view may be of a lower-quality version of a primary view of the game world. The generation of the media stream may include: prefetching, to a cache of the game console, portions of the primary view and/or instructions for encoding the portions; and encoding, based on the prefetching, the portions to produce the secondary view. In another implementation, game play information may be executed to reproduce previous game play of a previous game session during a reproduction of the previous game session. Augmentation content may be added to the reproduced game session during the reproduction of the previous game session, creating an augmented game session having one or more views for streaming.

A computer-implemented method for online game streaming includes receiving a request from a remote client to access a user account. The request is received at a hosting service that includes one or more servers and identifies digital content including video games available to the user. Selection of a video game is received by the hosting service from the remote client. In response, the hosting service initiates a data rate test of the remote client to identify a maximum available data rate available between the remote client and one or more servers of the hosting service. The data rate test is performed to identify an active data rate for streaming interactive content of the video game. The method also includes assigning the remote client to a server and setting the compression level to attain the active data rate having packet loss and latency that is within a predefined acceptable level.

Methods and apparatus provide for executing an application program to control a game based on gameplay of a game player; receiving instructions from the game player and forwarding the instructions for controlling the game in order to manipulate the execution of the application program and to affect the game; setting respective viewpoints, from among a plurality of viewpoints, serving as bases for generating respective watching screens for viewing the game during gameplay of the game player, which viewpoints are offered to respective watching players, among a plurality of watching players, different from the game player; and deleting the at least one of the plurality of viewpoints to be the one of the respective positions of the one of the one or more objects when the one of the one or more objects disappears from view due to the gameplay of the game player.

One embodiment is directed to a system for enabling two or more users to interact within a virtual world comprising virtual world data, comprising a computer network comprising one or more computing devices, the one or more computing devices comprising memory, processing circuitry, and software stored at least in part in the memory and executable by the processing circuitry to process at least a portion of the virtual world data; wherein at least a first portion of the virtual world data originates from a first user virtual world local to a first user, and wherein the computer network is operable to transmit the first portion to a user device for presentation to a second user, such that the second user may experience the first portion from the location of the second user, such that aspects of the first user virtual world are effectively passed to the second user.

A method for dramatizing video gaming is disclosed. The method includes receiving over a network from a client device contextual data corresponding to game play of a player playing a gaming application. The method includes identifying an event of dramatic significance is occurring or likely will occur in the game play based on the contextual data and historical data of a plurality of game plays relating to the gaming application. The method includes generating information dramatizing the event of dramatic significance. The method includes surfacing the information in connection with the game play.

A game of a type progressing through presentation of physical game items is enabled to be held or watched online. A game watching system enables watching of a competitive game progressing through presentation of physical game items between players. The game watching system includes: a playing terminal that is associated with a player, and includes: an acquisition unit configured to acquire information on a physical game item of the player, a first display control unit configured to control displaying of information on a first display unit, and a first information communication unit; a watching terminal that is associated with a spectator, and includes: a second display control unit configured to control displaying of information on a second display unit, and a second information communication unit; and a connection device including a connection unit configured to establish communicable connection between a plurality of the playing terminals associated with players participating in the competitive game, and the watching terminal associated with the spectator of the competitive game. For the competitive game for which the communicable connection is established by the connection unit, the first display control unit of the playing terminal associated with each of the players participating causes the first display unit to display information on the physical game item acquired by the acquisition unit of the playing terminal associated with another one of the players participating, when progress of the competitive game reaches a predetermined stage, whereas the second display control unit of the watching terminal associated with the spectator of the competitive game causes the second display unit to display the information on the physical game item acquired by the acquisition unit of the playing terminals associated with the players participating, regardless of the progress of the competitive game.

Methods and systems are provided for displaying voice input of a spectator in a video game. The method includes receiving, by a server, the voice input produced by the spectator while viewing video game video of the video game. The method includes examining, by the server, the voice input to identify speech characteristics associated with the voice input of the spectator. The method includes processing, by the server, the voice input to generate a spectator video that includes text images representing the voice input of the spectator. In one embodiment, the text images are configured to be adjusted in visual appearance based on the speech characteristics of the voice input, wherein the text images are directed in a field of view of an avatar of the spectator. The method includes combining, by the server, video game video with the spectator video to produce an overlay of the text images graphically moving in toward a game scene provided by the video game video. The method includes sending, to a client device, a spectator video stream that includes the overlay of the text images.

An approach is provided for streaming of media streams (e.g., from a game console). In one implementation, a media stream that includes a secondary view of the game world may be generated at the game console. The secondary view may be of a lower-quality version of a primary view of the game world. The generation of the media stream may include: prefetching, to a cache of the game console, portions of the primary view and/or instructions for encoding the portions; and encoding, based on the prefetching, the portions to produce the secondary view. In another implementation, game play information may be executed to reproduce previous game play of a previous game session during a reproduction of the previous game session. Augmentation content may be added to the reproduced game session during the reproduction of the previous game session, creating an augmented game session having one or more views for streaming.