Embodiments described herein provide an apparatus comprising a processor to receive, from a gaming/anti-cheating server, a message comprising a first pixel data set comprising first pixel data for one or more pixels of a watermark generated by the gaming/anti-cheating server, store the first pixel data set in the machine-readable memory, receive, from a gaming system, a frame buffer rendered by the gaming system and comprising the watermark generated by the gaming/anti-cheating server, isolate, from the frame buffer, a second pixel data set comprising second pixel data for one or more pixels corresponding to the first pixel set, and forward an alert to the gaming/anti-cheating server when the second pixel data differs from the first pixel data by an amount that exceeds a threshold. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

Various embodiments of the invention disclosed herein provide techniques for extending on-screen gameplay via an augmented reality (AR) system. An extended AR application executing on an AR headset system receives, via a game controller, first data associated with a first object associated with a computer-generated game. The extended AR application renders an augmented reality object based on the first data associated with the first object. The extended AR application displays at least a first portion of the augmented reality object via an augmented reality headset system. Further, an image associated with the computer-generated game is simultaneously rendered on a display monitor

Systems and methods for executing content to be rendered on a screen of a head mounted display (HMD) are provided. One method includes executing the content to render interactive scenes on the screen and tracking an orientation direction of the HMD when worn on a head of a user and the interactive scenes are being rendered on the screen. The method includes changing view directions into the interactive scenes based on changes in the orientation direction of the HMD, such that movements of the head of the user causes the changes in the view directions into the interactive scenes. The method further includes receiving images of a real world space using a camera of the HMD. The camera of the HMD is configured to capture a location of real world objects in the real world space relative to the user of the HMD. The method includes detecting that at least one real world object is becoming proximate to the user of the HMD and generating a warning or message to be presented to the HMD, the warning or message indicating that the user is likely to bump or contact the at least one real world object. The method further includes transitioning at least a portion of the screen to a transparent mode. The transparent mode provides at least a partial view into the real world space using the camera of the HMD.

A non-limiting example game apparatus includes a display device, and a game screen is displayed on the display device. For example, a player character, a non-player character, a background object, etc. are displayed in the game screen. When finishing the drawing of a game image corresponding to the game screen, the smallest value of a Z value is acquired from a Z buffer. If the smallest value is less than a predetermined threshold value, when drawing a game image of a next frame, a target object that is near to a virtual camera is detected, and transparency of the target object that is nearer than a predetermined criterion is made to be increased.

Systems and methods for generating a performance heatmap that accounts for barriers, playable areas and non-playable areas are disclosed. The system applies a blur operation to a performance heatmap associated with a game map to generate a blurred heatmap, the heatmap having a plurality of pixels, where at least a portion of the pixels is associated with one or more values corresponding to one or more performance metrics. A mask representative of a top down image of the game map is generated, where the mask defines first areas that are accessible to players and second areas that are not accessible to players. A data structure is defined having nm elements, wherein each of the nm elements has a weight associated therewith based on an association of the data structure and mask. The blurring operation is executed on the heatmap using the data structure.

A server sets a game field to a first game area and a second game area in accordance with a progress status of a game, executes display mode control processing of controlling display modes of a first player character who is present in the first game area and a second player character who is present in the second game area, generates image data which visualizes the inside of a virtual space as a game image, which includes a controlled display mode of each player character, and which is for providing a terminal with the game image, wherein in the display mode control processing, the server causes a terminal of a first player to display the second player character in a first display mode, and causes a terminal of a second player to display the first player character in a second display mode that differs from the first display mode.

Embodiments described herein provide an apparatus comprising a processor to receive, from a gaming/anti-cheating server, a message comprising a first pixel data set comprising first pixel data for one or more pixels of a watermark generated by the gaming/anti-cheating server, store the first pixel data set in the machine-readable memory, receive, from a gaming system, a frame buffer rendered by the gaming system and comprising the watermark generated by the gaming/anti-cheating server, isolate, from the frame buffer, a second pixel data set comprising second pixel data for one or more pixels corresponding to the first pixel set, and forward an alert to the gaming/anti-cheating server when the second pixel data differs from the first pixel data by an amount that exceeds a threshold. Other embodiments may be described and claimed.

A server determines, for each player, whether or not a sanction as a sanction target player is to be imposed based on a state or an action of an operation target player character of the player concerned, and when it is determined that the sanction is to be imposed, executes sanction control processing of providing a terminal owned by a player who differs from the sanction target player with player-related information of the sanction target player as the sanction.

A method for managing a multi-user animation platform is disclosed. A three-dimensional space within a computer memory is modeled. An avatar of a client is located within the three-dimensional space, the avatar being graphically represented by a three-dimensional figure within the three-dimensional space. The avatar is responsive to client input commands, and the three-dimensional figure includes a graphical representation of client activity. The client input commands are monitored to determine client activity. The graphical representation of client activity is then altered according to an inactivity scheme when client input commands are not detected. Following a predetermined period of client inactivity, the inactivity scheme varies non-repetitively with time.

Embodiments described herein include a method for authoring content for display using an optical system comprising one or more optical elements defining a field of view relative to an optical reference point. The method comprises arranging a virtual object at a first location within an authoring environment. The virtual object is configured to be included in imagery displayed by one or more display devices of the optical system to appear in a focal plane within the field of view. The method further comprises determining, using one or more viewer parameters that control a positioning of the virtual object on the one or more display devices, that a viewer may experience discomfort when viewing the virtual object at the first location. The method further comprises displaying an alert responsive to determining that the viewer may experience discomfort.