A system and method for capturing and sharing console gaming data is described. Embodiments capture gameplay data directly at the gaming console, without the need for external hardware. This allows users to easily capture rich console gaming experiences and share them across a variety of outlets. In one embodiment, the methods described herein can be implemented with a patch or driver on the operating system of the user device, rendering it unnecessary to heavily modify the source code of the game.

One or more hardware components identify a bottleneck stage within a processor pipeline that processes frames of a video stream. The bottleneck stage has a first clock. An upstream stage receives a feedback signal from the bottleneck stage. The upstream stage has a second clock and the feedback signal includes information as to time required by the bottleneck stage to operate on data and information as to time the data spent queued. The upstream stage adjusts the speed at which the upstream stage operates and queues data to approximate the speed at which the bottleneck stage is operating and queuing data.

An image generation unit generates image data to be displayed on an outputting apparatus. An acceptance unit accepts operation information of inputting units provided in an inputting apparatus. A sharing processing unit carries out, when the acceptance unit accepts operation information of particular one of the inputting units provided in the inputting apparatus, a process of sharing the image data generated by the image generation unit or information relating to the image data. The particular inputting unit provided in the inputting apparatus is used by a user to input operation information to system software of an information processing apparatus, and the sharing processing unit carries out the sharing process only when the acceptance unit accepts the operation information of the particular inputting unit.

A system and method of pausing a game in a cloud gaming system including playing a game on a first game computer included in the cloud gaming system, pausing the game at a selected point in the game and capturing game state data for the paused game. The paused game can be resumed by retrieving the game state data and applying the game state data to a selected game computer and resuming the game at the selected point in the game on the selected game computer.

A system and method are described for managing the state of an online video game. A method includes initiating a new online video game in response to user input from a client device, the online video game being in a first state on a first server when initiated; executing the online video game on the server, thereby causing the online video game to enter a second state; pausing or terminating the online video game; determining differences between the first state and the second state and generating difference data containing the differences; transmitting the difference data over a network to a second server; and recreating the second state from the difference data and the first state in response to user input indicating that the user wishes to resume the online video game and in response to the second server being selected as the server on which to execute the video game.

A video game system includes a video server system (VSS) having a first network address. The VSS pairs a game controller having a second network address with a display system having a third network address. The VSS receives controller data packets directed to the first network address from the game controller over a first communication channel. The controller data packets include the second network address and information for updating a game state of a video game. The VSS decodes the controller data packets and directs generation of an updated game state of the video game using information within the controller data packets. The VSS generates a video stream of the video game using the updated game state. The VSS transmits the video stream to the display system at the third network address over a second communication channel. The first and second communication channels differ by at least one network segment.

Methods and apparatus provide for: generating image data for an application to be displayed on an output device; recording the image data generated by the image generating unit; and receiving operation information from an input device, where the recording includes storing the image data for an application for a predetermined period of time up to the point in time at which operation information is received during the receiving operation information from a specific input unit provided in the input device while displaying an application image.

Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a gaming device configured to record gaming activity, a method of processing the recorded gaming activity to analyze player behavior, and a system including the gaming device. The gaming device may include a gaming display to display gaming events played on the gaming device by a player during a gaming session, a player interface panel including a plurality of gaming buttons and a game initiating button configured to initiate the gaming events, and a game processor configured to record each activity between the player and the gaming device, wherein each recorded activity is associated with a time stamp.

A data processing apparatus includes: receiving circuitry to receive game state information and associated user data for a plurality of previous interactive sessions of an interactive gaming application, the plurality of previous interactive sessions associated with a plurality of users, wherein for each previous interactive session, the user data is indicative of one or more properties for a given user during the previous interactive session and the game state information is indicative of one or more in-game properties during the previous interactive session; analysis circuitry to: generate user emotion data indicative of one or more user emotion categories in dependence upon the user data for the plurality of previous interactive sessions; detect a correspondence between a set of one or more in-game properties and a given user emotion category for at least a threshold number of interactive sessions; and generate a notification element comprising notification data indicative of the set of one or more in-game properties; and storage circuitry to store the notification element.

A system and method are described for managing the state of an online video game. A method includes initiating a new online video game in response to user input from a client device, the online video game being in a first state on a first server when initiated; executing the online video game on the server, thereby causing the online video game to enter a second state; pausing or terminating the online video game; determining differences between the first state and the second state and generating difference data containing the differences; transmitting the difference data over a network to a second server; and recreating the second state from the difference data and the first state in response to user input indicating that the user wishes to resume the online video game and in response to the second server being selected as the server on which to execute the video game.