An exemplary posted information sharing system includes: a game processing unit configured to execute a multiplayer game application through a plurality of users each using a terminal; a group formation unit configured to form a playgroup for playing the game application, wherein the game processing unit includes: a group formation request unit configured to output, to the group formation unit, a playgroup formation request that specifies a group, according to input of the terminals, wherein the group formation unit is configured to form the users of terminals that specify the same group into a playgroup, based on the specified group.

Methods and apparatus for automatic game generation are described. The method may include receiving, from a first video game console, a first game play result of a first user playing a video game; receiving, from a second video game console, a second game play result of a second user playing the video game; producing, by comparing the first game play result with the second game play results, a message comprising a recommendation for the first user to improve a future game play result over the first game play result, wherein the message further references the second game play result; and communicating the recommendation to the first user.

A system and method for facilitating user voting for potential future game content in an online game are disclosed. Multiple sets of the potential future game content may be presented to users for voting. A user vote for a given set of the potential future game content may cost an amount of voting power associated with the user. The user may earn voting power by engaging in gameplays, making in-game purchases, and/or undertaking any other game-related actions desired by the provider(s) of the online game. A set of potential future game content may be selected based on votes received from the users. In some examples, rewards may be determined for distribution to the users based on the voting for the potential future game content.

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.

Enhanced methodology and apparatus for use in a multi-player video game for generating a array of user selectable options for choosing real or computer generated users to play with and/or compete against. For example, in a simulated multiple driver racing game application, the user of a computing device is presented with an option for selecting any of various ghost data packages for downloading over a communication network such as the Internet. For example, the user may be presented with the option of selecting one of an array of ghost data packages to race against such as the top five buddies of the user with highest scores, five buddies with scores similar to a user's own score, and teams/groups of various varieties. A simulated race in a computing device initially occurs with objects and a playing field of relatively low graphic complexity, limited by constraints of the system's processing power and the associated limited number of polygons that can be processed per second, the resolution of the screen, etc. A more powerful rendering of such objects/playing field thereafter takes place in a server after the ghost/performance data is collected and uploaded.

A game apparatus includes an input-output processor, and by following an instruction from the input-output processor, messages are transmitted and received with other game apparatus 12 connected via a network. The messages are transmitted and received in an electronic mail format, and has identification information of an application being a creation source of the message as well as general information, such as a transmission source, a destination and a subject as header information.

A ranking method and system for providing a ranking of a game friend. The method includes registering a game friend who has joined a game service. The method further includes calculating a ranking of the user with respect to a game friend based on a ranking inquiry request received from the user terminal, and providing the user terminal with the calculated ranking of the user. The user terminal drives a game service platform associated with a plurality of games and provides some information needed for automatic friend registration and the ranking inquiry request information through the game service platform.

A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for representing a resource object in a virtual environment are presented. To begin, a graphical user interface may be provided to a player. The graphical user interface may display a virtual environment that includes the resource object and a game object. A resource production event may be detected. The resource production event may be generated based on a resource production attribute that specifies that a quantity of resource units have been generated. Based on the detected resource production event, at least some portion of the quantity of generated resource units is allocated to the resource pool. Then, responsive to detecting a user initiated game action being applied to the game object, a determinable amount of resource units is removed from the resource pool.

Methods and apparatus for automatic game generation are described. The method may include collecting, by a hardware processor of a server over a network, first information associated with a first video game player, second information associated with a second video game player related to the first video game player, and a plurality of events that the first video game player and the second video game player have participated in. The method may also include creating a comparison tree for each of a plurality of event types associated with the plurality of events. The method may further include evaluating the comparison tree against a plurality of video game results to determine outcomes that are satisfied, and for each of the outcomes, generating a plurality of templates.

In an embodiment of a gaming method, an identifier may be received from a first gaming unit, wherein the identifier is associated with a tournament game card, wherein the tournament game card is provided to a player in response to paying a fee. Whether the identifier received from the first gaming unit is authentic may be determined. A duration the player may play in a tournament may be determined based on the identifier, and the first gaming unit may be enabled for play in the tournament for the duration if the identifier is authentic. A tournament score of the player may be received, and a winning player of the tournament, if any, may be determined. Data indicative of a value payout to be awarded to the winning player may be generated if the winning player of the tournament is determined.