Provided are an apparatus and a method of providing information about interaction between users, the method including obtaining, from a stored game log, statistical information related to a certain interaction event that occurred between a user and another user; displaying an interface that displays another user who has had most occurrences of the certain interaction event with the user, based on the statistical information; and displaying at least one other user in an order from a greatest number of times the certain interaction event occurred with the user, based on a user input of expanding the interface.

A matchmaking system matches players for online gaming, when some of the players may be human players and others may be simulated players. The matchmaking system may determine a first skill score associated with a first player for an online game, determine a behavior simulation model for a simulated player is available for the online game, determine a second skill score associated with the behavior simulation model for the online game, and determine the behavior simulation model matches with the first player based at on the first skill score being within a threshold of the second skill score. The matchmaking system may then instantiate a simulated player based on the behavior simulation model and instantiate the online game with the first player and the simulated player.

When a server executes control processing related to a matching match-up using player characters as matched player characters between matched players determined by matching processing, when interference from a matched player character to another matched player character occurs, the server executes parameter control processing with respect to the matched player character having been subjected to the interference in accordance with the interference and executes parameter control disabling processing of disabling control of a parameter value in accordance with the interference by a player character of an unmatched player to the matched player character.

The server performs the ranking determination process for determining the ranking of each player based on the variable information stored in a given timing, the specific player specifying process specifying a player who satisfies a given condition for the determined ranking of each player as a specific player, and the information providing process for providing the player-related information of the specific player stored in a player information storage and identification information for identifying the specified player from other players, to the terminal device concerned, in association with each other.

A system, method, and computer program product for collaborative online gaming, including at least one of providing a central repository master browser system; providing an experience calibrated match-making service; providing a dynamic multiplayer server component auto deployment and aggregation system; providing a lobby centric simultaneous and collaborative client game play launching feature; and providing a video game screen over-layer technology giving users access to a control interface while inside a video game being played.

A method of incentivizing location-based actions by groups is disclosed. A group of users of a game networking system is notified that an incentive reward is to be provided based on a number of members of the group performing a location-based action transgressing a threshold. The incentive reward is provided based on the number of members of the group performing the location-based action transgressing the threshold.

Techniques for recommending and establishing connections between users within a gaming social network, designed for connecting users having common gaming interests or characteristics. Embodiments include methods for recommending connections from members of an out-of-game social network, the gaming social network, and gaming activity participants; evaluating user profile information and user characteristics in a gaming social network and gaming activity in a game networking system to determine an appropriate set of connections for a selected user; and presenting graphical user interface content and configurations to enable the suggestion, review, and accepting of recommended connections in the gaming social network.

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.

Targeted recommendations may be provided to specific user segments. The users may be segmented on or more user parameters that facilitate targeted provision of recommendations to the individual segments of users. A recommendation may prompt a user to take a recommended action in the game.

Real time interactive networked gaming is provided with two different classes of bookmarked online game players: “Friends” and “Rivals.” “Friends” are game players that are known personally. “Rivals” are game players who are not known personally but whom one has played against in the past in an online gaming scenario. Game software may allow chatting or other direct communication with “Friends” but not with “Rivals.” Rivals may be tracked to a limited degree so that for example it is possible to play against the Rival when he or she is online. Rivals may for example be players who you wish to track or keep track of, but in a manner that is safe for both you and the “rival.” When a player goes online again, he or she can see whether his or her Rivals are online and invite them to play another game. Inviting Rivals to play may be selectable, so an online player can invite Friends, Rivals or both to play.