A network game system of high interest in which a contingency and/or unpredictability intervenes in a data exchange between players in a network game is provided. When a map item and a character are selected, a game apparatus transmits a data exchange request and character information to a server apparatus. The received character information is stored in a character management table of the server apparatus. When a predetermined time elapses after the data exchange request, other-character information is specified, and the character management table is updated. The other-character information is transmitted to the game apparatus, and the game apparatus updates each table based on the received information.

A game system includes a plurality of pedometers. The plurality of step count data respectively counted by the plurality of pedometers are acquired in the game apparatus. In the game apparatus, by utilizing the plurality of step count data, a predetermined arithmetic operation is executed, and the result of the arithmetic operation is reflected on the game. Alternatively, in a server, a predetermined arithmetic operation is executed by utilizing the plurality of step count data, and the result of the arithmetic operation is reflected on the game in the game apparatus. For example, game processing depending on the number of players walking in the same time slot is executed, or game processing according to the totalized value of the accumulated total step count values of the plurality of pedometers is executed.

Embodiments of the invention relate to systems and methods for multi-player gaming. Some embodiments relate to systems having an improved communications infrastructure and improved handheld game controllers, while other embodiments relate to improvements in handling large numbers of players in the multi-player game when played in a game arena with a single large display screen showing the multi-player game images. In one particular embodiment, a system is provided that has a game server controlling a display system to display the multi-player game on the large screen and a plurality of game controllers. Each game controller has a secondary display means for providing a secondary game display and input means for receiving player input. The system further comprises communication means for enabling communication between the game server and each of the plurality of game controllers. The plurality of game controllers are located in proximity to the large display screen such that it is visible to game players manipulating the game controllers while playing the multi-player game.

Handheld location based games are provided in which a user's physical location correlates to the virtual location of a virtual character on a virtual playfield. Augmented Reality (AR) systems are provided in which video game indicia are overlaid onto a user's physical environment. A landscape detector is provided that may obtain information about a user's landscape, in addition to the user's location, in order to provide overlaying information to an AR head-mounted display and control information to non-user controlled video game characters.

Methods and devices are presented for facilitating anonymous gameplay in multi-state, multiplayer games, such as poker. A gaming server may allow players to anonymously join instances of a game. The gaming server may represent an anonymous player to himself or herself using a non-anonymous alias, while the gaming server may represent the anonymous player to the other players or entities using an anonymous alias. Additionally, the gaming server may record events occurring in the game, and provide similarly anonymized versions of these events to other players and entities.

A method for use in presenting content includes the steps of generating an event in a software program and presenting content to a user in response to the event. The content may reflect one or more real-world events occurring after the software program has been released.

An example network server computer includes communication circuitry configured for internet communication with electronic devices; memory configured to store friend lists for respective users and user data comprising status data for respective users; and a processor configured to control the network server computer to perform operations including: receiving, via the communication circuitry, status data including activity information indicative of current activities of users of two or more electronic devices; updating the user data based on the received status data; and providing, to a user, status data indicative of respective current activities of one or more friends on the friend list of the user even if the current activities of the user and the one or more friends are different.

An example network server computer includes communication circuitry configured for communication with electronic devices of users; memory; and a processor configured to control the network server computer to at least receive, via the communication circuitry, from electronic devices of users, user profiles and user preferences for respective users and store, in the memory, the received user profiles and user preferences; and provide access to user profiles in response to access requests received, via the communication circuitry, from electronic devices of user. Access to each respective user's user profile is controlled in accordance with one or more of the user preferences of the respective user, and the one or more user preferences comprise a first preference setting for allowing all other users to access the user's user profile and a second preference setting for allowing only friends on the user's friend list to access the user's user profile.

Provided is a networked game system of high interest in which a contingency and/or unpredictability intervenes in a data exchange between players in a networked game. When a map item and a character are selected, a game apparatus transmits a data exchange request and character information to a server apparatus. The received character information is stored in a character management table of the server apparatus. When a predetermined time elapses after the data exchange request, other-character information is specified, and the character management table is updated. The other-character information is transmitted to the game apparatus, and the game apparatus updates each table based on the received information.

Systems, methods, and instrumentalities are disclosed to establish an interface between a player of an application (such as an online game) and a spectator viewing the application such that the spectator provides at least one commentary (such as an audio or written message). The commentary may be synchronized with a temporal location in media associated with the application. The player may set criteria for the type of commentary to be received, as well as timing. The commentary may be filtered, wherein, if the commentary satisfies the filter conditions, the commentary is provided to the player. A discovery mechanism may allow spectators, players, and users of a social network who may watch a game offline to find comments relevant to the game. Players may be able to filter comments from individual spectators or from groups (e.g., types or classes) of spectators.