The present invention relates to an application that is configured to be operated in a multi-participant environment on a computer network. The application manages participants in an online session of a multi-user application so that if one of the participants exits the session, the session can continue without interruption. The application initiates an online session of the multi-user application, wherein the online session includes two or more participants comprised of network computers that are communicatively linked to a computer network. If the application detects that a first participant has disconnected from the online session, wherein the first participant is responsible for managing certain managerial functionality associated with the running of the multi-user application, then the application broadcasts a notification to existing participants of the online session over the communication network, thereby notifying the existing participants that the first participant has disconnected from the online session. The initiating application then re-assigns the functionality associated with the first participant to an existing participant of the online session. The participants can be communicating in a peer-to-peer arrangement or can be performing server duties in a client-server arrangement.

A method and device for computing a path in a game scene according to embodiments of the present disclosure, comprising: dividing the game scene into a plurality of first areas; dividing each of the first areas into a plurality of convex polygons, based on features of the game scene; combining adjacent convex polygons into a plurality of second areas; computing a first path from a first point to a second point, said first path passing through a group of second areas of said plurality of second areas; and computing, based on the first path, a second path from the first point to the second point, said second path passing through a group of convex polygons of said group of second areas.

A player profile management system collects player data from various systems and generates and manages player profiles. A snapshot pipeline of the player profile management system generates a snapshot player profile associated with a player. The player profile management system receives, after generating the snapshot player profile associated with the player, player data associated with the player. An update pipeline of the player profile management system generates, based on the snapshot player profile and the player data associated with the player, an update player profile associated with the player.

A method of and system for handling latency issues encountered in producing real-time entertainment such as games of skill synchronized with live or taped televised events is described herein. There are multiple situations that are dealt with regarding latencies in receiving a television signal with respect to real-time entertainment based on the unfolding games played along with the telecasts. Systemic delays, arbitrarily imposed delays of a broadcast signal and variances in the precise broadcast times of taped television programs have to be equalized so as to provide fair entertainment.

A method is disclosed including setting, at a server, a server VSYNC signal to a server VSYNC frequency defining a plurality of frame periods. The server VSYNC signal corresponding to generation of a plurality of video frames at the server during the plurality of frame periods. The method including setting, at a client, a client VSYNC signal to a client VSYNC frequency. The method including sending a plurality of compressed video frames based on the plurality of video frames from the server to the client over a network using the server VSYNC signal. The method including decoding and displaying, at the client, the plurality of compressed video frames. The method including analyzing the timing of one or more client operations to set the amount of frame buffering used by the client, as the client receives the plurality of compressed video frames.

Systems and methods for generating and storing metrics are described herein. In particular, a game server may receive game activity data from one or more client devices connected to the game server via a network. The game server sends the activity data to an anticheat server that uses one or more nodes to each calculate a portion of the activity data to generate one or more metrics. The metrics may indicate whether the data is indicative of cheating behavior within a parallel reality game. The nodes add their respective generated metrics to a relational database using prepared insert statements. The anticheat server may instruct the game server to take action with respect to one or more client devices if the metrics indicate that cheating behavior was exhibited within the data.

Systems and methods for reducing latency through motion estimation and compensation techniques are disclosed. The systems and methods include a client device that uses transmitted lookup tables from a remote server to match user input to motion vectors, and tag and sum those motion vectors. When a remote server transmits encoded video frames to the client, the client decodes those video frames and applies the summed motion vectors to the decoded frames to estimate motion in those frames. In certain embodiments, the systems and methods generate motion vectors at a server based on predetermined criteria and transmit the generated motion vectors and one or more invalidators to a client, which caches those motion vectors and invalidators. The server instructs the client to receive input from a user, and use that input to match to cached motion vectors or invalidators. Based on that comparison, the client then applies the matched motion vectors or invalidators to effect motion compensation in a graphic interface. In other embodiments, the systems and methods cache repetitive motion vectors at a server, which transmits a previously generated motion vector library to a client. The client stores the motion vector library, and monitors for user input data. The server instructs the client to calculate a motion estimate from the input data and instructs the client to update the stored motion vector library based on the input data, so that the client applies the stored motion vector library to initiate motion in a graphic interface prior to receiving actual motion vector data from the server. In this manner, latency in video data streams is reduced.

Methods and systems are provided for processing video games streamed from a cloud gaming system over a network. The method includes receiving an indication of selection of the video game, for a gaming session, through a user interface associated with a streaming device that is connected to a display screen via a pass-through device. The method includes receiving a signal that the gaming session is active, from a game streaming logic of the pass-through device. In one embodiment, the game streaming logic is configured to receive a compressed stream of the video game, decode the compressed stream of the video game, and provide image data for rendering by the display screen, and receiving user input by the game streaming logic for driving interactivity of the video game while said cloud gaming system executes said video game.

Methods, systems, and computer readable media for predictive preloading of game data are described. In some implementations, a method can include using a machine learning model of player data to predict which games (or game-related data assets) to begin preloading prior to a user making a game selection. Once the user makes a selection, any preloading not related to the selection can be terminated. Thus, during the time period when the user is viewing available game selections, a given number of selections can begin to be preloaded based on predictions from the machine learning model. The preloading can help reduce latency from game selection by the user to game start time.

A player profile management system collects player data from various systems and generates and manages player profiles. A snapshot pipeline of the player profile management system generates a snapshot player profile associated with a player. The player profile management system receives, after generating the snapshot player profile associated with the player, player data associated with the player. An update pipeline of the player profile management system generates, based on the snapshot player profile and the player data associated with the player, an update player profile associated with the player.