Kudos scoring system with self-determined goals

Abstract

A scoring method and system for determining points in a game. Goal-based points are determined as a function of a player achieving a goal set by the player that is not predefined by the game and are used to determine the player's status in the game, such as whether the player advances to a next level. Subjective style points are awarded if the player performs feats of style that are not necessary tasks of the game, depend upon the type of game, and may include sliding, spinning, jumping, blocking an opponent, passing an opponent, and avoiding obstacles. Objective skill points may be combined with subjective style points and goal-based points. Alternatively, one of these three types of points may be modified as a function of one or both of the other two types of points.

The invention in which an exclusive right is claimed is defined by the following:  
     
         1 . A method of awarding subjective style feat points to a player in a game played using an electronic device, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) enabling a player to attempt to perform an action in the game in a stylish manner, wherein an action performed in a stylish manner comprises a style feat;    (b) detecting that a style feat has been initiated in a frame; and    (c) analyzing parameters indicative of the stylish manner in which the action is being performed by the player on a frame-by-frame basis, to determine a number of style feat points to be awarded to the player, the style feat points accumulated by the player over a plurality of frames for a style feat being reduced if the player continues performing the action in a manner that is not viewed as stylish in the game.    
     
     
         2 . A method of determining style feat points awarded to a player who is controlling a motion of a virtual entity that is moving in a game being played using an electronic device, comprising the steps of: 
 (a) enabling the player to control the virtual entity while the virtual entity is moving in the game, to attempt to control the motion in a stylish manner;    (b) detecting that the motion of the virtual entity in the stylish manner has been initiated in an initial frame;    (c) analyzing the motion of the virtual entity over successive frames after the initial frame, in a frame-by-frame manner until the style feat has terminated, using physical laws of motion, the motion of the virtual entity being analyzed to determine parameters associated with the motion that are indicative of a success of the player in controlling the motion in the stylish manner; and    (d) awarding style feat points to the player if the motion of the virtual entity being controlled by the player is determined to be stylish, based upon the parameters.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein if the step of analyzing determines that the motion of the virtual entity controlled by the player was stylish in a frame, adding at least one frame point to a total style feat points thus far accumulated by the player, and if not, not awarding any style feat points to the player for the frame.  
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising the step of determining whether at least one additional reward action has occurred in a frame, and if so, computing additional style feat points that are included with the total style feat points accumulated by the player.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein if it is determined that the style feat has terminated during a frame, the step of analyzing the parameters further evaluates changes in the parameters between the frame in which the style feat was initiated and a frame in which it is terminated, and based upon a result, determines if any additional style feat points should be added to a total number of style feat points accumulated by the player.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , further comprising the step of determining one of an increase and no change in the total number of style feat points accumulated, based on at least one of the following: 
 (a) a comparison between at least one physical parameter measured both in the frame in which the style feat was initiated and the frame in which the style feat was terminated; and    (b) a value of the at least one physical parameter measured in the frame in which the style feat was terminated.    
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein if it is determined that the style feat has terminated, determining whether at least one of the following has occurred before a predetermined delay time elapses: 
 (a) the player continues controlling the virtual entity in a manner that is not viewed as stylish in the game; and    (b) the player performs an additional reward action.    
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein if it is determined that the player has continued controlling the virtual entity in a manner that is not viewed as stylish in the game, setting the total number of style feat points accumulated since the frame in which style feat was initiated, to zero.  
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein if it has been determined that an additional reward action has been performed, increasing the total number of style feat points accumulated by the player.  
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the additional reward action is not necessarily a style feat.  
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein if the player successfully completes the additional reward action, the total number of style feat points accumulated is multiplied by a predefined multiplier.  
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 2 , wherein the style feat is not a necessary action, but is instead related to a subjective manner with which the motion associated with control of the virtual entity by the user is completed.  
     
     
         13 . A memory medium having machine executable instructions for carrying out the steps of  claim 2 .  
     
     
         14 . An electronic game system that enables a player to earn subjective style feat points, comprising: 
 (a) an input device that enables a player to control a virtual entity in a virtual game environment;    (b) a display for displaying the virtual game environment;    (c) a processor coupled to the input device and the display; and    (d) a memory coupled to the processor, the memory storing machine instructions causing the processor to: 
 (i) enable a player to control a virtual entity while the virtual entity is moving in the game, to attempt to control a motion in a stylish manner;  
 (ii) detect that the motion of the virtual entity in the stylish manner has been initiated in an initial frame;  
 (iii) analyze the motion of the virtual entity over successive frames after the initial frame, in a frame-by-frame manner until the style feat terminates, using physical laws of motion, the motion of the virtual entity being analyzed to determine parameters associated with the motion that are indicative of a success of a player in controlling the motion in the stylish manner; and  
 (iv) award style feat points to a player if the motion of the virtual entity being controlled by a player is determined to be stylish, based upon the parameters.  
   
     
     
         15 . The electronic game system of  claim 14 , wherein the input device that enables a player to control the virtual is adapted to enable a player to control the virtual entity in a stylish manner.  
     
     
         16 . The electronic game system of  claim 14 , wherein if the control of the virtual entity while the virtual entity is moving by a player was determined to be stylish in a frame, the machine instructions further cause the processor to add at least one frame point to a total style feat points thus far accumulated by a player, and if not, to award no style feat points to a player for the frame.  
     
     
         17 . The electronic game system of  claim 14 , wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to determine whether at least one additional reward action has occurred in a frame, and if so, to compute additional style feat points included in the total style feat points accumulated by a player.  
     
     
         18 . The electronic game system of  claim 14 , wherein if it is determined that the style feat has terminated during a frame, the machine instructions further cause the processor to evaluate changes in the parameters between the frame in which the style feat was initiated and a frame in which it was terminated, and based upon a result, to determine if any additional style feat points should be added to a total number of style feat points accumulated by a player.  
     
     
         19 . The electronic game system of  claim 18 , wherein the machine instructions further cause the processor to determine one of an increase and no change in the total number of style feat points accumulated, based on at least one of the following: 
 (a) a comparison between at least one physical parameter measured both in the frame in which the style feat was initiated and the frame in which the style feat was terminated; and    (b) a value of the at least one physical parameter measured in the frame in which the style feat was terminated.    
     
     
         20 . The electronic game system of  claim 14 , wherein if it is determined that the style feat has terminated, the machine instructions further cause the processor to determine whether at least one of the following has occurred before a predetermined delay time elapses: 
 (a) a player continues controlling the virtual entity in a manner that is not viewed as stylish in the game; and    (b) a player performs an additional reward action.    
     
     
         21 . The electronic game system of  claim 20 , wherein if it is determined that a player has continued controlling the virtual entity in a manner that is not viewed as stylish in the game, the machine instructions further cause the processor to set the total number of style feat points accumulated since the frame in which style feat was initiated, to zero.  
     
     
         22 . The electronic game system of  claim 20 , wherein if it is determined that an additional reward action has been performed, the machine instructions further cause the processor to increase the total number of style feat points accumulated by a player.  
     
     
         23 . The electronic game system of  claim 22 , wherein the additional reward action is not necessarily a style feat.  
     
     
         24 . The electronic game system of  claim 22 , wherein if a player successfully completes the additional reward action, the machine instructions further cause the processor to multiply the total number of style feat points accumulated by a predefined multiplier.  
     
     
         25 . The electronic game system of  claim 14 , wherein the style feat is not a necessary action, but is instead related to a subjective manner with which the motion associated with control of the virtual entity by the user is completed.