Live Game Lobby

Abstract

A three-dimensional rendering of a game space for a first instance of a game is displayed. The first instance of the game requests position information of avatars in game spaces of other instances of the game. Position information and a player identification for an avatar in another instance of the game is received. A position object is generated based on the position information and player identification, the position object being unable to interact with other objects in the first instance of the game. A graphical representation of the position object is displayed in the three-dimensional rendering of the game space of the first instance of the game, the graphical representation of the position object being positioned in the three-dimensional rendering of the game space based on the received position information.

1 . A method comprising:
 initiating game play in a first instance of a game for a first player;   receiving position information indicating the position of an avatar associated with a second player in a second instance of the game, the first instance and the second instance being separate such that the avatar associated with the second player cannot affect objects in the first instance of the game;   creating a virtual avatar for the second player in the first instance of the game, the virtual avatar such that the virtual avatar cannot affect objects in the first instance of the game; and   rendering a graphical representation of the virtual avatar in a three-dimensional space in the first instance of the game at a position that is based on the position information for the avatar associated with the second player in the second instance of the game.   
   
   
       2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving an indication from the first player that the second player is to be invited to play in the first instance of the game;   receiving an indication that the second player has accepted the invitation; and   updating game state information for the first instance of the game to include the avatar for the second player.   
   
   
       3 . The method of  claim 2  wherein updating the game state information comprises updating the game state information with the properties of the avatar for the second player in the second instance of the game. 
   
   
       4 . The method of  claim 3  further comprising providing game state information for the first instance of the game to synchronize the game state of the second instance of the game to the game state of the first instance of the game and to thereby allow the avatar for the second player to interact with objects in the first instance of the game. 
   
   
       5 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising providing position information for an avatar associated with the first player in the first instance of the game to allow a graphical representation of the first player to appear in the second instance of the game, the graphical representation such that it cannot affect objects in the second instance of the game. 
   
   
       6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the graphical representation of the virtual avatar comprises a picture of the second player that is different from the avatar associated with the second player. 
   
   
       7 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving an indication from the first player that they would like to join the second instance of the game;   receiving an indication that the second player will allow the first player to join the second instance of the game;   saving game state information for the first instance of the game; and   loading game state information to reflect the game state of the second instance of the game with the avatar associated with the first player positioned in the second instance of the game.   
   
   
       8 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:
 receiving position information for a first avatar in a first instance of a game being played on a first machine, the first avatar associated with a first player;   receiving position information for a second avatar in a second instance of the game being played on a second machine, the second avatar associated with a second player, the first instance and the second instance being separate such that the second avatar cannot interact with objects in the first instance;   providing the position information for the first avatar to the second machine; and   receiving an indication that the first avatar has been added to a game state of the second instance of the game and a game state of the first instance of the game has been synchronized to the game state of the second instance of the game.   
   
   
       9 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 8  wherein providing the position information for the first avatar comprises determining that the first player is in a playgroup for the second player. 
   
   
       10 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 9  wherein determining that the first player is in a playgroup for the second player comprises determining at least one fact from a group of facts comprising: that the first player is in the second player's friends list; that the first machine is within a geographic threshold of the second machine; that the first player and the second player are of comparable skill levels, and that the first player and the second player engage in the same type of in-game activities. 
   
   
       11 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 10  further comprising receiving attributes of the first avatar and attributes of the second avatar. 
   
   
       12 . A computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing steps comprising:
 displaying a three-dimensional rendering of a game space for a first instance of a game;   requesting position information of avatars in game spaces of other instances of the game;   receiving position information and a player identification for an avatar in another instance of the game, the player identification identifying a second player;   generating a position object based on the position information and player identification, the position object being unable to interact with other objects in the first instance of the game; and   displaying a graphical representation of the position object in the three-dimensional rendering of the game space of the first instance of the game, the graphical representation of the position object being positioned in the three-dimensional rendering of the game space based on the received position information.   
   
   
       13 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 12  wherein rendering a graphical representation of the position object comprises rendering the graphical representation even though a graphical representation of another object is rendered in at least part of the same space as the graphical representation of the position object. 
   
   
       14 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 12  further comprising allowing a player to select the graphical representation of the position object in the three-dimensional rendering of the game space in the first instance of the game. 
   
   
       15 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 14  further comprising upon selection of the graphical representation of the position object displaying a selection menu that includes a selectable command to send an invitation to the second player to play in a game state defined for the first instance of the game. 
   
   
       16 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15  wherein displaying a selection menu further comprises displaying a selectable command to send a request to the second player for the player to join a game state defined for the other instance of the game. 
   
   
       17 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 15  further comprising receiving an indication that the player has selected the command to send an invitation to the second player to play in the game state defined for the first instance of the game, receiving an indication that the second player has accepted the invitation, and sending game state information describing the game state defined for the first instance of the game to a remote device to allow the second player to play in the game state defined for the first instance of the game. 
   
   
       18 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 17  further comprising receiving data describing properties of the avatar in the other instance of the game, using the data to generate the avatar in the first instance of the game, and displaying a graphical representation of the avatar in the three-dimensional rendering of the game space of the first instance of the game. 
   
   
       19 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 18  wherein the graphical representation of the avatar is different from the graphical representation of the position object. 
   
   
       20 . The computer-readable medium of  claim 16  further comprising receiving an indication that the player has selected the command to send a request to the second player for the player to join the other instance of the game, receiving an indication that the second player has accepted the request, saving the game state of the first instance of the game, receiving game state information describing the game state of the other instance of the game, and sending properties of an avatar associated with the player.