Game user apparatus

Abstract

A user game apparatus configured to facilitate game playing according to which first and second separate supplies of game data are received from a remote game distribution server and combined during game play responsive to game playing events, the apparatus comprising: a request module arranged to receive a first supply of data from a first data path and a second supply of data from a second data path and operable to combine said first and second data to produce a natural game play experience; and a game synchroniser configured to control timing of supply of the first supply of data and the second supply of data from respective data buffers.

1 . A user game apparatus configured to facilitate game playing according to which first and second separate supplies of game data are received from a remote game distribution server and combined during game play responsive to game playing events, the apparatus comprising:
 a request module arranged to receive a first supply of data from a first data path and a second supply of data from a second data path and operable to combine said first and second data to produce a natural game play experience; and   a game synchroniser configured to control timing of supply of the first supply of data and the second supply of data from respective data buffers.   
   
   
       2 . The user game apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the first data has an average file size smaller than an average file size of the second data. 
   
   
       3 . A user game apparatus configured to facilitate game playing according to which active game data and passive game data are received from a remote game distribution server and combined during game play responsive to game playing events, the apparatus comprising:
 a first module arranged to receive a supply of active data from an active data path and a supply of passive data from a passive data path, said first module being operable to combine said active and passive data to produce a natural game play experience; and   a game synchroniser configured to control timing of the supply of the active data from the active data path to the first module and the supply of the passive data from the passive data path to the first module.   
   
   
       4 . The user game apparatus according to  claim 3 , further comprising:
 a real-time delivery module supplying active data from an active data buffer responsive to the control of the game synchroniser.   
   
   
       5 . The user game apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein loading of the active data buffer is controlled by an active data manager communicating with the remote game distribution server. 
   
   
       6 . The user game apparatus according to  claim 5 , wherein the first module is configured to supply game play event indicators along the active data path. 
   
   
       7 . The user game apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein game play event indicators are supplied via the active data path to a remote game distribution server, and wherein the active data manager receives from the remote game distribution server active data required for future game play. 
   
   
       8 . The user game apparatus according to  claim 6 , wherein the real-time delivery module is configured to process the game play event indicators to determine what active data is required for future game play, and the active data required for future game play is requested from the remote game distribution server. 
   
   
       9 . The user game apparatus according to  claim 7  or  8 , wherein the active data required for future game play is staged into the active data buffer ahead of being required by the first module. 
   
   
       10 . The user game apparatus according to any one of  claims 7  to  9 , wherein the active data required in future game play is staged into the active data buffer in dependence upon the game play event indicators dictated by the game code. 
   
   
       11 . The user game apparatus according to any one of  claims 4  to  10 , wherein the active data stored in the active data buffer is deleted once used. 
   
   
       12 . The user game apparatus according to any one of  claims 4  to  11 , wherein the active data stored in the active data buffer is deleted after a predetermined period of time; is deleted after the active data buffer capacity is exceeded; and/or is deleted after implementation in game play. 
   
   
       13 . The user game apparatus according to any one of  claims 3  to  12 , further comprising:
 a game constructor module operable construct and run a clone version of the game that is substantially complete save for the absence of active data.   
   
   
       14 . The user game apparatus according to any one of  claims 3  to  13 , wherein the first module is configured to supply game play event indicators along the passive data path. 
   
   
       15 . The user game apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein the game play event indicators are supplied to the remote game distribution server, and wherein a passive data manager receives from the remote game distribution server an indication of what passive data is required for future game play. 
   
   
       16 . The user game apparatus according to  claim 14 , wherein a recall manager is configured to process the game play event indicators to determine what passive data is required for future game play, and to transfer to a passive data manager an indication of what passive data is required for future game play. 
   
   
       17 . The user game apparatus according to  claim 15  or  16 , wherein the passive data manager is configured to determine if the passive data required for future game play is available in a passive data store. 
   
   
       18 . The user game apparatus according to  claim 17 , wherein the passive data manager is operable to request the passive data required for future game play from the remote game distribution server and to store the requested passive data in the passive data store in the event it is not already available in the passive data store. 
   
   
       19 . The user game apparatus according to any one of  claims 3  to  14 , wherein the passive data comprises a plurality of passive data objects, each passive data object associated with a unique reference. 
   
   
       20 . The user game apparatus according to any one of  claims 15  to  17 , wherein the passive data comprises a plurality of passive data objects, each passive data object associated with a unique reference, and wherein the indication of what passive data is required for future game play comprises a plurality of unique references. 
   
   
       21 . The user game apparatus according to  claim 18 , wherein the passive data comprises a plurality of passive data objects, each passive data object associated with a unique reference, and wherein the indication of what passive data is required for future game play comprises a plurality of unique references and the request for passive data from the remote game distribution server comprises a plurality of unique references. 
   
   
       22 . The user game apparatus according to any one of  claims 18  to  21 , wherein the passive data path further comprises a passive data buffer from which passive data may be transferred to the game constructor module. 
   
   
       23 . The user game apparatus according to  claim 22 , wherein the passive data is supplied from the passive data store to said game constructor module via the passive data buffer. 
   
   
       24 . The user game apparatus according to  claim 23  or  24 , wherein the passive data required in future game play is staged into the passive data buffer in dependence upon game play events as dictated by the game code. 
   
   
       25 . The user game apparatus according to any one of  claims 4  to  24 , wherein an amount of active data stored in the active data buffer is less than an amount of passive data stored in the passive data buffer. 
   
   
       26 . The user game apparatus according to any one of  claims 3  to  25 , wherein the active data comprises a plurality of active data objects with file sizes that are on average smaller than the average file size of passive data objects. 
   
   
       27 . A method of operating user game apparatus provided at a user terminal and configured to facilitate game playing, the method comprising:
 receiving a supply of active data from a remote game distribution server and a supply of passive data from a remote game distribution server;   controlling timing of the supply of the active data and the supply of the passive data; and   combining said active and passive data during game play responsive to game playing events to produce a natural game play experience.   
   
   
       28 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising:
 supplying game play event indicators to the remote game distribution server; and   receiving from the remote game distribution server active data required for future game play.   
   
   
       29 . The method according to  claim 27 , further comprising:
 supplying game play event indicators to the real-time delivery module;   processing the game play event indicators to determine what active data is required for future game play; and   requesting the active data required for future game play from the remote game distribution server.   
   
   
       30 . The method according to  claim 28  or  29 , further comprising:
 supplying the active data required for future game play into an active data buffer.   
   
   
       31 . The method according to  claim 30 , further comprising:
 deleting the active data from the active data buffer once used.   
   
   
       32 . The method according to  claim 30 , further comprising:
 deleting the active data from the active data buffer after a predetermined period of time; after the active data buffer capacity is exceeded; and/or after implementation in game play.   
   
   
       33 . The method according to any one of  claims 27  to  32 , further comprising:
 constructing and running a clone version of the game that is substantially complete save for the absence of active data.   
   
   
       34 . The method according to any one of  claims 27  to  32 , further comprising:
 supplying game play event indicators to the remote game distribution server; and   receiving from the remote game distribution server an indication of what passive data is required for future game play.   
   
   
       35 . The method according to any one of  claims 27  to  32 , further comprising:
 supplying game play event indicators along the passive data path to a recall manager; and   processing the game play event indicators to determine what passive data is required for future game play.   
   
   
       36 . The method according to  claim 34  or  35 , further comprising:
 determining if the passive data required for future game play is available in a passive data store.   
   
   
       37 . The method according to  claim 36 , further comprising:
 requesting passive data from the remote game distribution server in the event it is not already available in the passive data store; and   storing the requested passive data in the passive data store.   
   
   
       38 . A computer program product comprising programme code means for performing the method according to any one of  claims 27  to  37 . 
   
   
       39 . A computer readable medium recorded with computer readable code arranged to cause a computer to perform the method according to any one of  claims 27  to  37 . 
   
   
       40 . A computer programme code means for performing the method according to any one of  claims 27  to  37 .