Allowing media and gaming environments to effectively interact and/or affect each other

Abstract

Techniques for allowing gaming and media environments to interact with which each other and/or affect each other are disclosed. The techniques are highly suitable for computing systems (or devices) that can execute games and/or present media. In one embodiment, a gaming environment can be determined and/or affected based on one or more aspects of a media environment. By way of example, gaming content and/or the gaming experience provided and/or suggested to an individual can be tailored based on his/her musical profile effectively obtained from the media environment associated with the individual (e.g., based on favorite songs, songs recently played, songs purchased). Similarly, a media environment can be determined and/or or affected by a gaming environment. By way of example, musical content provided and/or suggested to an individual can be based on his/her gaming profile (games played, games purchased, manner in which a game is played). In addition, an open media-gaming environment can be provided where various media and gaming components can be integrated together. By way of example, an individual can identify one or more of his favorite songs to be presented for a game. The game can be packaged and/or sold without the song(s) but configured to receive and effectively provide them for game play.

1 . A computer-implemented method for tuning a media environment and a gaming environment with each other on a portable media device, said method comprising:
 outputting from the portable media device media content associated with a plurality of media assets wherein the media content is output in a media environment in which the game is not played;   obtaining gaming-data respectively associated with a gaming environment wherein said gaming environment can include one or more games and/or gaming applications;   determining, based on said gaming-data, another plurality of media assets to output in a gaming environment wherein in the gaming environment, the game and media content from the other plurality of media assets are simultaneously output on said portable media device; and   outputting on the portable media device the game and the media content from the other plurality of media assets in said gaming environment.   
     
     
         2 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 , wherein said method comprises one or more of the following:
 providing said gaming environment on a device for playing said game in accordance with said gaming environment after said determining of said gaming environment, and   providing said media environment on a device for presentation of media in accordance with said media environment after said determining of said media environment.   
     
     
         3 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 2 ,
 wherein said gaming-data includes and/or is determined based on one or more gaming aspects associated with one or more games that are stored and/or played on the portable media device.   
     
     
         4 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 3 , wherein said gaming aspects include one or more of the following:
 speed of the game, characters of the games, general or specific attributes of the game, levels of the game,   
     
     
         5 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 1 ,
 obtaining media-data associated with the plurality of media assets output in the media environment;   determining, based on said gaming-data and said media-data, another plurality of media assets to output in the gaming environment wherein in the gaming environment, the game and media content from the other plurality of media assets are simultaneously output on said portable media device.   
     
     
         6 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 5 , wherein said media-data defines and/or describes one or more aspects, characteristics, and/or content associated with said media environment. 
     
     
         7 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 6 ,
 wherein said media aspects include one or more of the following:
 title, album art, mode, genre, beats per minute of audio and/or audio-visual media. 
   
     
     
         8 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 5 ,
 wherein said media-data includes and/or is associated with a digital audio or a digital audio-visual media asset, and   wherein said digital audio asset can include one or more songs capable of being played by said portable media device.   
     
     
         9 . A computer-implemented method for playing a game on a portable media device, said method comprising:
 receiving and/or identifying a media environment capable of presenting media; and   determining, based on said media environment, a gaming environment for playing one or more games on said portable device, thereby allowing said media environment to effectively determine and/or affect said playing of said one or more games on said portable media device.   
     
     
         10 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said media environment is associated with media stored on said portable media device. 
     
     
         11 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 9 , wherein said media environment is effectively defined and/or provided by an individual that selects, identifies and/or indicates media content to be considered, thereby allowing said individual to effectively define and/or affect said media environment and consequently said gaming environment. 
     
     
         12 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 11 ,
 wherein said gaming environment includes at least one game provided to said individual without a first media content, and   wherein said individual can select said media first media content to be provided for said at least one game from a plurality of media assets stored on the portable media device.   
     
     
         13 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 9 , where the determining, based on said media environment, the gaming environment for playing one or more games on said portable device includes determining game aspects of the gaming environment. 
     
     
         14 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 13 , wherein the game aspects include one or more of the following:
 speed of the game, characters of the games, general or specific attributes of the game, levels of the game,   
     
     
         15 . A computer-implemented method for presenting media assets on a portable media device, said method comprising:
 outputting from the portable media device gaming content associated with a plurality of games wherein the gaming content is output in a gaming environment in which the media assets are not presented;   obtaining gaming-data associated with the gaming environment;   determining, based on said gaming-data, a media environment for presentation of the media assets on said portable media device including determining a plurality of media assets to output in the media environment; and   outputting the plurality of media assets in said media environment after said determining wherein a game is not played in said media environment.   
     
     
         16 . The computer-implemented method of  claim 15 , wherein said gaming-data includes and/or is determined based on one or more gaming aspects associated with the plurality of games played on the portable media device. 
     
     
         17 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 16 , wherein said gaming aspects include one or more of the following:
 speed of the game, characters of the games, general or specific attributes of the game, levels of the game.   
     
     
         18 . A computer-implemented method as recited in  claim 15 ,
 wherein said media-data includes and/or is associated with a digital audio or a digital audio-visual media asset.   
     
     
         19 . A portable media device for playing games and presenting media assets, wherein said portable media device is configured to:
 output from the portable media device gaming content associated with a plurality of games wherein the gaming content is output in a gaming environment in which the media assets are not presented;   obtain gaming-data associated with the gaming environment;   determining, based on said gaming-data, a media environment for presentation of the media assets on said portable media device including determining a plurality of media assets to output in the media environment; and   output the plurality of media assets in said media environment after said determining wherein a game is not played in the media environment.   
     
     
         20 . The portable media device of  claim 19 , wherein the media assets include one or more songs.