Online game systems, methods, and computer-readable medium

Abstract

Certain embodiments herein are directed to an online game system, computer-readable medium, and a method comprising: providing a network system comprising a central device and a plurality of remote devices, each said remote device being connected to the central device; providing a plurality of data objects in the network system; and, for running an online game session in the network system, implementing a mode of operation, comprising: assigning each of said data objects to at least one of the remote devices, thereby, giving the at least one remote device control over the assigned data object, and excluding the central device from control over each of said data objects; and, for the plurality of remote devices, limiting data object related game data exchange to a direct data exchange with the central device only.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 providing, by a network system comprising a central device and a plurality of remote devices connected to the central device, a plurality of data objects in the network system; and   implementing, by the network system, a mode of operation for running an online game session in the network system, the implementing comprising:
 assigning each of said data objects to at least one of the remote devices; 
 excluding the central device from control over each of said data objects; and 
 limiting, for the plurality of remote devices, data object related game data exchange to the central device only. 
   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein implementing the mode of operation further comprises storing a copy of each of the data objects in the central device. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein implementing the mode of operation further comprises maintaining, in the central device, a list of all remote devices connected to the running game session. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein implementing the mode of operation further comprises maintaining, in the central device, a list of all data objects owned by each remote device. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein implementing the mode of operation further comprises maintaining, in the central device, a list of all data objects interesting to each remote device. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein implementing the mode of operation further comprises providing a network library, the network library comprising:
 a first channel, the first channel being reliable and in-order; and   a second channel, the second channel being unreliable and sequenced.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6 , wherein providing the network library comprises:
 providing a network protocol to be used in the online game session; and   storing the network protocol in the network system.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein providing the network protocol comprises at least one of performing a code reflection or loading network protocol data from an XML file. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , the method further comprising:
 determining, by the network system, an encoded value for the network protocol; and   if a new remote device is connecting to the central device, checking, by the network system, whether the new remote device is using the network protocol by comparing the encoded value to a present encoded value associated with a second network protocol for the new remote device.   
     
     
         10 . An online game system, the system comprising:
 a network system;   a central device connected to the network system;   a plurality of remote devices connected to the network system, each said remote device being connected to the central device; and   a plurality of data objects in the network system;   wherein the network system is configured to run an online game session, the network system further configured to implement a mode of operation, the implementation comprising:
 assigning each of said data objects to at least one remote device of the plurality remote devices, the assigning giving control of the assigned data objects to the at least one remote device; and 
 limiting, for the plurality of remote devices, data object related game data exchange to the central device only. 
   
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein implementing the mode of operation further comprises storing a copy of each of the data objects in the central device. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein implementing the mode of operation further comprises maintaining, in the central device, a list of all remote devices connected to the running game session. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein implementing the mode of operation further comprises maintaining, in the central device, a list of all data objects owned by each remote device. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein implementing the mode of operation further comprises maintaining, in the central device, a list of all data objects interesting to each remote device. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein implementing the mode of operation further comprises providing a network library, the network library comprising:
 a first channel, the first channel being reliable and in-order; and   a second channel, the second channel being unreliable and sequenced.   
     
     
         16 . One or more computer-readable media including a computer program for running an online game session in a network system, the network system including a central device, a plurality of remote devices connected to the central device, and a plurality of data objects, the computer-readable media comprising:
 means recorded on an electronic data storage medium for implementing a mode of operation;   means recorded on the electronic data storage medium for assigning each of said data objects to at least one of the remote devices, the assigning giving control of the assigned data object to the at least one remote device and excluding the central device from control over each of said data objects; and   means recorded on the electronic data storage medium for limiting, for the plurality of remote devices, data object related game data exchange to a direct data exchange with the central device only.   
     
     
         17 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 16 , wherein implementing the mode of operation further comprises means recorded on the electronic medium for providing a network library, the network library comprising:
 a first channel, the first channel being reliable and in-order; and   a second channel, the second channel being unreliable and sequenced.   
     
     
         18 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 17 , wherein providing the network library comprises means recorded on the electronic medium for:
 providing a network protocol to be used in the online game session; and   storing the network protocol in the network system.   
     
     
         19 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 18 , wherein providing the network protocol comprises means recorded on the electronic medium for at least one of performing a code reflection or loading network protocol data from an XML file. 
     
     
         20 . The one or more computer-readable media of  claim 16 , wherein implementing the mode of operation further comprises means recorded on the electronic medium for maintaining, in the central device, a list of all data objects interesting to each remote device.