Massive Multi-Player Online (MMO) Games Server and Methods for Executing the Same

Abstract

Video server systems and methods for providing video streams to a plurality of remote clients are described. In one implementation, the video streams are based on game states received from a remote game server. The game states are dependent on game commands received by the video server system from the remote clients and forwarded to the remote game server. The video server system is configured to appear, from the point of view of the game server, as more than one client. For example, the video server system may receive game states from the remote game server at more than one different Internet Protocol address and each of these Internet Protocol addresses may be associated with a different game session.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A cloud-based video game system, comprising:
 game logic implemented as computer executable instructions in a computer memory, the game logic configured to generate a game environment of a video game in accordance with a game state and with received game commands, the game environment usable to render a video stream of the video game; and   transition logic implemented as computer executable instructions in a computer memory, the transition logic configured to assign the game state of the video game from a first client to a second client to cause the game logic to generate the game environment in accordance with game commands received from the second client in lieu of game commands received from the first client.   
     
     
         2 . The cloud-based video game system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the transition logic is configured to enable the first client to send an invitation to the second client to join in the video game. 
     
     
         3 . The cloud-based video game system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the invitation is transmitted to the second client through a social networking webpage. 
     
     
         4 . The cloud-based video game system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the invitation is transmitted to the second client through a communication displayed in video stream of another video game. 
     
     
         5 . The cloud-based video game system as recited in  claim 4 , wherein the other video game is a separate instance of the same video game being played by the first client. 
     
     
         6 . The cloud-based video game system as recited in  claim 4 , further comprising:
 overlay logic configured to generate an overlay for use as the communication displayed in video stream of the other video game.   
     
     
         7 . The cloud-based video game system as recited in  claim 6 , wherein the overlay logic includes executable program instructions that detect user activation of a pixel area within the overlay and responsively instruct the transition logic to commence use of the game commands received from the second client in lieu of game commands received from the first client. 
     
     
         8 . The cloud-based video game system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the invitation is a link that when activated by the second client sends an instruction to the transition logic to commence use of the game commands received from the second client in lieu of game commands received from the first client. 
     
     
         9 . The cloud-based video game system as recited in  claim 2 , wherein the transition logic is configured to update an account of the first client upon receipt of signal indicating acceptance of the invitation by the second client. 
     
     
         10 . The cloud-based video game system as recited in  claim 9 , wherein the update of the account of the first client includes adding a credit to the account of the first client, the credit being redeemable for a benefit within the cloud-based video game system. 
     
     
         11 . The cloud-based video game system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the transition logic is configured to adjust a player point of view in the video game from a first point of view to a second point of view in conjunction with assignment of the game state of the video game from the first client to the second client. 
     
     
         12 . The cloud-based video game system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the game environment of the video game is a two-dimensional or three-dimensional virtual environment including in-game objects, avatars, and textures. 
     
     
         13 . The cloud-based video game system as recited in  claim 1 , wherein the game logic is configured to execute a first video dynamic encoding pipeline to render the video stream of the video game for the first client. 
     
     
         14 . The cloud-based video game system as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the game logic is configured to continue executing the first video dynamic encoding pipeline to render the video stream of the video game for the second client in conjunction with assignment of the game state of the video game from the first client to the second client. 
     
     
         15 . The cloud-based video game system as recited in  claim 13 , wherein the game logic is configured to execute a second video dynamic encoding pipeline to render the video stream of the video game for the second client in conjunction with assignment of the game state of the video game from the first client to the second client. 
     
     
         16 . The cloud-based video game system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein at least part of the second video dynamic encoding pipeline is different from the first video dynamic encoding pipeline. 
     
     
         17 . The cloud-based video game system as recited in  claim 15 , wherein an encoder of the second video dynamic encoding pipeline is different from an encoder of the first video dynamic encoding pipeline.