Relevancy-based video help in a video game

Abstract

Techniques for improving a user video game experience are described. In an example, a computer system accesses videos showing separate completions of an activity by a plurality of video game players. From a definition of the activity, it is determined that the activity is a parent of sub-activities. Links to video portions of the videos are generated, wherein each video portion corresponds to a sub-activity. A score is generated for each video portion based on a relevance of each video portion to a user. The links are presented in a user interface to the user based on the score for each video portion, wherein upon selection of a first link, the user interface displays a first video to the user starting at a first video portion showing a completion of a sub-activity by a video game player.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method implemented by a computer system, the method including:
 accessing, using an identifier of an activity defined by program code of a video game, videos showing separate completions of the activity by a plurality of video game players;   determining, from a definition of the activity by the program code of the video game, that the activity is a parent of sub-activities;   generating links to video portions of the videos, wherein each video portion corresponds to a first sub-activity of the sub-activities;   generating a score for each video portion based on a relevance of each video portion to a user; and   presenting the links in a user interface to the user based on the score for each video portion, wherein upon selection by the user of a first link of the links, the user interface displays a first video of the videos to the user starting at a first video portion showing a first completion of the first sub-activity by a first video game player of the plurality of video game players.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further including:
 recording a first game play of the first video game player as the first video;   while recording the first game play, receiving one or more events that include the identifier, a second identifier of the first sub-activity, a start of the first sub-activity, an end of the first sub-activity, and an outcome of completing the first sub-activity by the first video game player;   generating one or more associations of the first video with the identifier, and of the first video portion of the first video with the start and the end; and   storing the one or more associations in a data store.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further including:
 sending the first video to a content system based on a request of the first video game player to share the first video; and   storing, in the data store, an indication of the first video being shared, wherein the first link is included in the user interface based on the indication.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3 , wherein the links are presented in a window over video game content of the video game, and further including:
 receiving the selection of the first link presented in the window; and   receiving the first video from the content system based on the selection.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , further including:
 presenting the first video of the first game play over the video game content of the video game.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the window further includes at least one of: (i) a first option to present the first video of the first game play adjacent to and simultaneously with a presentation of the video game content of the video game, or (ii) a second option to present the first video of the first game play in a picture-in-picture window over and simultaneously with the presentation of the video game content of the video game. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the window further includes a map that corresponds to a zone within the video game, wherein the map indicates an estimated position where the plurality of video game players completed the activity within the zone. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the window further includes information about using a mechanic to complete the activity based on a history of use of the mechanic by the plurality of video game players. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , further including:
 selecting a predefined number of the video portions with the highest scores, wherein the links presented in the user interface include only the links to the predefined number of the video portions with the highest scores.   
     
     
         10 . A computer system including:
 one or more processors; and   one or more memories storing computer-readable instructions that, upon execution by the one or more processors, configure the computer system to:   access, using an identifier of an activity defined by program code of a video game, videos showing separate completions of the activity by a plurality of video game players;   determine, from a definition of the activity by the program code of the video game, that the activity is a parent of sub-activities;   generate links to video portions of the videos, wherein each video portion corresponds to a first sub-activity of the sub-activities;   generating a score for each video portion based on a relevance of each video portion to a user; and   present the links in a user interface to the user based on the score for each video portion, wherein upon selection by the user of a first link of the links, the user interface displays a first video of the videos to the user starting at a first video portion showing a first completion of the first sub-activity by a first video game player of the plurality of video game players.   
     
     
         11 . The computer system of  claim 10 , wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions further configure the computer system to:
 determine that the user and the first video game player have a same language setting; and   increase the score for the first video portion relative to the score for other video portions showing completions of the first sub-activity by video game players with a different language setting.   
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 10 , wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions further configure the computer system to:
 determine that the first video portion shows a use of a mechanic by the first video game player to complete the first sub-activity;   determine that the mechanic is available for use by the user; and   increase the score for the first video portion relative to the score for other video portions showing completions of the first sub-activity using other mechanics not available to the user.   
     
     
         13 . The computer system of  claim 10 , wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions further configure the computer system to:
 determine that the user and the first video game player have a same characteristic; and   increase the score for the first video portion relative to the score for other video portions showing completions of the first sub-activity by video game players with a different characteristic.   
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 10 , wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions further configure the computer system to:
 determine that the user and the first video game player have a same difficulty setting; and   increase the score for the first video portion relative to the score for other video portions showing completions of the first sub-activity by video game players with a different difficulty setting.   
     
     
         15 . The computer system of  claim 10 , wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions further configure the computer system to:
 determine that a completion time in which the first video game player completed the first sub-activity is within a predefined range of completion times for the first sub-activity; and   increase the score for the first video portion relative to the score for other video portions with completion times that are outside the predefined range of completion times for the first sub-activity.   
     
     
         16 . The computer system of  claim 10 , wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions further configure the computer system to:
 determine that the first video portion includes microphone audio of the first video game player; and   increase the score for the first video portion relative to the score for other video portions with that do not include microphone audio.   
     
     
         17 . The computer system of  claim 10 , wherein the execution of the computer-readable instructions further configure the computer system to:
 determine a success rate of the first video portion, wherein the success rate is determined by at least:
 receiving, after a presentation of the first video portion to a second video game player, data including an identifier of the first sub-activity and indicating a successful completion of the first sub-activity by the second video game player, and 
 updating the success rate based on the data; and 
   increase the score for the first video portion relative to the score for other video portions a lower success rate.   
     
     
         18 . One or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing instructions that, upon execution on a computer system, cause the computer system to perform operations including:
 accessing, using an identifier of an activity defined by program code of a video game, videos showing separate completions of the activity by a plurality of video game players;   determining, from a definition of the activity by the program code of the video game, that the activity is a parent of sub-activities;   generating links to video portions of the videos, wherein each video portion corresponds to a first sub-activity of the sub-activities;   generating a score for each video portion based on a relevance of each video portion to a user; and   presenting the links in a user interface to the user based on the score for each video portion, wherein upon selection by the user of a first link of the links, the user interface displays a first video of the videos to the user starting at a first video portion showing a first completion of the first sub-activity by a first video game player of the plurality of video game players.   
     
     
         19 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 18 , wherein the operations further include:
 presenting, in the user interface, a window in a first state, the window identifying the activity and presented over video game content of the video game;   presenting the window in an expanded state upon a user selection of the activity, the window in the expanded state identifying the sub-activities of the activity; and   updating the window in the expanded state to show the links upon a user selection of the first sub-activity from the sub-activities of the activity.   
     
     
         20 . The one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media of  claim 19 , wherein the window is updated to further show at least one of (i) a map within a zone of the video game to complete the first sub-activity or (ii) second information about using a mechanic to complete the first sub-activity, wherein the at least one of (i) the map or (ii) the second information are shown simultaneously with the links to the video portions.