Adaptive difficulty calibration for skills-based activities in virtual environments

Methods of the present disclosure may collect data when a user plays one or more different types of games when determinations are made as to whether the difficulty of a game should be changed. The collected data maybe evaluated to identify whether a user gaming performance level corresponds to an expected level of performance. When the user gaming performance level does not correspond to an expected level of performance, parameters that change the difficultly of the game may be changed automatically. Parameters that relate to movement speed, delay or hesitation, character strengths, numbers of competitors, or other metrics may be changed incrementally until a current user performance level corresponds to an expectation level of a particular user currently playing the game. At this time, the user expectation level may be changed, and the process may be repeated as skills of the user are developed over time.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Disclosure

The present disclosure is generally related to adjusting difficulty levels of games based on skills associated with a user. More specifically, the present disclosure is directed to increasing user satisfaction by calibrating an interactive session for a specific user across their specific skills.

2. Description of the Related Art

In recent years, the field of computer gaming has grown to include many different types of games and many different types of gaming apparatus. Commonly, computer games have different fixed levels of difficulty. These difficulty levels may include an easy level, a medium level, and a difficult level where each respective level provides greater challenges to the user that are often associated with a theme of the game. For example, for first-person shooter games, a character of a user is usually pitted against characters that move through a battle space as the user attempts to shoot each respective adversarial character to meet an objective of the game. Here lower levels of difficulty may include fewer adversarial characters that move at slower speeds, where a higher level includes more adversarial characters that move at faster speeds. Higher levels of a game may also include adversarial characters that are more resistant to receiving injury while operating at a greater proficiency as compared to adversarial characters associated with a lower level of a game.

When a gaming level transitions from one level to another level (e.g. from a medium level to a high level), challenges provided to a user may make a user that performs very well at the medium difficulty level perform very poorly at the high difficulty level. Since games today have fixed levels of difficulty, a user that enjoyed playing the game at one level may not enjoy the game very much at a higher level of difficulty. In certain instances, one level of difficulty may be considered by the user to be too easy for the user, and the next level may be considered by the user to be too difficult. Moreover, the user may be highly skilled and experience in one type of challenge, while lacking skill and experience in another, both of which may be present in the same game or session. As such, high difficulty may result in inability to compete as to the lacking skill, while low difficulty does not present much challenge. In such instances, a user may simply stop playing the game out of a combination of boredom and frustration.

What are needed are new methods that allow the difficulty of an interactive session to be dynamically adjusted according to the current capabilities of a user and that change as the capabilities of the user change overtime.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENTLY CLAIMED INVENTION

The presently claimed invention relates to a method, a non-transitory computer readable storage medium, or an apparatus executing functions consistent with the present disclosure for helping users improve their performance when playing a game. In a first embodiment, a method consistent with the present disclosure may include the steps of identifying a user performance level based on an analysis of collected game performance data, comparing the user performance level to a user expectation level, identifying based on the comparison that the user performance level does not correspond to the user expectation level, and selecting a game difficulty parameter to update based on the game difficulty parameter being associated with changing the user performance level. This game difficulty parameter may then be updated after which the user continues playing the game. This method may also include identifying that an updated user performance level corresponds to the user expectation level based on an analysis of additional game performance data, where the additional game performance data is collected after the update to the game difficulty parameter.

In a second embodiment, the presently claimed method may be implemented as a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium where a processor executes instructions out of a memory. Here again the method may include the steps of identifying a user performance level based on an analysis of collected game performance data, comparing the user performance level to a user expectation level, identifying based on the comparison that the user performance level does not correspond to the user expectation level, and selecting a game difficulty parameter to update based on the game difficulty parameter being associated with changing the user performance level. This game difficulty parameter may then be updated after which the user continues playing the game. This method may also include identifying that an updated user performance level corresponds to the user expectation level based on an analysis of additional game performance data, where the additional game performance data is collected after the update to the game difficulty parameter.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Methods of the present disclosure may collect data when a user plays one or more different types of games when determinations are made as to whether the difficulty of a game should be changed. The collected data maybe evaluated to identify whether a user gaming performance level corresponds to an expected level of performance. When the user gaming performance level does not correspond to an expected level of performance, parameters that change the difficultly of the game may be changed automatically. Parameters that relate to movement speed, delay or hesitation, character strengths, numbers of competitors, or other metrics may be changed incrementally until a current user performance level corresponds to an expectation level of a particular user currently playing the game. At this time, the user expectation level may be changed, and the process may be repeated as skills of the user are developed over time.

FIG.1illustrates a network environment in which a system for computer gaming may be implemented. The network environment100may include one or more interactive content servers110that provide streaming content (e.g., interactive video, podcasts, etc.), one or more platform servers120, one or more user devices130, and one or more databases140.

Interactive content servers110may maintain, stream, and host interactive media available to stream on a user device130over a communication network. Such interactive content servers110may be implemented in the cloud (e.g., one or more cloud servers). Each media may include one or more sets of object data that may be available for participation with (e.g., viewing or interacting with an activity) by a user. Data about the object shown in the media may be stored by the media streaming servers110, platform servers120and/or the user device130, in an object file216(“object file”), as will be discussed in detail with respect toFIGS.2A and3.

The platform servers120may be responsible for communicating with the different interactive content servers110, databases140, and user devices130. Such platform servers120may be implemented on one or more cloud servers. The streaming servers110may communicate with multiple platform servers120, though the media streaming servers110may be implemented on one or more platform servers120. The platform servers120may also carry out instructions, for example, receiving a user request from a user to stream streaming media (i.e., games, activities, video, podcasts, User Generated Content (“UGC”), publisher content, etc.) and computer gaming. The platform servers120may further carry out instructions, for example, for streaming the streaming media content titles. Such streaming media may have at least one object set associated with at least a portion of the streaming media. Each set of object data may have data about an object (e.g., activity information, zone information, actor information, mechanic information, game media information, etc.) displayed during at least a portion of the streaming media.

The streaming media and the associated at least one set of object data may be provided through an application programming interface (API)160, which allows various types of media streaming servers110to communicate with different platform servers120and different user devices130. API160may be specific to the particular computer programming language, operating system, protocols, etc., of the media streaming servers110providing the streaming media content titles, the platform servers120providing the media and the associated at least one set of object data, and user devices130receiving the same. In a network environment100that includes multiple different types of media streaming servers110(or platform servers120or user devices130), there may likewise be a corresponding number of APIs160.

The user device130may include a plurality of different types of computing devices. For example, the user device130may include any number of different gaming consoles, mobile devices, laptops, and desktops. In another example, the user device130may be implemented in the cloud (e.g., one or more cloud servers). Such user device130may also be configured to access data from other storage media, such as, but not limited to memory cards or disk drives as may be appropriate in the case of downloaded services. Such devices130may include standard hardware computing components such as, but not limited to network and media interfaces, non-transitory computer-readable storage (memory), and processors for executing instructions that may be stored in memory. These user devices130may also run using a variety of different operating systems (e.g., iOS, Android), applications or computing languages (e.g., C++, JavaScript). An example of a user device130is a computer gaming console.

The databases140may be stored on the platform server120, the media streaming servers110, any of the servers218(shown inFIG.2A), on the same server, on different servers, on a single server, across different servers, or on any of the user devices130. Such databases140may store the streaming media and/or an associated set of object data. Such streaming media may depict one or more objects (e.g., activities) that a user can participate in and/or UGC (e.g., screen shots, videos, commentary, mashups, etc.) created by peers, publishers of the media content titles and/or third party publishers. Such UGC may include metadata by which to search for such UGC. Such UGC may also include information about the media and/or peer. Such peer information may be derived from data gathered during peer interaction with an object of an interactive content title (e.g., a video game, interactive book, etc.) and may be “bound” to and stored with the UGC. Such binding enhances UGC as the UGC may deep link (e.g., directly launch) to an object, may provide for information about an object and/or a peer of the UGC, and/or may allow a user to interact with the UGC. One or more user profiles may also be stored in the databases140. Each user profile may include information about the user (e.g., user progress in an activity and/or media content title, user id, user game characters, etc.) and may be associated to media.

FIG.2illustrates an exemplary universal or uniform data system (UDS) that may be used to provide data to a system for updating functions of a gaming apparatus. Based on data provided by UDS, a gaming server can be made aware of what in-game objects, entities, activities, and events that users have engaged with, and thus support analysis of and coordination with in-game activities. Each user interaction may be associated the metadata for the type of in-game interaction, location within the in-game environment, and point in time within an in-game timeline, as well as other players, objects, entities, etc., involved. Thus, metadata can be tracked for any of the variety of user interactions that can occur in during a game session, including associated activities, entities, settings, outcomes, actions, effects, locations, and character stats. Such data may further be aggregated, applied to data models, and subject to analytics. Such a UDS data model may be used to assign contextual information to each portion of information in a unified way across games.

As illustrated inFIG.2, an exemplary console228(e.g., a user device130) and exemplary servers218(e.g., streaming server220, an activity feed server224, a user-generated content (UGC) server232, and an object server226) are shown. In one example, the console228may be implemented on the platform server120, a cloud server, or on any of the servers218. In an exemplary example, a content recorder202may be implemented on the platform server120, a cloud server, or on any of the servers218. Such content recorder202receives and records content (e.g., media) from an interactive content title230onto a content ring-buffer208. Such ring-buffer208may store multiple content segments (e.g., v1, v2 and v3), start times for each segment (e.g., V1_START_TS, V2_START_TS, V3_START_TS), and end times for each segment (e.g., V1_END_TS, V2_END_TS, V3_END_TS). Such segments may be stored as a media file212(e.g., MP4, WebM, etc.) by the console228. Such media file212may be uploaded to the streaming server220for storage and subsequent streaming or use, though the media file212may be stored on any server, a cloud server, any console228, or any user device130. Such start times and end times for each segment may be stored as a content time stamp file214by the console228. Such content time stamp file214may also include a streaming ID, which matches a streaming ID of the media file212, thereby associating the content time stamp file214to the media file212. Such content time stamp file214may be uploaded and stored to the activity feed server224and/or the UGC server232, though the content time stamp file214may be stored on any server, a cloud server, any console228, or any user device130.

Concurrent to the content recorder202receiving and recording content from the interactive content title230, an object library204receives data from the interactive content title230, and an object recorder206tracks the data to determine when an object beings and ends. The object library204and the object recorder206may be implemented on the platform server120, a cloud server, or on any of the servers218. When the object recorder206detects an object beginning, the object recorder206receives object data (e.g., if the object were an activity, user interaction with the activity, activity ID, activity start times, activity end times, activity results, activity types, etc.) from the object library204and records the activity data onto an object ring-buffer210(e.g., ActivityID1, START_TS; ActivityID2, START_TS; ActivityID3, START_TS). Such activity data recorded onto the object ring-buffer210may be stored in the object file216. Such object file216may also include activity start times, activity end times, an activity ID, activity results, activity types (e.g., competitive match, quest, task, etc.), user or peer data related to the activity. For example, an object file216may store data regarding an item used during the activity. Such object file216may be stored on the object server226, though the object file216may be stored on any server, a cloud server, any console228, or any user device130.

Such object data (e.g., the object file216) may be associated with the content data (e.g., the media file212and/or the content time stamp file214). In one example, the UGC server232stores and associates the content time stamp file214with the object file216based on a match between the streaming ID of the content time stamp file214and a corresponding activity ID of the object file216. In another example, the object server226may store the object file216and may receive a query from the UGC server232for an object file216. Such query may be executed by searching for an activity ID of an object file216that matches a streaming ID of a content time stamp file214transmitted with the query. In yet another example, a query of stored content time stamp files214may be executed by matching a start time and end time of a content time stamp file214with a start time and end time of a corresponding object file216transmitted with the query. Such object file216may also be associated with the matched content time stamp file214by the UGC server232, though the association may be performed by any server, a cloud server, any console228, or any user device130. In another example, an object file216and a content time stamp file214may be associated by the console228during creation of each file216,214.

FIG.3illustrates a series of steps that may be performed when parameters associated the difficulty of a game are maintained or updated based on how well a user performs when playing the game. This user information may uniquely identify a user and may include a username and/or login information. Next in step320, this user information may be stored as part of a set of user profile information and then data may be collected as the user plays one or more games in step330. Step330may also include monitoring and collecting metrics associated with game performance.

Step340ofFIG.3may include generating and evaluating game performance data. This may include identifying whether objectives of a game that is currently being played by a user meet a threshold level or some predetermined level (i.e. an expected user performance level). For example, in a racing game, metrics may relate to an ability of a user driving a vehicle in a game to prevent other vehicles from passing their vehicle. Metrics of this racing game may also be related a percentage of successful passing attempts associated with the user. Here a median level of performance may correspond to the user having been successful in preventing their vehicle from being passed by another vehicle 80% of the time. This median level may also correspond to a passing success rate of 50%. Such a passing success level may correspond to the user successfully passing another vehicle once for each two passing attempts during a time span of game play. In such an instance (when a user expectation level is set at this median level), a user should be able to prevent other vehicles from passing his vehicle at least 8 out of 10 times, and that user should be able to successfully pass at least one half of the vehicles he attempts to pass. Otherwise, the user's current performance level would not correspond to the current user expectation level.

Determination step350may identify whether difficulty parameters of a game should be changed. This may include identifying whether the user's current user performance level meets or exceeds (i.e. corresponds to) the current user expectation level. When determination step350identifies that the difficulty parameters should not be changed, program flow may move back to step330where additional data is collected and stored. When determination step350identifies that the difficulty parameters should be updated, program flow moves to step360where one or more difficulty parameters are updated.

In certain instances, changes to parameters may have to be authorized based on user feedback. This may include providing a prompt to the user identifying that the game difficulty can be either increased or decreased based on the user's performance when using a current set of gaming difficulty parameters. The user could then confirm that the increase or decrease in gaming difficulty should be initiated. Alternatively, a user may provide commands that change difficulty parameters. This may include receiving impromptu indications from the user via a user interface to increase or decrease the game difficulty. Here a user may simply press a button to instruct a gaming system to update a difficulty level. In yet other instances, gaming system difficulty parameters may be updated automatically based on rules of a machine learning or artificial intelligent set of program code.

When a user's driving does meet an expectation level and potentially when the user agrees, determination step350may identify particular difficulty parameters of a game that should be changed in step360. After step360, program flow may move back to step330where additional data may be collected and stored.

In respect to the example above, determination step350may identify that the difficulty parameters should be updated when the user's driving meets or exceeds the 80% prevent pass level and meets or exceeds the 50% successful pass level. Difficulty parameters assigned to a user may be different classes that may include a speed class, a sensitivity class, a proficiency class, and possibly a number of competitors. This speed class of metrics may be associated with a mobility parameter that relates to how fast an opponent can move in a linear direction or an agility parameter that relates to how fast an opponent can change directions. The sensitivity class of metrics may be associated with a reaction time parameter (e.g. a reflex reaction time) or a delay parameter (e.g. a thinking or focusing time). The proficiency class of metrics may be associated with an anticipatory parameter that relates to forecasting a next action that could be made by the user and initiating a countermeasure based on that forecast. These proficiency class of metrics may also include an endurance or strength parameter, and possibly a tenacity parameter. A number of competitors metric may be used to set a number of competitors (e.g. virtual vehicles) that are pitted against the user in a game.

FIG.4illustrates a series of steps that may be performed when one or more parameters associated with the performance of a game may be updated based on how well a particular user is performing during the playing of a game.FIG.4begins with step410where game performance data is accessed. This data may be indicative of how well a user is performing at a game. As discussed in respect toFIG.3, a level of game performance could correspond how often a user playing a driving game prevents other vehicles from passing the vehicle that they are driving and how successful the user is at passing other vehicles. In a first-person shooting game, game performance data may relate to a number of targets hit out of a number of shots at the targets. Other examples of game performance data may relate to how successful the user has been at destroying targets or how successful the user has been at meeting some other game objective. Next in step420, an ordering of user skills may be identified. A user of an in-person shooting game may be good at using a sniper rifle, have moderate skills using an automatic rifle, and have poor skills at hand-to-hand combat. Such skills and related skill levels may be identified based on an evaluation of the accessed gaming performance data.

Game parametric data may then be accessed in step430ofFIG.4. This game parametric data may include classes of metrics discussed above, such as the speed class, sensitivity class, and the proficiency class of metrics. Additionally, parametric data may include the number of competitors discussed above. Determination step440may then evaluate the game performance data, the skills ordering data, and the game parametric data to see whether a current set of difficulty parametric settings should be maintained or changed. When determination step440identifies that the current set of parametric settings should be maintained, program flow may move back to step410where the process repeats as the user continues to play the game.

When determination step440identifies that the current set of difficulty parametric settings should not be maintained, program flow may move to step450where specific difficulty parametric settings that should be updated are identified and then these difficulty parametric settings may be updated in step460ofFIG.4. In certain instances, the difficulty parametric settings identified in step450may be identified based on the ordering of user skills in step420. For example, when the user playing a first-person shooter game has good skills using a sniper rifle, has moderate skills using an automatic rifle, and has poor skills at hand-to-hand combat, performance metrics associated with competitors actions in scenes of the game where an automatic rifle is used and where hand to hand combat is performed may be slowed down using speed, sensitivity, and/or proficiency parameters. This may result in an adversary moving more slowly, being less agile, having a slower reaction time to stimuli (actions of the user's character or aiming a rifle), being less accurate, or being weaker. Such adjustments would result the user of the game being more proficient when playing the game. As the game play continues, one or more of these parameters may be changed in order to incrementally increase the abilities of the adversaries that the user fights. Here an adversary could be move somewhat faster, yet still have limited agility and slower reaction time. In a next update, the adversary could have better agility, yet still have a slower reaction time to stimuli. As mentioned above in respect toFIG.3, difficulty parameters may be updated automatically, be based on user consent, or be commanded by a user. After step460, program flow may move back to step410where game play may continue when an updated set of difficulty parameters are used.

In certain instances, a skill associated with one game may correspond to a aptitude of another game. For example, a person skillful a moving to new positions in a first-person shooter game may correspond to the person running quickly in a racing game. Alternatively, a weakness of the person playing a first-person game may include taking too long to accurately aim at a target and this weakness may correspond to a tendency for that person to not react quickly when a vehicle attempts to pass their vehicle in a racing game. This means that data gathered from one game may be used to help select difficulty parameters to update with a person plays a different game.

FIG.5is a block diagram of an exemplary electronic entertainment system500. The entertainment system500ofFIG.5includes a main memory505, a central processing unit (CPU)510, vector unit58, a graphics processing unit520, an input/output (I/O) processor525, an I/O processor memory530, a controller interface535, a memory card540, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) interface545, and an IEEE interface550. The entertainment system500further includes an operating system read-only memory (OS ROM)555, a sound processing unit560, an optical disc control unit570, and a hard disc drive565, which are connected via a bus575to the I/O processor525.

Entertainment system500may be an electronic game console. Alternatively, the entertainment system500may be implemented as a general-purpose computer, a set-top box, a hand-held game device, a tablet computing device, or a mobile computing device or phone. Entertainment systems may contain more or less operating components depending on a particular form factor, purpose, or design.

The CPU510, the vector unit58, the graphics processing unit520, and the I/O processor525ofFIG.5communicate via a system bus585. Further, the CPU510ofFIG.5communicates with the main memory505via a dedicated bus580, while the vector unit58and the graphics processing unit520may communicate through a dedicated bus590. The CPU510ofFIG.5executes programs stored in the OS ROM555and the main memory505. The main memory505ofFIG.5may contain pre-stored programs and programs transferred through the I/O Processor525from a CD-ROM, DVD-ROM, or other optical disc (not shown) using the optical disc control unit570. I/O Processor525ofFIG.5may also allow for the introduction of content transferred over a wireless or other communications network (e.g., 4$, LTE, 3G, and so forth). The I/O processor525ofFIG.5primarily controls data exchanges between the various devices of the entertainment system500including the CPU510, the vector unit58, the graphics processing unit520, and the controller interface535.

The graphics processing unit520ofFIG.5executes graphics instructions received from the CPU510and the vector unit58to produce images for display on a display device (not shown). For example, the vector unit58ofFIG.5may transform objects from three-dimensional coordinates to two-dimensional coordinates, and send the two-dimensional coordinates to the graphics processing unit520. Furthermore, the sound processing unit560executes instructions to produce sound signals that are outputted to an audio device such as speakers (not shown). Other devices may be connected to the entertainment system500via the USB interface545, and the IEEE 1394 interface550such as wireless transceivers, which may also be embedded in the system500or as a part of some other component such as a processor.

A user of the entertainment system500ofFIG.5provides instructions via the controller interface535to the CPU510. For example, the user may instruct the CPU510to store certain game information on the memory card540or other non-transitory computer-readable storage media or instruct a character in a game to perform some specified action.

The present invention may be implemented in an application that may be operable by a variety of end user devices. For example, an end user device may be a personal computer, a home entertainment system (e.g., Sony PlayStation2® or Sony PlayStation3® or Sony PlayStation4®), a portable gaming device (e.g., Sony PSP® or Sony Vita®), or a home entertainment system of a different albeit inferior manufacturer. The present methodologies described herein are fully intended to be operable on a variety of devices. The present invention may also be implemented with cross-title neutrality wherein an embodiment of the present system may be utilized across a variety of titles from various publishers.

The present invention may be implemented in an application that may be operable using a variety of devices. Non-transitory computer-readable storage media refer to any medium or media that participate in providing instructions to a central processing unit (CPU) for execution. Such media can take many forms, including, but not limited to, non-volatile and volatile media such as optical or magnetic disks and dynamic memory, respectively. Common forms of non-transitory computer-readable media include, for example, a floppy disk, a flexible disk, a hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magnetic medium, a CD-ROM disk, digital video disk (DVD), any other optical medium, RAM, PROM, EPROM, a FLASHEPROM, and any other memory chip or cartridge.

Various forms of transmission media may be involved in carrying one or more sequences of one or more instructions to a CPU for execution. A bus carries the data to system RAM, from which a CPU retrieves and executes the instructions. The instructions received by system RAM can optionally be stored on a fixed disk either before or after execution by a CPU. Various forms of storage may likewise be implemented as well as the necessary network interfaces and network topologies to implement the same.