Patent ID: 8790186

Claim:
A server for allowing a wireless communication device operator to control one or more aspects of a multi-player game offered by the server, comprising: a communication interface for sending and receiving information from a plurality of wireless communication devices over a network; a memory for storing processor-executable instructions; and a processor coupled to the memory and the communication interface for executing the processor-executable instructions that cause the server to: send a signal to the plurality of wireless communication devices indicating an availability of the multi-player game and an indication of an availability of an exclusive privilege for one of the wireless communication device operators to exclusively control one or more aspects of the multi-player game; receive a request from a first wireless communication device for a first wireless communication device operator to receive the exclusive privilege; determine whether another wireless communication device operator has already been assigned the exclusive privilege to play the multi-player game; assign the exclusive privilege to the first wireless communication device if the exclusive privilege has not been assigned to another wireless communication device operator; and send a confirmation to the first wireless communication device indicating that the first wireless communication device operator has been granted the exclusive privilege.