Massively multiplayer game message scheduling

Abstract

A massively multiplayer game management service includes a scheduling module that establishes a message receiving period and a game data aggregation period. The massively multiplayer game management service further includes a message receiving module that, during the message receiving period that overlaps at least part of the game data aggregation period, receives a message from a player client. The message may include an identifier and an execution time that follows the game data aggregation period. The massively multiplayer game management service further includes a message sending module that sends game data, aggregated in a game space location corresponding to the identifier, to the player clients upon occurrence of the execution time.

1 . A massively multiplayer game management service comprising:
 a scheduling module configured to establish a message receiving period and a game data aggregation period;   a message receiving module configured to, during the message receiving period that overlaps at least part of the game data aggregation period, receive a message from one or more of a plurality of player clients, the message including a game space location identifier and an execution time that follows the game data aggregation period; and   a message sending module configured to send game data, aggregated in a game space location corresponding to the game space location identifier, to the one or more of the plurality of player clients upon occurrence of the execution time specified in the message.   
     
     
         2 . The service of  claim 1 , further comprising an aggregating module configured to, during the game data aggregation period, aggregate player data received from the plurality of player clients, for each of the plurality of player clients the player data including a selected game space location identifier, and the player data being aggregated to a game space location corresponding to the selected game space location identifier to generate game data. 
     
     
         3 . The service of  claim 1 , wherein the message receiving module is further configured to, at any time not during the message receiving period, reject the message received from the one or more of the plurality of player clients. 
     
     
         4 . The service of  claim 1 , wherein the scheduling module is configured to establish the message receiving period and the game data aggregation period based on game logic. 
     
     
         5 . The service of  claim 4 , wherein the game logic is driven by one or more messages received from a selected player client. 
     
     
         6 . The service of  claim 5 , wherein the execution time varies based on content of the one or more messages received from the selected player client by the message receiving module. 
     
     
         7 . The service of  claim 5 , wherein the scheduling module is configured to establish the message receiving period and the game data aggregation period based on content of the one or more messages received from the selected player client. 
     
     
         8 . The service of  claim 4 , wherein the game logic is driven by one or more messages received from a plurality of player clients. 
     
     
         9 . The service of  claim 1 , wherein the message receiving period, the game data aggregation period, and the execution time are set relative to a start time of a massively multiplayer game. 
     
     
         10 . The service of  claim 1 , wherein the message receiving period, the game data aggregation period, and the execution time are set relative to a start time of a massively multiplayer game only during a game mode where a selected player client does not drive game logic. 
     
     
         11 . A method for scheduled execution of messages to drive a massively multiplayer game comprising, at a game management service:
 establishing a message receiving period and a game data aggregation period;   during the message receiving period that overlaps at least part of the game data aggregation period, receiving a message from one or more of a plurality of player clients, the message including a game space location identifier and an execution time that follows the game data aggregation period; and   sending game data aggregated in a game space location corresponding to the game space location identifier to the one or more of the plurality of player clients upon occurrence of the execution time specified in the message.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising:
 at any time not during the message receiving period, rejecting the message received from the one or more of the plurality of player clients.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the message receiving period and the game data aggregation period are established based on game logic. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the game logic is driven by one or more messages received from a selected player client. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein establishing comprises establishing the message receiving period and the game data aggregation period based on content of the one or more messages received from the selected player client. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein game logic is driven by one or more messages received from a plurality of player clients. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the message receiving period, the game data aggregation period, and the execution time are set relative to a start time of a massively multiplayer game. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the message receiving period, the game data aggregation period, and the execution time are set relative to a start time of a massively multiplayer game only during a game mode where a selected player client does not drive game logic. 
     
     
         19 . A method for scheduled execution of messages to drive a massively multiplayer computer game comprising, at a game management service:
 establishing a game data aggregation period and a request message receiving period;   sending a question message to a plurality of player clients, the question message including a plurality of selectable game space location identifiers;   receiving an answer message from at least some of the plurality of player clients, each answer message including a selected game space location identifier of the plurality of selectable game space location identifiers;   during the game data aggregation period, aggregating the selected game space location identifiers received from the at least some of the plurality of player clients to game space locations corresponding to the selected game space location identifiers to generate game data;   during a request message receiving period that overlaps at least part of the game data aggregation period, receiving a request message from one or more player clients, the request message including a requested game space location identifier and an execution time that follows the game data aggregation period; and   sending game data aggregated in a game space location corresponding to the requested game space location identifier to the one or more player clients upon occurrence of the execution time specified in the request message.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein establishing comprises establishing the game data aggregation period and the request message receiving period based on game logic that is driven by one or more messages received from a selected player client, and the execution time varies based on content of the one or more messages received from the selected player client.