Video game with simulated evolution

Abstract

A video game that provides a player game play experience that simulates an evolution process is disclosed. In each stage of the evolution process, the player can create game content that is uploaded to a server. Other players' game content can also be downloaded into the player's game. In an embodiment of the present invention, the player-defined content can be automatically uploaded to a server, where it can be automatically downloaded to players' games in accordance with criteria such as heuristics that are relevant to the game, player preferences, rankings, community preferences and combinations thereof.

1 . A video game client operative to play a video game, comprising:
 logic to communicatively couple the video game client to a game server;   a game content editing module operative to create player-defined game content;   an upload module operative to upload the player-defined game content to a game server for storage in a game content repository, wherein the game content repository stores player-defined and publisher-defined game content;   a download module operative to download a copy of game content from the game content repository on the game server;   a content matching module operative to select publisher-defined and player-defined content from the game content repository; and   logic to integrate selected player-defined and publisher-defined content into the video game.   
     
     
         2 . The video game client of  claim 1 , wherein the content matching module uses content matching criteria to select specific player-defined and community-defined content. 
     
     
         3 . The video game client of  claim 2 , wherein the content matching criteria is community-selected aesthetics criteria that reflect community assessment of the desirability of content for a game playing experience and wherein the content matching module is operative to use the community-selected aesthetics criteria to select player-defined content and publisher-defined content from the game content repository that matches the community-selected aesthetics criteria. 
     
     
         4 . The video game client of  claim 2 , wherein a player can determine matching criteria that will be used by the content matching module for selecting content from the game content repository. 
     
     
         5 . The video game client of  claim 1 , wherein a player can identify a set of other players with whom the player would like to share game content, with the content matching module being used to select and download content created by the set of other players. 
     
     
         6 . The video game client of  claim 1 , wherein the system is configured to permit the player to create a set of other players with whom the player would like to share game content, with the content matching module being used to select and download content defined by the set of other players. 
     
     
         7 . The video game client of  claim 1 , wherein the content matching module is configured to use multiple content matching criteria in combinations determined by the publisher or the player. 
     
     
         8 . The video game client of  claim 1 , wherein the content matching module includes a heuristics matching module and criteria matching module and wherein the heuristics matching module and criteria matching module allow for variation in the type of content selected and sent to the player's video game. 
     
     
         9 . The video game client of  claim 1 , wherein controls are imposed on matching methods used by the content matching module in order to limit the types of content that may be accessible to a player. 
     
     
         10 . A video game system configured to play a video game comprising:
 a game module, with a game content editing module operative to create player-defined game content, the player-defined game content, including an identification tag configured to associate the player-defined game content with the player;   a send module operative to send the player-defined game content to a game server;   a receive module operative to receive a copy of game content at a game client with the game content being sent from the game server, wherein both player-defined game content and publisher-defined game content may be received from the game server and stored in a game content database and configured to allow multiple players to share player-defined game content over a network.   
     
     
         11 . The video game system of  claim 10 , wherein the game server includes a logic element operative to couple the game server to a plurality of game clients, a data repository, and a content matching module, and wherein:
 the data repository is configured for storing game content;   one or more of the game clients includes a send module operative to send game content to the data repository;   the content matching module is operative to select game content from the data repository for sending to one or more of the plurality of game clients; and   one or more of the game clients includes a receive module operative to receive game content from the data repository selected by the content matching module.   
     
     
         12 . The video game system of  claim 10 , wherein game play includes at least one incentive motive, wherein as a player plays the game, the system is configured to determine if one or more motives of a game level have been satisfied, wherein if one or more motives have been satisfied, the player gains a reward for each motive satisfied. 
     
     
         13 . The video game system of  claim 12 , wherein motives are associated with particular goals that must be completed in order for the motives to be satisfied and wherein satisfaction of motives may operate to move a player to a higher level of the game. 
     
     
         14 . The video game system of  claim 12 , wherein the reward comprises accumulated points with the player having the option to spend the points to purchase additional game content from a content shopping module, with game play resuming thereafter, wherein the additional game content that the player may purchase being dependent upon which level of the game the player is currently playing. 
     
     
         15 . The video game system of  claim 10 , wherein the game module includes the game content editing module, a plurality of game level modules, a plurality of in-game tools modules, an in-game user interface (UI) module, a content shopping module, and a content matching module. 
     
     
         16 . The video game system of  claim 10 , wherein the game module provides an in-game browser for viewing additional content that may be loaded into the game and wherein the player can access the in-game browser via a computing device to select additional content to be downloaded from the server to the game client. 
     
     
         17 . The video game system of  claim 16 , wherein the computing device is one of a mobile computing device, a personal computer, a cellular phone, a smart phone, a wireless multimedia device, and a portable computer. 
     
     
         18 . The video game system of  claim 10 , wherein the game module provides an in-game browser for viewing additional player-defined and publisher-defined game content stored in the game content database, the in-game browser configured to allow a player to browse and download game content without having to exit the game. 
     
     
         19 . The video game system of  claim 10 , wherein when the player selects content from a game server the system is configured to make a determination whether the player wishes to start playing the video game, and wherein, if the player chooses to start playing the video game, selected game content is received automatically while the player plays the game or the selected game content is received as a background process, with the player being able to start playing the game while the selected content is received. 
     
     
         20 . The video game system of  claim 10 , further comprising a collaborative filtering module configured to apply a collaborative filtering method for making automated predictions about the interests of a player determined from preference information collected from a number of players, wherein collaborative filtering is based on the premise that those who tended to agree in the past will tend to agree in the future, with the collaborative filtering being applied to determine data for download from the game content database based upon the preferences of all or a specified predetermined subset of players. 
     
     
         21 . The video game system of  claim 14 , wherein, if a transition point has been reached where a player progresses from a current game level to a next game level, the system is configured to provide the player with the opportunity to upload player-defined content and performance statistics to the game server before a determination is made whether an end of the game has been reached. 
     
     
         22 . The video game system of  claim 21 , wherein, if a transition point has been reached where a player may progress from the current game level to the next game level, the process proceeds to the next level of the game wherein content is downloaded from the game server, and wherein a game code determines a heuristic method to be applied when determining what, if any, player-defined and/or publisher-defined game content is to be downloaded to the player's game client. 
     
     
         23 . The video game system of  claim 10 , wherein the system is configured to download content information to an output device that makes a three-dimensional model of player-defined content, wherein the model comprises part of a monetization model where the game player can purchase models of the player's player-defined content by way of an e-commerce process.