Interactive asynchronous game bucketing facility

Abstract

Improved capabilities are described for managing prior game play data for asynchronous computer game play, comprising: providing fast response searchable memory for storage of game play data having a data search and data retrieval speed that is substantially faster than a data search and data retrieval speed from a structured database; receiving game play data from a live participant; identifying a game attribute; providing a plurality of game play data buckets in the fast response searchable memory, forming a bucket attribute corresponding to each bucket; and storing the game play data in one of the buckets where the bucket attribute and the game attribute substantially match, such that, upon receipt of a gaming request that includes a desired attribute, the desired attribute can be used as a basis for identifying a bucket from the buckets in which to search for prior game data to be used to simulate an opponent.

1 . A method of managing prior game play data for asynchronous computer game play, comprising:
 a. Providing fast response searchable memory for storage of game play data, the memory having a data search and data retrieval speed that is substantially faster than a data search and data retrieval speed from a structured database;   b. Receiving, at a server, game play data from a live gaming participant;   c. Identifying an attribute of at least one of the live gaming participant and the game play data, forming a live game attribute;   d. Providing a plurality of game play data buckets in the fast response searchable memory, wherein each bucket includes data relating to a different attribute, forming a bucket attribute corresponding to each bucket; and   e. Storing the game play data in one of the plurality of buckets where the bucket attribute and the live game attribute substantially match, such that, upon receipt of a gaming request that includes a desired attribute, the desired attribute can be used as a basis for identifying a bucket from the plurality of buckets in which to search for prior game data to be used to simulate an opponent in a multi-player game environment where the live gaming participant can play against and have two-way interactions with an apparently live opponent, the apparently live opponent's interaction being based on the prior game play data.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the live game attribute is a name. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the live game attribute is a skill level. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the live game attribute is an age. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the live game attribute is a gender. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the live game attribute is a geographic region. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the live game attribute is at least in part based on third-party website information. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the third party website is a social networking website. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the live game attribute is at least in part based on third-party application information. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the third party application is a social networking application. 
     
     
         11 . A system for managing prior game play data for asynchronous computer game play, comprising:
 a computer game facility with fast response searchable memory for storage of game play data, the memory having a data search and data retrieval speed that is substantially faster than a data search and data retrieval speed from a structured database; receiving, at a server, game play data from a live gaming participant; identifying an attribute of at least one of the live gaming participant and the game play data, forming a live game attribute; providing a plurality of game play data buckets in the fast response searchable memory, wherein each bucket includes data relating to a different attribute, forming a bucket attribute corresponding to each bucket; and storing the game play data in one of the plurality of buckets where the bucket attribute and the live game attribute substantially match, such that, upon receipt of a gaming request that includes a desired attribute, the desired attribute can be used as a basis for identifying a bucket from the plurality of buckets in which to search for prior game data to be used to simulate an opponent in a multi-player game environment where the live gaming participant can play against and have two-way interactions with an apparently live opponent, the apparently live opponent's interaction being based on the prior game play data.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the live game attribute is at least one of a name, a skill level, an age, a gender, a geographic region, and at least in part based on third-party website information. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , wherein the third party website is a social networking website. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the live game attribute is at least in part based on third-party application information. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 14 , wherein the third party application is a social networking application. 
     
     
         16 . A computer program product embodied in a computer readable medium that, when executing on one or more computers, performs the steps of:
 a. In response to receiving asynchronous game play data, identifying a category for which the asynchronous game play data belongs through an assessment of information associated with the asynchronous game play data; and   b. storing the asynchronous game play data in memory along with an association with the category such that the asynchronous game play data can be retrieved based on a request for asynchronous game play with an opponent that substantially matches attributes of the category.   
     
     
         17 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein the attribute is at least one of a name, a skill level, an age, a gender, a geographic region, and at least in part based on third-party website information. 
     
     
         18 . The computer program product of  claim 17 , wherein the third party website is a social networking website. 
     
     
         19 . The computer program product of  claim 16 , wherein the attribute is at least in part based on third-party application information. 
     
     
         20 . The computer program product of  claim 19 , wherein the third party application is a social networking application.