Asynchronous gameplay with rival display

Abstract

A user request to select a rival to play against asynchronously for an event is received. In response to the user request, a rival selector user interface is displayed. The rival selector UI includes an identification of one or more users that can be selected and one or more filter criteria that can be selected to change which users are identified in the rival selector UI. The user selects one of the identified users that is used as the rival to play against asynchronously for the event. Game data for the rival for the event is obtained, the game data including both a performance of the rival in the event and data indicating a manner in which an object of the rival is customized by the rival. While the user is playing the event, the object as customized by the rival is played back based on the performance data.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method comprising:
 receiving a user request to select a rival to play against asynchronously for an event of a game;   displaying, in response to the user request, a rival selector user interface that includes an identification of one or more users that can be selected;   receiving, a user selection of one of the one or more users; and   using the selected user as the rival to play against asynchronously for the event.   
     
     
         2 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , the displaying comprising displaying a first rival selection user interface in which an identifier of an automatically selected rival is displayed, and in response to a user input displaying a second rival selection user interface in which identifiers of multiple users that have played the event are displayed. 
     
     
         3 . A method as recited in  claim 2 , the identifiers of the multiple users that have played the event being identifiers of users that have played the event filtered based on one or more filter criteria. 
     
     
         4 . A method as recited in  claim 3 , the one or more filter criteria comprising friends of the user from which the user request is received, the multiple users comprising users that have been identified as friends of the user. 
     
     
         5 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising providing the user from which the user request is received a reward in credit supported by the game based on a performance of the user in playing the event against the rival asynchronously. 
     
     
         6 . A method as recited in  claim 5 , an amount of the reward being based on a ranking of the rival for the event. 
     
     
         7 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , further comprising sending, if the user from which the user request is received beats the rival when playing against the rival asynchronously, a notification to the rival informing the rival that the rival has been beaten by the user in the event. 
     
     
         8 . A method as recited in  claim 7 , further comprising including in the notification a user-selectable link, and notifying the game of the rival to jump to the event in response to a selection of the user-selectable link. 
     
     
         9 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , the game comprising a racing game, and the event comprising a track of the racing game. 
     
     
         10 . A method as recited in  claim 1 , the using further comprising, in response to user selection of one of the one or more users:
 obtaining game data for the rival for the event, the game data including both a previously recorded performance of the rival in the event and data indicating a manner in which an object of the rival is customized by the rival; and   playing back, while the user is playing the event and based on the performance data, the object as customized by the rival.   
     
     
         11 . A method as recited in  claim 10 , further comprising increasing, as the object as customized by the rival and an object representing the user become closer, a transparency of the object as customized by the rival. 
     
     
         12 . One or more computer storage media having stored thereon multiple instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a gaming device, cause the one or more processors to:
 receive a user request to play against a rival asynchronously for an event of a game;   obtain game data for the rival for the event, the game data including both a previously recorded performance of the rival in the event and data indicating a manner in which an object of the rival is customized by the rival; and   play back, while the user is playing the event and based on the performance data, the object as customized by the rival.   
     
     
         13 . One or more computer storage media as recited in  claim 12 , the multiple instructions further causing the one or more processors to increase, as the object as customized by the rival and an object representing the user become closer, a transparency of the object as customized by the rival. 
     
     
         14 . One or more computer storage media as recited in  claim 12 , the game comprising a racing game, the object as customized by the rival comprising a vehicle, and the customization comprising an appearance of the vehicle as altered by the rival. 
     
     
         15 . One or more computer storage media as recited in  claim 12 , the multiple instructions further causing the one or more processors to provide to the user a reward in credit supported by the game based on a performance of the user in playing the event. 
     
     
         16 . One or more computer storage media as recited in  claim 15 , an amount of the reward being based on a ranking of the rival for the event. 
     
     
         17 . One or more computer storage media as recited in  claim 12 , the multiple instructions further causing the one or more processors to send, if the user beats the rival when playing the event, a notification to the rival informing the rival that the rival has been beaten by the user in the event. 
     
     
         18 . One or more computer storage media as recited in  claim 17 , the notification including a user-selectable link, and the multiple instructions further causing the one or more processors to notify a game of the rival to jump to the event in response to a selection of the user-selectable link. 
     
     
         19 . One or more computer storage media as recited in  claim 12 , the user request including a user-selected rival from a set of identifiers of other users that have previously played the event. 
     
     
         20 . A method comprising:
 receiving a user request to select a rival to play against asynchronously for an event of a game, the game comprising a racing game and the event comprising a track of the racing game;   displaying, in response to the user request, a rival selector user interface that includes an identification of one or more users that can be selected and one or more filter criteria that can be selected;   receiving, a user selection of one of the one or more users to be the rival;   obtain game data for the rival for the event, the game data including both a previously recorded performance of the rival in the event and data indicating a manner in which an object of the rival is customized by the rival; and   play back, while the user is playing the event and based on the performance data, the object as customized by the rival, including increasing, as the object as customized by the rival and an object representing the user become closer in the game, a transparency of the object as customized by the rival.