Systems and methods that enable customizable teams for multi-player online games

Abstract

The field of the invention relates to multi-user online gaming systems, and more particularly to systems and methods that enable customizable teams for online active games. In an embodiment, the system includes an online game session server system communicatively coupled to a network for access by a plurality of users to establish a plurality of real-time interactive games sessions, wherein each game session includes at least one team and wherein the at least one team may be established in accordance with a preferred composition defined by a user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An online multiuser game system, comprising:
 an online game session server system communicatively coupled to a network for access by a plurality of users to establish a plurality of interactive games sessions, wherein each game session includes at least one team;   an online team building server operatively coupled to the online game session server system enabling a first user to define a preferred composition of users for a first team; and   a user profile database coupled to the online game session server system and the team building server including an electronic profile for each of the plurality of users, wherein the electronic profile includes data indicating whether the user associated with the electronic profile complies with the definition of the preferred composition of the first team,   wherein the online team building server, during operation, will create a proposed team of users for a game session based at least in part on the preferred composition for the first team defined by the first user upon the first user's electronic request transmitted to the online team building server.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a user's profile includes a particular role type and wherein a preferred composition can be defined, at least in part, by particular role type. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the preferred composition can be defined, at least in part, by the minimum and/or maximum number of users on the team. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a user's profile includes behavioral data associated with the user, and wherein the preferred composition can be defined, at least in part, by said behavioral data. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein a user's profile includes historical data associated with the user, and wherein the preferred composition can be defined, at least in part, by said historical data. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein said historical data includes data related to the first user's historical interactions with a second user. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the preferred composition can be defined, at least in part, by one or more specific user identifications. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first user may decline or accept at least one user from the proposed team created by the team building server. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the team building server is further configured to send a request to one or more users to the join the proposed team in accordance with the preferred composition, and further wherein a requested player may decline or accept said request. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the team building server is further configured to send one or more requests to one or more alternative users in response to a previously requested player declining a previous request. 
     
     
         11 . A server system having one or more processors communicatively coupled to a network and configured to provide access to a plurality of users to establish a plurality of interactive games sessions, wherein each game session includes at least one team of users, said system comprising:
 a user profile database that stores an electronic profile for each of the plurality of users,   a non-transitory computer-readable medium with a sequence of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes said one or more processors to execute an electronic process that enables a first user to define a preferred composition of users for a first team, said process comprising:   providing an electronic user interface enabling the first user to define a preferred composition of users for a first team;   querying the user profile database to identify electronic profiles of users in compliance with the preferred composition; and   creating a proposed team of users for a game session in compliance with the preferred composition based on results from querying the user profile database.   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein a user's profile includes a particular role type and wherein a preferred composition can be defined, at least in part, by particular role type 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the preferred composition can be defined, at least in part, by the minimum and/or maximum number of users on the team. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein a user's profile includes behavioral data associated with the user, and wherein the preferred composition can be defined, at least in part, by said behavioral data. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein a user's profile includes historical data associated with the user, and wherein the preferred composition can be defined, at least in part, by said historical data. 
     
     
         16 . The system of  claim 15 , wherein said historical data includes data related to a first user's historical interactions with a second user. 
     
     
         17 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the preferred composition can be defined, at least in part, by one or more specific user identifications. 
     
     
         18 . A server system having one or more processors communicatively coupled to a network and configured to provide access to a plurality of users to establish a plurality of interactive games sessions, wherein each game session includes at least one team of users, said system comprising:
 a non-transitory computer-readable medium with a sequence of instructions which, when executed by the one or more processors, causes said one or more processors to execute an electronic process that enables a first user to define a preferred composition of users for a first team, said process comprising:   receiving at least one preferred composition of the first team and a preferred composition for at least one other player on said team from the first user; and   creating a team based at least in part on the preferred composition for the team and preferred composition for the at least one other player provided by the first user.   
     
     
         19 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising saving the preferred composition for a team and the preferred composition for each player in a user profile database. 
     
     
         20 . The system of  claim 18 , further comprising using the preferred compositions for a team and the preferred composition for each player in the user profile database as default selections for creating a team.