In-game location based game play companion application with triggered message from friend

Abstract

A method for gaming. The method including receiving location based information of game play of a user playing a gaming application as displayed on a first computing device, wherein the location based information is made with reference to a location of a character in the game play of the user in a gaming world associated with the gaming application. The method including aggregating location based information of a plurality of game plays of a plurality of users playing the gaming application. The method including generating contextually relevant information for the location of the character based on the location based information of the plurality of game plays. The method including generating a companion interface including the contextually relevant information. The method including sending the companion interface to a second computing device associated with the user for display concurrent with the game play of the user.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method, comprising:
 executing a first instance of a video game for a game play of a user;   receiving location based information for the game play of the user as displayed on a first device associated with the user, wherein the location based information is made with reference to a virtual location of a character in the game play of the user in a gaming world associated with the video game;   accessing a message from a friend of the user based on the virtual location of the character; and   generating a companion interface including the message; and   sending the companion interface to a second device associated with the user for display concurrent with the game play of the user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that the virtual location of the character is a trigger point; and   triggering the accessing of the message.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 ,
 wherein the message is generated during a game play of the friend of the video game.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting a predefined event within the game play of the user occurring at or near the virtual location,   wherein the message is accessed upon the detecting of the predefined event.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the location based information for the game play of the user is related to:
 current assets of the character; or   current skill set of the character; or   history of task accomplishments within the video game; or   current geographic location of the character in the gaming world; or   progress through the video game in the game play of the user; or   current status of the game play of the user; or   one or more actions of the character in the game play of the user.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 establishing a communication session between the companion interface of the user and a companion interface of the friend.   
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating a snapshot during the game play of the user as executed in the first instance for the virtual location of the character, wherein the snapshot includes game state of the video game and the location based information for the game play of the user, wherein the snapshot enables execution of another instance of the video game beginning from a point in the game play of the video game corresponding to where the snapshot is captured.   
     
     
         8 . A computer system comprising:
 a processor; and   memory coupled to the processor and having stored therein instructions that, if executed by the computer system, cause the computer system to execute a method, the method comprising:
 executing a first instance of a video game for a game play of a user; 
 receiving location based information for the game play of the user as displayed on a first device associated with the user, wherein the location based information is made with reference to a virtual location of a character in the game play of the user in a gaming world associated with the video game; 
 accessing a message from a friend of the user based on the virtual location of the character; and 
 generating a companion interface including the message; and 
 sending the companion interface to a second device associated with the user for display concurrent with the game play of the user. 
   
     
     
         9 . The computer system of  claim 8 , the method further comprising:
 determining that the virtual location of the character is a trigger point; and   triggering the accessing of the message.   
     
     
         10 . The computer system of  claim 8 ,
 wherein in the method the message is generated during a game play of the friend of the video game.   
     
     
         11 . The computer system of  claim 8 , the method further comprising:
 detecting a predefined event within the game play of the user occurring at or near the virtual location,   wherein the message is accessed upon the detecting of the predefined event.   
     
     
         12 . The computer system of  claim 8 , wherein in the method the location based information for the game play of the user is related to:
 current assets of the character; or   current skill set of the character; or   history of task accomplishments within the video game; or   current geographic location of the character in the gaming world; or   progress through the video game in the game play of the user; or   current status of the game play of the user; or   one or more actions of the character in the game play of the user.   
     
     
         13 . The computer system of  claim 8 , the method further comprising:
 establishing a communication session between the companion interface of the user and a companion interface of the friend.   
     
     
         14 . The computer system of  claim 8 , the method further comprising:
 generating a snapshot during the game play of the user as executed in the first instance for the virtual location of the character, wherein the snapshot includes game state of the video game and the location based information for the game play of the user, wherein the snapshot enables execution of another instance of the video game beginning from a point in the game play of the video game corresponding to where the snapshot is captured.   
     
     
         15 . A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing a computer program for a method, the computer-readable medium comprising:
 program instructions for executing a first instance of a video game for a game play of a user;   program instructions for receiving location based information for the game play of the user as displayed on a first device associated with the user, wherein the location based information is made with reference to a virtual location of a character in the game play of the user in a gaming world associated with the video game;   program instructions for accessing a message from a friend of the user based on the virtual location of the character; and   program instructions for generating a companion interface including the message; and   program instructions for sending the companion interface to a second device associated with the user for display concurrent with the game play of the user.   
     
     
         16 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 program instructions for determining that the virtual location of the character is a trigger point; and   program instructions for triggering the accessing of the message.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 ,
 wherein in the method the message is generated during a game play of the friend of the video game.   
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 program instructions for detecting a predefined event within the game play of the user occurring at or near the virtual location,   wherein the message is accessed upon the detecting of the predefined event.   
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , wherein in the method the location based information for the game play of the user is related to:
 current assets of the character; or   current skill set of the character; or   history of task accomplishments within the video game; or   current geographic location of the character in the gaming world; or   progress through the video game in the game play of the user; or   current status of the game play of the user; or   one or more actions of the character in the game play of the user.   
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer-readable medium of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 program instructions for establishing a communication session between the companion interface of the user and a companion interface of the friend.