Using a participant list to invite players to an on-line game

Abstract

An instant messaging user may use a buddy list that includes a user-selected list of potential instant messaging recipients (“buddies”) to identify another instant messaging user with whom instant messages are to be exchanged. An instant messaging user also may use a buddy list for other purposes, such as to initiate playing of an on-line game or to invite participants to play an on-line game. The buddy list may be used as an on-line game leaderboard that presents a list of players of the on-line game in ranked order.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A computer-implemented method for initiating interaction in a session of an on-line game, the method comprising:
 displaying a participant list of on-line potential participants for a general purpose communication interface to a first user, the participant list being associated with the first user of the general purpose communication interface and the on-line game, 
 receiving, from the first user, an indication of a potential participant of the on-line game accessible over a network of computers, wherein the potential participant is one of the potential participants displayed on the participant list, and wherein the indication represents user input selecting the potential participant from the participant list, and 
 initiating interaction in a session of the on-line game between the first user and the potential participant, wherein initiating interaction within the session of the on-line game comprises:
 enabling transmission of an invitation to the potential participant, the invitation including a game parameter that describes a game option to be used when playing the session of the on-line game, 
 enabling display of the invitation and the game parameter to the potential participant, 
 enabling conditional acceptance of the invitation to play the session of the on-line game by the potential participant, the conditional acceptance including an alternative game parameter, and 
 enabling rejection or acceptance of the alternative game parameter by the first user. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 receiving an indication of more than one potential participant of the on-line game accessible over a network of computers, and 
 wherein initiating comprises enabling transmission of invitations to the more than one participants to play the session of the on-line game. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2  wherein at least one of the more than one potential participants is a potential participant that is not included in the participant list. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 2  wherein at least one of the more than one potential participants is a potential participant that is included in the participant list. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1  wherein enabling transmission of the invitation comprises enabling transmission of an invitation to a particular potential participant only when presence information associated with the particular potential participant reflects that the particular potential participant is on-line. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1  wherein enabling transmission of the invitation comprises enabling transmission of an invitation to a particular potential participant when presence information associated with the particular potential participant reflects that the particular potential participant is off-line. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 6  wherein enabling transmission of the invitation comprises:
 storing the invitation when the particular potential participant is off-line, and 
 transmitting the invitation to the particular potential participant when presence information associated with the particular potential participant reflects that the particular potential participant is on-line. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 6  wherein enabling transmission of the invitation comprises enabling transmission of the invitation to the particular potential participant using an electronic mail system. 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1  wherein the participant list includes at least one potential participant of the on-line game that is associated with historical game information, the method further comprising automatically displaying the at least one potential participant of the on-line game in the participant list. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 9  wherein the at least one potential participant of the on-line game associated with the historical information is displayed in the participant list for a limited period of time, and wherein the at least one potential participant of the on-line game is automatically removed from the participant list after the limited period of time. 
     
     
       11. The method of  claim 9  wherein the limited period of time is related to a number of sessions of the on-line game. 
     
     
       12. The method of  claim 9  wherein:
 at least some of the participants are geographically dispersed from others of the potential participants, and 
 each potential participant included in the participant list accesses the on-line game using a computer connected to the network of computers over which the on-line game is accessible. 
 
     
     
       13. The method of  claim 1  wherein the participant list comprises a leaderboard associated with an instant messaging service. 
     
     
       14. The method of  claim 1  wherein the participant list comprises a leaderboard operable within the on-line game. 
     
     
       15. The method of  claim 1  further comprising receiving user input indicating whether the session of the on-line game is to count toward the ranking of the potential participants, wherein:
 initiating comprises generating an invitation that includes a designation of the session of the on-line game as not counting toward the ranking of the potential participants. 
 
     
     
       16. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising ranking the potential participants included in the participant list according to information relating to the on-line game. 
     
     
       17. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying, within the participant list, a status of the potential participants of the on-line game within a system for playing the on-line game. 
     
     
       18. The method of  claim 1 , wherein initiating comprises providing the first user with a control operable to control a function of a system for playing the online game. 
     
     
       19. The method of  claim 18 , wherein the control is selected from the group consisting of a game invitation control and a game join control, the game invitation control being operable to invite at least one selected potential participant to a session of the on-line game, and the game join control being operable to join an existing session of the on-line game in which a selected potential participant is currently participating. 
     
     
       20. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying, in the participant list, information regarding second potential participants included in a second potential participant list associated with one or more of the potential participants of the participant list. 
     
     
       21. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising displaying, in the participant list, information regarding a readiness to participate in a session of the on-line game of at least one of the potential participants of the participant list. 
     
     
       22. A computer-based system comprising one or more processors configured to:
 display a participant list of on-line potential participants for a general purpose communication interface to a first user, the participant list being associated with the first user of the general purpose communication interface and an on-line game,   receive, from the first user, an indication of a potential participant of the on-line game accessible over a network of computers, wherein the potential participant is one of the potential participants displayed on the participant list, and wherein the indication represents user input selecting the potential participant from the participant list, and   initiate interaction in a session of the on-line game between the first user and the potential participant, wherein initiating interaction within the session of the on-line game comprises:   enabling transmission of an invitation to the potential participant, the invitation including a game parameter that describes a game option to be used when playing the session of the on-line game,   enabling display of the invitation and the game parameter to the potential participant,   enabling conditional acceptance of the invitation to play the session of the on-line game by the potential participant, the conditional acceptance including an alternative game parameter, and   enabling rejection or acceptance of the alternative game parameter by the first user.    
     
     
       23. A computer-implemented method comprising:
 providing a user of an online communication service, a first user interface, wherein the first user interface provides at least a portion of a friends list comprising additional users of the online communication service that are associated with the user within the online communication service;   providing a second user interface to at least one user of the additional users from the friends list, wherein the second user interface comprises an online entertainment service, and wherein the first user interface and the second user interface are distinct from each other;   receiving information relating to an interaction of the at least one user of the additional users from the friends list with the second user interface of the online entertainment service; and   providing the information relating to the interaction of the at least one user within the second user interface of the online entertainment service within the first user interface of the online communication service provided to the user.    
     
     
       24. The method of claim 23 further comprising providing the information relating to the interaction of the at least one user within the second user interface of the online entertainment service within a third user interface provided to a second additional user of the additional users from the friends list.  
     
     
       25. The method of claim 23, wherein the first user interface comprises an entirety of the friends list.  
     
     
       26. The method of claim 23, wherein the information comprises the at least one user's achievements within an online game.  
     
     
       27. The method of claim 23, wherein providing the information within the first user interface comprises providing the information within the first user interface without interaction from the user.  
     
     
       28. A system comprising:
 at least one processor; and   at least one non-transitory computer readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to:   identify a user of an online communication service, wherein the online communication service comprises a first user interface;   provide a friends list within the first user interface, the friends list comprising additional users of the online communication service that are associated with the user within the online communication service;   provide a second user interface to at least one user of the additional users from the friends list, wherein the second user interface comprises an online entertainment service, and wherein the first user interface and the second user interface are distinct from each other;   receive information related to an interaction of the at least one user of the additional users from the friends list with the second user interface of the online entertainment service;   provide the information relating to the interaction of the at least one user within the second user interface of the online entertainment service within the first user interface of the online communication service provided to the user.    
     
     
       29. The system of claim 28, further comprising instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the system to provide the information relating to the interaction of the at least one user within the second user interface of the online entertainment service within a third user interface provided to a second additional user of the additional users from the friends list.  
     
     
       30. The system of claim 28, wherein the first user interface comprises an entirety of the friends list.  
     
     
       31. The system of claim 28, wherein the information comprises the at least one user's achievements within an online game.  
     
     
       32. The system of claim 28, wherein providing the information within the first user interface comprises providing the information within the first user interface without interaction from the user.  
     
     
       33. The method of claim 23, wherein the information comprises an invitation from the at least one user of the additional users from the friends list to the user, the invitation comprising a game parameter that describes a game option to be used within online entertainment service.  
     
     
       34. The system of claim 28, wherein the information comprises an invitation from the at least one user of the additional users from the friends list to the user, the invitation comprising a game parameter that describes a game option to be used within online entertainment service.