{"schema_version":"1.0","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9852586","patent":{"patent_number":"US-9852586","title":"System for playing multiplayer games","assignee":null,"inventors":[],"filing_date":"2011-09-09T00:00:00.000Z","publication_date":"2017-12-26T00:00:00.000Z","cpc_codes":["G07F","G07F"],"num_claims":39,"abstract":"A computer system for playing multiplayer games comprises a first gaming server which runs multiple instances of a first game and to which is connected a first plurality of players, there being a minimum number of players and a maximum number of players for any instance of the first game; and a second gaming server which runs multiple instances of a second game and to which is connected a second plurality of players, there being a minimum number of players and a maximum number of players for any instance of the second game. The first gaming server is in communication with the second gaming server and through the second gaming server makes available instances of the first game for players from said second plurality of players to join. Thus, separate gaming servers can pool instances of games and players."},"analysis":{"summary":"The System for Playing Multiplayer Games patent (US-9852586) introduces a pivotal innovation in online gaming architecture, designed to overcome the pervasive problem of fragmented player bases and underutilized server resources. At its core, this invention describes a computer system where multiple distinct gaming servers, each hosting different game titles and connected to their own player communities, can communicate and collaboratively pool game instances and players. This means a player engaged with 'Game A' on 'Server X' can seamlessly join an instance of 'Game B' hosted on 'Server Y', facilitated by the direct communication link between Server X and Server Y.\n\nThe primary problem this technology solves is the isolation inherent in traditional multiplayer setups, where players are confined to specific servers or game instances, leading to long wait times, reduced engagement, and inefficient use of computing assets. By enabling servers to 'advertise' and 'share' available game instances, this system ensures a more dynamic and robust matchmaking environment.\n\nTechnically, the approach involves establishing a communication channel between a first gaming server and a second gaming server. The first server makes instances of its game available through the second server, allowing players from the second server's community to join. This requires sophisticated mechanisms for instance discovery, player routing, and potentially, state synchronization across server boundaries. The patent explicitly mentions minimum and maximum player numbers for instances, indicating integrated capacity management.\n\nFrom a business perspective, the value proposition is substantial. It promises enhanced player engagement and retention by reducing friction in finding matches and expanding social networks. It also offers significant operational efficiencies by optimizing server resource utilization, as instances can be filled from a broader player pool. This innovation creates new market opportunities for cross-game promotions, more flexible business models for game publishers, and a foundation for the next generation of interconnected virtual worlds. It positions itself as a critical enabler for scalability and improved user experience in the rapidly growing online gaming market.","layman_explanation":"For business professionals navigating the dynamic world of technology, understanding the core impact of innovations like the System for Playing Multiplayer Games patent (US-9852586) is crucial, even without delving into deep technical specifics. This patent offers a strategic solution to some of the most pressing challenges in the online gaming industry.\n\n**1. What Problem Does This Solve?**\nIn today's online gaming landscape, players are often confined to specific 'silos' – meaning they can only play with others on the same server, or even within the same specific game instance. Imagine a popular restaurant chain where each location operates completely independently. If one restaurant is bustling with customers and has a long waitlist, while another location just a few blocks away is half-empty, there's a significant inefficiency. In online gaming, this translates to players facing long wait times for matches, game instances remaining underpopulated, and valuable server resources sitting idle. This fragmentation leads to player frustration, decreased engagement, and ultimately, lost revenue opportunities for game publishers who are struggling to optimize their server infrastructure and retain their player base.\n\n**2. How Does It Work?**\nThe System for Playing Multiplayer Games effectively acts as a sophisticated 'inter-restaurant communication system' for game servers. Instead of operating in isolation, this patent describes a method where different gaming servers, even if they're hosting different game titles, can communicate with each other. For instance, Server A (hosting 'Game X') can 'advertise' to Server B (hosting 'Game Y') that it has available slots in a 'Game X' match. Server B can then 'route' its players who are interested in 'Game X' to join those available slots on Server A. The key here is conceptual: it's not about physically moving servers, but about creating a smart, communicative network that allows players to seamlessly transcend their initial server connection to join any available game instance across the network. It's like the busy restaurant calling the empty one and saying, 'Hey, we have customers who want to eat your menu item, can you take them?' and then facilitating that transfer, ensuring every table is utilized and every customer is served.\n\n**3. Why Does This Matter?**\nThis innovation holds immense business value and market impact:\n\n*   **Enhanced Player Engagement & Retention:** By significantly reducing wait times and expanding the pool of potential players for any given game instance, the system ensures a more consistent and enjoyable player experience. Happy players stay longer, play more, and are more likely to spend money within the game, directly boosting Player Lifetime Value (LTV).\n*   **Optimized Operational Efficiency:** Game publishers invest heavily in server infrastructure. This patent enables better utilization of those assets. Idle server capacity can now be leveraged by other games or player communities, leading to substantial cost savings in infrastructure and a better return on investment for hardware.\n*   **Expanded Market Opportunities:** The ability to 'cross-pollinate' players between different game titles within a publisher's portfolio creates new avenues for organic growth and cross-promotion. It can also support entirely new business models, such as platform-as-a-service offerings for smaller developers who can tap into a larger, shared player base.\n*   **Competitive Advantage:** Early adopters of this technology will gain a significant edge by offering a superior, more flexible multiplayer experience that can differentiate them in a crowded market.\n\n**4. What's Next?**\nThe System for Playing Multiplayer Games lays a critical foundation for the future of online entertainment. We can anticipate its integration into cloud gaming platforms, creating even more elastic and responsive environments. It could also pave the way for more dynamic, interconnected virtual metaverses where players transition effortlessly between different game worlds. This technology is not just about fixing current problems; it's about enabling a new generation of immersive, always-on, and globally connected gaming experiences, making it a key area for strategic investment and development in the coming years.","technical_analysis":"The System for Playing Multiplayer Games patent (US-9852586) describes a sophisticated computer system engineered to overcome the limitations of isolated game server architectures. This innovation centers on enabling distinct gaming servers, potentially hosting different game titles, to communicate and dynamically share game instances and player populations. This section delves into the technical intricacies, architectural considerations, and implementation implications of this groundbreaking approach.\n\n**Core Technical Architecture:**\nThe fundamental architecture comprises at least two interconnected gaming servers. Let's delineate them as a 'primary' server (Server A) and a 'secondary' server (Server B). Server A operates multiple instances of 'Game Alpha' and serves a first plurality of players. Concurrently, Server B operates multiple instances of 'Game Beta' and serves a second plurality of players. The crux of this patent lies in the established communication pathway between Server A and Server B. This pathway allows Server A to make its instances of 'Game Alpha' available to players connected to Server B, effectively transcending traditional server boundaries.\n\n**Implementation Details and Protocols:**\nImplementing this system would necessitate several key technical components and protocols:\n\n1.  **Inter-Server Communication Layer:** A robust, low-latency communication protocol is essential. This layer would facilitate the exchange of metadata about available game instances (e.g., game ID, instance ID, current player count, required player count, game state, server load) and player connection requests. Technologies like message queues (e.g., RabbitMQ, Kafka), gRPC, or custom TCP/UDP protocols could form the backbone of this communication.\n2.  **Instance Discovery and Advertisement:** Each server must have a mechanism to advertise its available game instances to other participating servers. This could be a push-based system (servers broadcast updates) or a pull-based system (servers query a central registry or other servers). The data exchanged must be standardized to ensure interoperability.\n3.  **Player Routing and Handoff:** When a player on Server B wishes to join an instance on Server A, Server B acts as a proxy or orchestrator. It verifies the player's eligibility (e.g., game ownership, anti-cheat status) and then initiates a handoff procedure. This typically involves providing Server A with the necessary player credentials and connection details, and then instructing the player's client to connect directly to Server A, or routing the client's traffic through Server B initially. Seamless client re-connection and session state transfer are critical for a smooth user experience.\n4.  **Distributed Session Management:** Maintaining consistent session information for players who transition between servers is a challenge. A distributed session store (e.g., Redis, Cassandra) or a centralized player identity service would be crucial to track player status, game progress, and entitlements across the interconnected ecosystem.\n5.  **Load Balancing and Resource Allocation:** The patent's mention of 'minimum and maximum number of players for any instance' implies an intelligent load balancing component. This component would dynamically assess server load, instance availability, and player demand across the entire network to optimally route new players and suggest instances. This could leverage algorithms that consider latency, server capacity, and game-specific requirements.\n\n**Performance Characteristics and Considerations:**\n*   **Latency:** The primary concern for multiplayer gaming. Inter-server communication and player handoff must minimize added latency. Geographic distribution of servers and optimized network paths are paramount.\n*   **Scalability:** The system must scale horizontally to accommodate a growing number of interconnected servers and millions of concurrent players. This implies statelessness where possible and efficient resource management.\n*   **Fault Tolerance:** The failure of one server should not disrupt the entire network. Redundancy, failover mechanisms, and graceful degradation strategies are essential.\n*   **Security:** Cross-server interactions introduce new attack vectors. Robust authentication, authorization, and data encryption are mandatory for protecting player data and game integrity.\n\nThis technology provides a robust foundation for building highly scalable, flexible, and player-centric multiplayer gaming environments. It encourages a shift from isolated game instances to a more collaborative and integrated ecosystem, paving the way for advanced distributed game designs and enhanced player experiences. Developers and architects leveraging this innovation will focus on developing resilient inter-server protocols, intelligent routing algorithms, and robust distributed state management to fully realize its potential.","business_analysis":"The System for Playing Multiplayer Games patent (US-9852586) represents a significant strategic asset for the online gaming industry, addressing core business challenges related to player engagement, operational efficiency, and market expansion. This innovation has the potential to reshape competitive landscapes and unlock substantial new revenue streams for publishers and platform providers.\n\n**Market Opportunity Size:**\nThe global online gaming market is massive and continues to grow, driven by esports, mobile gaming, and cloud platforms. However, this growth is often hampered by player fragmentation – a scenario where individual game instances or entire game titles suffer from low player counts, leading to poor user experience and churn. This patent directly tackles this inefficiency, opening up a market opportunity for solutions that can consolidate player bases and optimize server utilization across diverse game portfolios. The ability to seamlessly pool players across different games and servers could significantly increase the addressable market for any given game instance.\n\n**Competitive Advantages:**\nCompanies that adopt or license the technology described in this patent will gain a substantial competitive edge:\n\n1.  **Enhanced Player Experience:** Reduced wait times for matches and a consistently larger pool of available players directly translate to higher player satisfaction and engagement. This is a critical differentiator in a market where player retention is paramount.\n2.  **Operational Efficiency:** By enabling servers to dynamically share instances and players, publishers can optimize their server infrastructure, reducing idle capacity and lowering operational costs. This leads to better ROI on hardware investments.\n3.  **Cross-Promotion and Ecosystem Lock-in:** The system facilitates organic cross-promotion between different game titles within a publisher's portfolio. Players from one game can easily discover and join instances of another, fostering a stronger, more interconnected gaming ecosystem that encourages players to stay within a single publisher's offerings.\n4.  **Foundation for Innovation:** This technology provides a robust architectural foundation for developing next-generation gaming experiences, such as dynamic metaverses, persistent worlds spanning multiple titles, or large-scale, cross-game events, positioning early adopters as industry leaders.\n\n**Revenue Potential and Business Models:**\nThis innovation opens several avenues for revenue generation:\n\n*   **Increased Player Lifetime Value (LTV):** Higher engagement and retention directly correlate with increased in-game purchases, subscription renewals, and overall LTV.\n*   **Subscription/Platform Services:** The technology could be offered as a Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) to smaller developers, allowing them to tap into a larger player pool without building complex inter-server infrastructure themselves.\n*   **Licensing:** The patent holder could license the technology to major game publishers, cloud gaming providers, or even hardware manufacturers looking to integrate advanced multiplayer capabilities.\n*   **Reduced Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC):** By effectively cross-promoting games within an existing player base, the need for external marketing spend to acquire new players for specific titles can be reduced.\n\n**Strategic Positioning:**\nFor major game publishers, integrating this system would allow them to consolidate their diverse game portfolios into a more cohesive, interconnected experience. For cloud gaming platforms, it offers a powerful tool to maximize resource utilization and deliver a superior, more flexible multiplayer offering. Early adoption could lead to significant market share gains and establish a dominant position in the evolving online gaming landscape.\n\n**ROI Projections:**\nWhile specific ROI will vary by implementation, the core benefits of reduced operational costs, increased player engagement leading to higher LTV, and expanded market reach suggest a strong positive return. The ability to defer or reduce capital expenditure on new server farms, coupled with improved player retention metrics, makes a compelling business case for investing in the capabilities enabled by the System for Playing Multiplayer Games. This invention is not just a technical marvel; it is a strategic imperative for the future of online entertainment.","faqs":[{"answer":"The System for Playing Multiplayer Games patent (US-9852586) describes a groundbreaking computer system designed to enhance online multiplayer experiences. Essentially, it enables separate gaming servers, which might be hosting different game titles, to communicate with each other. This communication allows these servers to 'pool' their available game instances and player populations.\n\nInstead of players being confined to a single server or game, this innovation allows a player from one server (e.g., playing 'Game A') to seamlessly join an instance of another game (e.g., 'Game B') hosted on a different server, facilitated by the direct communication link between the two servers. It's a fundamental shift towards a more interconnected and dynamic online gaming environment.\n\nThe core concept is to break down the traditional 'silos' that exist between game servers, leading to a more efficient and engaging experience for players and a more optimized operational model for game publishers. This patent lays the groundwork for a new era of online multiplayer connectivity.","question":"What is System for Playing Multiplayer Games?"},{"answer":"The System for Playing Multiplayer Games operates on a principle of inter-server communication and resource sharing. Imagine two distinct gaming servers, Server X and Server Y. Server X is running multiple instances of 'Game Alpha', and Server Y is running instances of 'Game Beta'.\n\nThe patent details that Server X and Server Y are in direct communication. Through this link, Server X can 'advertise' its available instances of 'Game Alpha' to Server Y. When a player connected to Server Y expresses interest in joining 'Game Alpha', Server Y can then facilitate that player's connection to an available instance on Server X.\n\nThis process involves a series of steps: instance discovery, negotiation between servers to ensure compatibility and availability, and then a seamless handoff or redirection of the player's client to the target server's game instance. The system ensures that players can fluidly transition between games and servers, optimizing player distribution and server utilization.","question":"How does System for Playing Multiplayer Games work?"},{"answer":"The System for Playing Multiplayer Games directly addresses two pervasive problems in the online gaming industry: player fragmentation and underutilized server resources.\n\nPlayer fragmentation occurs when players are isolated to specific servers or game instances, leading to long wait times for matches, particularly for less popular game modes or during off-peak hours. This results in player frustration, decreased engagement, and ultimately, higher churn rates. The system solves this by expanding the potential player pool for any given instance across multiple servers and games.\n\nSecondly, game publishers often invest heavily in server infrastructure that may run at suboptimal capacity. Servers provisioned for peak loads sit idle during slower periods. By enabling servers to dynamically share instances, this innovation maximizes the utilization of these expensive resources, leading to significant operational efficiencies and cost savings. The System for Playing Multiplayer Games ensures that game instances are more consistently populated, providing a better experience for players and a better return on investment for publishers.","question":"What problem does System for Playing Multiplayer Games solve?"},{"answer":"The patent data provided indicates that the inventors and assignee for the System for Playing Multiplayer Games (US-9852586) are not specified in the abstract or initial metadata. Patents are typically filed by individuals (inventors) and assigned to companies (assignees) who own the intellectual property. While the specific names are not publicly detailed in this abstract, the innovation itself stems from the collaborative efforts within the gaming technology sector to overcome long-standing challenges in multiplayer connectivity.\n\nThe absence of specific inventor names in this context does not diminish the significance of the invention. It highlights a focus on the technological solution itself and its broader impact on the industry. The System for Playing Multiplayer Games represents a collective stride forward in distributed game architecture, regardless of the individual or team credited with its conception in the full patent document.","question":"Who invented System for Playing Multiplayer Games?"},{"answer":"The System for Playing Multiplayer Games offers a multitude of benefits for both players and game publishers, fundamentally transforming the online gaming experience.\n\nFor players, the primary benefit is a dramatically improved gameplay experience due to reduced wait times for matches and more consistently populated game instances. This fosters a more vibrant and engaging social environment, making it easier to connect with a wider community of players across different servers and even different game titles. It leads to higher satisfaction and longer engagement with games.\n\nFor game publishers, the benefits are equally significant. The system allows for optimal utilization of expensive server infrastructure, reducing operational costs and improving the return on investment for hardware. It also enables powerful cross-promotional opportunities, as players from one game can be seamlessly introduced to other titles within a publisher's portfolio, boosting overall ecosystem value and player retention. The System for Playing Multiplayer Games provides a strategic advantage in a highly competitive market.","question":"What are the key benefits of System for Playing Multiplayer Games?"},{"answer":"The System for Playing Multiplayer Games distinguishes itself from prior art by offering a novel approach to inter-server communication and resource pooling that goes beyond existing solutions.\n\nTraditional multiplayer systems typically rely on dedicated servers or centralized matchmaking services that operate within the confines of a single game title. While these systems can help players find matches, they do not enable distinct servers, potentially hosting *different games*, to directly share their available game instances and dynamically route players between them. Cloud-based auto-scaling, another form of prior art, optimizes server resources but usually for a single game, not across an entire portfolio of titles.\n\nThis innovation's key differentiator is its ability to create a truly federated network where servers actively communicate to make instances available across boundaries. This allows for unprecedented flexibility in player distribution and server utilization, offering a more holistic solution to player fragmentation and resource inefficiency than any previous technology. The System for Playing Multiplayer Games introduces a new paradigm for interconnected online experiences.","question":"How is System for Playing Multiplayer Games different from prior art?"},{"answer":"The System for Playing Multiplayer Games patent will primarily impact the online gaming industry, but its influence could extend to other sectors dealing with large-scale distributed interactive experiences.\n\nWithin gaming, it will revolutionize how game publishers manage their server infrastructure, develop new game titles, and engage their player communities. It has significant implications for esports, allowing for more flexible tournament setups and broader access to competitive play. Cloud gaming platforms will also greatly benefit, as the technology enables more efficient resource allocation and seamless player experiences across their vast server networks.\n\nBeyond gaming, the core principles of inter-server communication and dynamic resource sharing could be adapted for applications in virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) metaverses, collaborative virtual workspaces, and large-scale simulation environments. Any industry requiring fluid, interconnected user experiences across distributed digital spaces stands to be influenced by the System for Playing Multiplayer Games.","question":"What industries will System for Playing Multiplayer Games impact?"},{"answer":"The System for Playing Multiplayer Games patent, identified as US-9852586, has specific dates associated with its journey through the patent process.\n\nIt was originally filed on **September 9, 2011**. This date marks when the inventors submitted their application to the patent office, formally staking their claim to the invention. The filing date is crucial as it typically establishes the priority date for the invention.\n\nSubsequently, the patent was granted and published on **December 26, 2017**. The publication date signifies when the patent officially became public record, detailing the claims and specifications of the System for Playing Multiplayer Games. This timeline reflects the rigorous examination process patents undergo before being issued, highlighting the novelty and non-obviousness of this particular innovation in multiplayer gaming technology.","question":"When was System for Playing Multiplayer Games filed/granted?"},{"answer":"The commercial applications of the System for Playing Multiplayer Games are extensive and hold significant value for various stakeholders in the digital entertainment ecosystem.\n\nGame publishers can license or integrate this technology to enhance their existing game portfolios, offering players a more connected and engaging experience, which directly translates to higher player retention and increased in-game monetization. It also allows for more efficient management of server costs by optimizing resource utilization across multiple titles. For new game launches, it reduces the risk of underpopulated servers.\n\nFurthermore, cloud gaming providers can leverage this system to offer a superior service, maximizing their infrastructure's efficiency and providing seamless transitions between games for their subscribers. The technology could also be offered as a platform-as-a-service (PaaS) to smaller game developers, enabling them to tap into a larger, interconnected player base without needing to build complex inter-server solutions from scratch. The System for Playing Multiplayer Games thus creates new revenue streams and strategic advantages across the industry.","question":"What are the commercial applications of System for Playing Multiplayer Games?"},{"answer":"The System for Playing Multiplayer Games lays a foundational blueprint for significant future developments in online multiplayer technology. We can anticipate several key evolutions building upon this patent's core principles.\n\nOne major area is the deeper integration into the metaverse concept, allowing for truly seamless transitions between different virtual worlds or game experiences, blurring the lines between distinct titles. This could lead to persistent, dynamic meta-games where player actions in one game might influence another, all facilitated by this inter-server communication. Another development will likely involve advanced AI and machine learning algorithms to intelligently predict player demand and dynamically allocate game instances and players across the network, optimizing for factors like latency, player skill, and social connections in real-time.\n\nFurthermore, the principles of the System for Playing Multiplayer Games could be extended to more decentralized network architectures, enhancing resilience and potentially enabling community-driven game hosting. As hardware and network capabilities continue to advance, this innovation will enable increasingly complex and immersive shared digital experiences, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in online interactive entertainment.","question":"What are the future developments expected for System for Playing Multiplayer Games?"}],"topics":["multiplayer games patent","cross-server gaming","game server technology","player pooling","online gaming innovation","technical","background","challenge"],"tech_cluster":null},"seo":{"title":"System for Playing Multiplayer Games - Patent US-9852586","description":"Discover the System for Playing Multiplayer Games patent (US-9852586), an innovation enabling seamless cross-server player and instance pooling for online gaming. Full analysis.","keywords":["multiplayer games patent","cross-server gaming","game server technology","player pooling","online gaming innovation","gaming patent US-9852586","US-9852586","distributed gaming","game instance management","gaming technology","patent analysis","video game servers","game matchmaking"]},"attribution":{"source":"Patentable","source_url":"https://patentable.app","canonical_url":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9852586","license":"CC-BY-4.0-like","license_terms":"AI-generated analysis on this page (summary, layman_explanation, technical_analysis, business_analysis, faqs) may be reused with attribution and a visible link back to the canonical URL above. Patent abstracts, claims, and bibliographic data are USPTO public domain.","required_link":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9852586","citation_suggestion":"Patentable. \"System for playing multiplayer games\" (US-9852586). https://patentable.app/patents/US-9852586","copyright_holder":"Nomic Interactive Technology LLC"},"links":{"html":"https://patentable.app/patents/US-9852586","json":"https://patentable.app/api/llm-context/US-9852586","site":"https://patentable.app","llms_txt":"https://patentable.app/llms.txt"},"generated_at":"2026-06-06T11:21:43.213Z"}