TECHNICAL FIELD
[0001] The present disclosure is related to video gaming and social networking, and more specifically to building a social community for a player playing a gaming application based on in-game progression and location of the game play, wherein the social community includes players playing the same game at the same in-game progression or location.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
[0002] With higher processing power of computing systems, video games are becoming more complex and expansive. For example, open world video games allow a player to move throughout a gaming environment without any predetermined pattern. That is, the player is able to freely explore the gaming environment without following any ordered approach. In addition, forums may be established that allow players of a video game to obtain information. These forums may provide step-by-step instructions on how to complete a task or how to reach the next level. These forums provide an important social connection to players of a video game, such as by allowing players who share the same interest in a particular video game to interact with each other.
[0003] However, a player joining a forum takes the risk that sensitive and unwanted information may be revealed without any warning. The sensitive information may take away from the enjoyment of playing the video game. For example, sensitive information may include spoilers that tell how the video game ends, or may include spoilers that reveal plot twists, etc. After learning about such information, a player may be so affected that the video game may not be that interesting anymore, and very quickly the player may quit playing that video game--even without finishing.
[0004] Participants to a forum may not even know that they are divulging sensitive information. For instance, a participant that is asking a question within the forum may unwittingly reveal to other players an upcoming obstacle or boss at the end of certain part of the game. In another instance, a player that is offering information may take great care to not divulge sensitive information by prefacing communication with a warning that potentially sensitive information may soon be revealed. In each of these cases, whether the participant is seeking or giving information, extensive measures need to be taken in order not to ruin a video game for certain participants within the forum. Alas, even with all these measured precautions, participants may still learn about the sensitive information. As a result, some players may choose to avoid all forums for fear of learning about sensitive information, even when they really want to join a forum to learn just enough information about their game play (e.g., how to accomplish a difficult task, etc.), or even to just casually interact with others who also enjoy playing the video game--like talking about the video game over a beer at a bar.
[0005] It is in this context that embodiments of the disclosure arise.
SUMMARY
[0006] Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to systems and methods for building instant social connections and emergent communities based on in-game progression and location of a particular player. That player can participate in a real-time mobile social experience by connecting to other players playing the same game who are at a similar point in the video game (either physically or progression-wise). This helps mitigate the risk of spoilers, since all the players are basically in the same part of the game, and know approximately the same information. That is, players in a particular emergent community probably do not know any sensitive information that would ruin the game for others in that emergent community. In that manner, these players can be connected to and communicate with each other without actively being careful to not reveal sensitive information.
[0007] In one embodiment, a method for gaming is disclosed. The method includes receiving a plurality of game states for a plurality of game plays of a plurality of players playing a gaming application. The method includes tracking game play progression for each of the plurality of game plays based on the plurality of game states, wherein game play progression is defined by a corresponding set of relationship characteristics, wherein a first game play of a first player is associated with a first set of relationship characteristics. The method includes identifying for the first player one or more players having corresponding game plays that each include one or more relationship characteristics from the first set of relationship characteristics for the first player. The method includes surfacing the one or more identified players for display to the first player. Each of the surfaced players have a corresponding game play progression that is related to the first game play progression of the first player. Each of the surfaced players is associated with a corresponding communication warning indicator that provides relative game play progression between game plays of the corresponding surfaced player and the first player.
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