Mechanism to control game usage on user devices

1 . A method comprising:

identifying a game selected by a user for a first user device;

determining that the game has been previously purchased by the user for a second user device; and

causing the game to be available to the user for playing on the first user device.

2 . The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first user device is a wireless device associated with a first wireless carrier; and

the second user device is wireless device associated with a second wireless carrier.

3 . The method of claim 1 wherein:

the first user device is a wireless device; and

the second user device is any one of a personal computer, a hand-held computer, and a video game console.

4 . The method of claim 1 wherein determining that the game has been previously purchased by the user comprises:

receiving user identifying information; and

finding matching user identifying information associated with the game in a database.

5 . The method of claim 4 further comprising:

receiving the matching user identifying information when the user purchases the game for the second user device; and

storing the matching user identifying information in association with the game in the database.

6 . The method of claim 4 wherein the user identifying information comprises a user identifier and a password.

7 . The method of claim 4 wherein the user identifying information comprises a unique code associated with the game.

8 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

prior to causing the game to be available to the user, determining that the user satisfies one or more game unlocking criteria.

9 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining that the user satisfies one or more game locking criteria; and

causing user access to the game to discontinue.

10 . The method of claim 1 wherein identifying the game selected by the user comprises:

detecting a user request to download a demo version of the game to the first user device.

11 . The method of claim 10 wherein the demo version of the game provides restricted functionality of the game.

12 . The method of claim 11 wherein causing the game to be available to the user comprises:

causing restrictions associated with the demo version of the game to be disabled.

13 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

notifying the user about a new game;

receiving a user consent to try the new game;

downloading a demo of the new game to the first user device; and

upon determining that the user has purchased the new game, causing the new game to be available to the user for playing on the first user device.

14 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

receiving metrics of the game from the first user device; and

storing the metrics received from the first user device with the game metrics received from the second user device.

15 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

maintaining a list of scores for the game, the list of scores covering a plurality of players of the game across a plurality of device platforms; and

displaying the list of scores to the user.

16 . The method of claim 1 further comprising:

analyzing stored data associated with the user; and

selecting advertisements to be displayed to the user based on the analyzed data.

17 . A method comprising:

receiving from a wireless device a request to unlock a game residing on the wireless device;

determining that a user of the wireless device satisfies unlock criteria; and

communicating to the wireless device an instruction to unlock the game.

18 . The method of claim 17 further comprising:

upon determining that the user of the wireless device satisfies the unlock criteria, sending a request to bill the user for a price of the game to a billing system; and

sending data identifying a billed amount to the wireless device.

19 . The method of claim 17 wherein:

the game residing on the client device operates in a restricted mode prior to unlocking; and

the instruction to unlock the game causes the game to operate in a full mode.

20 . The method of claim 17 further comprising:

determining that the user does not satisfy the unlocking criteria; and

communicating to the wireless device an instruction to lock the game.

21 . The method of claim 17 further comprising:

determining that the game is active only on one wireless device prior to communicating the instruction to unlock the game.

22 . A method comprising:

receiving, from a client device, a request to unlock a game each time a user of the client device attempts to start the game; and

communicating to the client device an instruction to unlock the game each time a billable event is issued for starting the game.

23 . The method of claim 22 wherein the game is automatically locked each time the game is completed.

24 . The method of claim 22 wherein the billable event is issued upon receiving a request of the user to unlock the game.

25 . The method of claim 24 further comprising:

causing an account of the user to be charged with a fee for starting the game when receiving the request of the user to unlock the game.

26 . The method of claim 22 wherein the billable event is issued upon determining that an e-wallet account of the user contains funds sufficient to cover a fee for starting the game.

27 . The method of claim 26 further comprising:

debiting the e-wallet account of the user for the fee.

28 . The method of claim 26 further comprising:

determining that the e-wallet account of the user does not contain funds sufficient to cover the fee for starting the game;

allowing the user to recharge the e-wallet account; and

determining that the user added funds sufficient to cover the fee for starting the game to the e-wallet account.

29 . The method of claim 22 wherein the client device is any one of a mobile phone, a personal computer, a hand-held computer, and a video game console.

30 . A system comprising:

a database to store data pertaining to a user; and

a game usage controller to identify a game selected by the user for a first user device, to search the database to determine that the game has been previously purchased by the user for a second user device, and to cause the game to be available to the user for playing on the first user device.

31 . A system comprising:

a database to store data pertaining to a user of a wireless device; and

a game usage controller to receive from the wireless device a request to unlock a game residing on the wireless device, to determine that a user of the wireless device satisfies unlock criteria using the data pertaining to the user, and to communicate to the wireless device an instruction to unlock the game.

32 . A system comprising:

a game usage controller to receive, from a client device, a request to unlock a game each time a user of the client device attempts to start the game, and to communicate to the client device an instruction to unlock the game each time a billable event is issued for starting the game.

33 . An apparatus comprising:

means for identifying a game selected by a user for a first user device;

means for determining that the game has been previously purchased by the user for a second user device; and

means for causing the game to be available to the user for playing on the first user device.

34 . An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving from a wireless device a request to unlock a game residing on the wireless device;

means for determining that a user of the wireless device satisfies unlock criteria; and

means for communicating to the wireless device an instruction to unlock the game.

35 . An apparatus comprising:

means for receiving, from a client device, a request to unlock a game each time a user of the client device attempts to start the game; and

means for communicating to the client device an instruction to unlock the game each time a billable event is issued for starting the game.

36 . A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions which when executed on a processing system cause said processing system to perform a method comprising:

identifying a game selected by a user for a first user device;

determining that the game has been previously purchased by the user for a second user device; and

causing the game to be available to the user for playing on the first user device.

37 . A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions which when executed on a processing system cause said processing system to perform a method comprising:

receiving from a wireless device a request to unlock a game residing on the wireless device;

determining that a user of the wireless device satisfies unlock criteria; and

communicating to the wireless device an instruction to unlock the game.

38 . A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions which when executed on a processing system cause said processing system to perform a method comprising:

receiving, from a client device, a request to unlock a game each time a user of the client device attempts to start the game; and

communicating to the client device an instruction to unlock the game each time a billable event is issued for starting the game.