Injecting Content into Episodic Video Games

1 . A method comprising:

playing a hidden object video game having multiple episodes;

upon reaching a milestone in the hidden object video game, automatically requesting and receiving from a server additional episodes of the video game.

2 . The method as recited in claim 1 , further comprising:

playing the video game on a computer device; and

automatically providing the additional episodes by:

establishing a connection between the computing device and the server;

downloading the episode from the server;

disconnecting the connection with the server; and

playing the hidden object video game on the computer after disconnecting the connection.

3 . The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

playing the hidden object video game on a computer device; and

storing the additional episodes in a database in a memory of the computing device so the game can be played when the computing device is disconnected from the server.

4 . The method as recited in game 1 wherein the additional episodes of the game are received when a game player is not playing the game.

5 . The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

providing points or awards for playing the game; and

supplying additional episodes when a game player receives a predetermined number of points or awards.

6 . The method as recited in claim 5 further comprising using a reward provided from playing a previous episode when playing game using the additional episode.

7 . The method s recited in claim 1 further comprising:

storing in a datastore in a server on regular periodic intervals the additional episodes comprising new episodic content;

notifying the computing device of the availability of the new episodic content; and

automatically receiving the new episodic content from the datastore when available.

8 . The method as recited in claim 1 wherein the hidden object video game comprises a computer program the runs the video game, and wherein the additional episode comprise a dynamic linked library (DLL) comprising additional game content, and wherein the DLL plugs into the computer program.

9 . The method as recited in claim 1 further comprising:

storing a sequence of episodes of the game on server, and receiving the additional episodes in a predetermined order relating to a plot of the game.

10 . The method as recited in claim 1 wherein each episode has a plot, and wherein each of the additional received episodes have plots that are a continuation of the plot of the previous episode.

11 . A computer readable medium having instruction which when executed by one or more processor implement a video game with a computing device, said instructions when executed by one or more processors comprise:

playing a hidden object video game having multiple episodes; and

upon reaching a milestone in the hidden object video game, automatically requesting and receiving from a server one or more additional episodes of the video game that comprises a dynamic linked data library which plugs into the computer program.

12 . The computer readable medium as recited in claim 11 , further comprising:

playing the video game on the computer device; and

automatically providing the additional episodes by:

establishing a connection between the computing device and the server;

downloading the episode from the server;

disconnecting the connection with the server; and

playing the hidden object video game on the computer after disconnecting the connection.

13 . The computer readable medium as recited in claim 11 , further comprising: playing the hidden object video game on the computer device; and storing the additional episodes in a database in a memory of the computing device so the game can be played when the computing device is not connected to the server.

14 . The computer readable medium as recited in claim 11 wherein the additional episodes of the game is received when a game player is not playing the game.

15 . The computer readable medium as recited in claim 11 further comprising:

providing points or awards for playing the game; and

supplying additional episodes when game player receives a predetermined number of points or awards.

16 . The computer readable medium as recited in claim 11 further comprising:

storing a sequence of episodes of the game on server; and

receiving the additional episodes in a predetermined order relating to a plot of the game.

17 . A computing device to play a video game, the computing device comprising:

a video screen;

an input device;

a processor;

a memory comprising a datastore that includes content related to the video game, the content comprising text of a story of the video game, background graphic design and partially obfuscated objects embedded in the background graphic design, and a textual list of items related to the story and corresponding to the partially obfuscated objects;

the memory comprising core program instruction which when executed by the processor comprise:

(a) retrieve content from the data store;

(b) display a text of a story on the video screen using the retrieved content;

(c) display a background graphic design and partially obfuscated objects embedded in the background graphic design on the video screen using the retrieved content;

(d) display on the video screen, a textual list of items related to the story and corresponding to the partially obfuscated objects using the retrieved content;

(e) receive a signal from the input device to select the partially obfuscated objects in the video screen;

(f) provide an indication on the video screen as each of the partially obfuscated objects are selected;

(g) upon reaching a milestone in the hidden object video game, connecting with a server via a network;

(h) upon connecting with the server, requesting that one or more additional episodes of the video game be transmitted from the server to the computing device via the network;

(i) receiving content comprising additional episodes via the network;

(j) storing the received content as a dynamic link library (DLL) in a database;

(k) disconnecting from the server; and

(l) executing with the core program steps (a)-(f) using the stored received content stored in the DLL.

18 . The computing device as recited in claim 17 , wherein the core program instruction which when executed by the processor comprise:

automatically upon reaching a milestone in the hidden object video game;

connecting with a server via a network and requesting that one or more additional episodes of the video game be transmitted from the server to the computing device via the network; and

providing episode level information and/or version information of the game in the request.

19 . The computer readable medium as recited in claim 17 further comprising:

reaching a milestone in the hidden object video game by completing episodes, wherein the episodes are completed by finding partially obfuscated objects in the game.

20 . The computer readable medium as recited in claim 17 further comprising:

reaching a milestone in the hidden object video game when the game player receives a predetermined number of points or awards.