System and method for granting remote access to a video game executed on a video game console or network client
Systems for granting remote access to, and methods of playing, a video game executing on a video game console coupled to a computer network or video games executing on hosting clients of a computer network. One embodiment of the system includes: (1) a stream distributor configured to receive a video stream conveying a view of a gamespace of the video game from the video game console via the computer network and transmit the video stream toward a remote client via the computer network and (2) a response receiver associated with the stream distributor and configured to receive a response stream from the remote client via the computer network and transmit the response stream toward the video game console.
1. A method of multiplayer gaming over a computer network, the method comprising:
receiving, by a hosting client, input provided from multiple remote clients to a remote play coordinator of a remote play server, the input being transmitted to the hosting client from the remote play coordinator, wherein:
the hosting client and multiple remote clients are playing the same game;
the remote play coordinator is connected to the multiple remote clients and the hosting client via the computer network; and
the computer network comprises the Internet;
generating, by a game engine of the hosting client, a video stream conveying a gamespace for the game responsive to the input from the multiple remote clients;
unicasting or multicasting via the computer network, depending on a number of remote clients providing input to the remote play coordinator, the video stream from the hosting client by a stream distributor of the remote play server to the multiple remote clients; and
receiving by the hosting client via the computer network, a response stream from a response receiver of the remote play server, the response stream comprising responses from the multiple remote clients.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:
the input from the multiple remote clients received by the hosting client from the remote play coordinator is received by a remote play interface of the hosting client; and
the response streams received by the hosting client from the response receiver are received by the remote play interface of the hosting client.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein the stream distributor and response receiver are embodied in the hosting client.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the multiple remote clients are assigned a corresponding avatar and each of the multiple remote clients interact with avatars of others of the multiple remote clients while playing the video game.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein the multiple remote clients are selected from the group consisting of:
a general purpose computer,
a mobile device, and
a video game console.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein the hosting client is selected from the group consisting of:
a general purpose computer,
a mobile device, and
a video game console.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the video stream has a frame rate of at least 18 frames per second.
8. A system for multiplayer gaming over a computer network, the system comprising:
a hosting client;
multiple remote clients; and
a remote play server connected to the hosting client and the multiple remote clients over the computer network, wherein:
the computer network comprises the Internet;
the hosting client receives input provided from the multiple remote clients to a remote play coordinator of the remote play server, the input being transmitted to the hosting client from the remote play coordinator;
the hosting client and multiple remote clients are playing the same game;
a game engine of the hosting client generates a video stream conveying a gamespace for the game responsive to the input from the multiple remote clients;
the video stream generated by the hosting client is unicasted or multicasted, depending on a number of remote clients providing input to the remote play coordinator, from a stream distributor of the remote play server, via the computer network to the multiple remote clients; and
the hosting client, via the computer network, receives a response stream from a response receiver of the remote play server, the response stream comprising responses from the multiple remote clients.
9. The system of claim 8 wherein:
the input from the multiple remote clients received by the host client from the remote play coordinator is received by a remote play interface of the hosting client; and
the response streams received by the host client from the response receiver are received by the remote play interface of the hosting client.
10. The system of claim 8 wherein the stream distributor and response receiver are embodied in the hosting client.
11. The method of claim 1 wherein each of the multiple remote clients are assigned a corresponding avatar and each of the multiple remote clients interact with avatars of others of the multiple remote clients while playing the video game.
12. The system of claim 8 wherein the multiple remote clients are selected from the group consisting of:
a general purpose computer,
a mobile device, and
a video game console.
13. The system of claim 8 wherein the hosting client is selected from the group consisting of:
a general purpose computer,
a mobile device, and
a video game console.
14. The system of claim 8 wherein the video stream has a frame rate of at least 18 frames per second.