System and method for managing event data in a multi-player online game

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

receiving user input at a plurality of client devices for a multi-player online game comprising a virtual environment;

generating user-initiated events for the online game on the client devices based on the user input;

distributing any user-initiated events generated on each client device to other client devices from the plurality of client devices;

determining at each client device a plurality of derived game events based on the user-initiated events received from the other client devices;

storing on each client device the user-initiated events and the derived game events in one or more event queues; and

determining at each client device a state of the virtual environment over time, according to the stored user-initiated events and the derived game events,

wherein determining the state of the virtual environment comprises:

synchronizing a game clock across the plurality of client devices; and

processing each stored event on each client device when the game clock reaches a time at which the stored event is scheduled to occur in the virtual environment.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein users interact with the virtual environment using the client devices.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein each user-initiated event comprises a time at which the user-initiated event will occur in the virtual environment.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein distributing the user-initiated events comprises:

sending the user-initiated events from the client devices to a server; and

receiving at each client device, from the server, the user-initiated events generated by other client devices from the plurality of client, devices.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein distributing the user-initiated events comprises receiving at each client device any user-initiated events generated on other client devices from the plurality of client devices.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein each derived game event comprises a time at which the derived game event, will occur in the virtual environment.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the user-initiated events and the derived game events are stored on each client device according to times for the user-initiated events and the derived game events.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein each client device makes an identical determination of the state of the virtual environment over time.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

displaying at least a portion of the virtual environment on each client device.

10. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

receiving at a server the user-initiated events from the client devices;

determining at the server the plurality of derived game events based on the user-initiated events;

storing on the server the user-initiated events and the derived game events in one or more server event queues; and

determining on the server the state of the virtual environment over time, according to the stored user-initiated events and the derived game events.

11. A system, comprising:

one or more computer processors programmed to perform operations comprising:

receiving user input at a plurality of client devices for a multi-player online game comprising a virtual environment;

generating user-initiated events for the online game on the client devices based on the user input;

distributing any user-initiated events generated on each client device to other client devices from the plurality of client devices;

determining at each client device a plurality of derived game events based on the user-initiated events received from the other client devices;

storing on each client device the user-initiated events and the derived game events in one or more event queues; and

determining at each client device a state of the virtual environment over time, according to the stored user-initiated events and the derived game events,

wherein determining the state of the virtual environment comprises:

synchronizing a game clock across the plurality of client devices; and

processing each stored event on each client device when the game clock reaches a time at which the stored event is scheduled to occur in the virtual environment.

12. The system of claim 11 , wherein users interact with the virtual environment using the client devices.

13. The system of claim 11 , wherein each user-initiated event comprises a time at which the user-initiated event will occur in the virtual environment.

14. The system of claim 11 , wherein distributing the user-initiated events comprises:

sending the user-initiated events from the client devices to a server; and

receiving at each client device, from the server, the user-initiated events generated by other client devices from the plurality of client devices.

15. The system of claim 11 , wherein distributing the user-initiated events comprises receiving at each client device any user-initiated events generated on other client devices from the plurality of client devices.

16. The system of claim 11 , wherein each derived game event comprises a time at which the derived game event will occur in the virtual environment.

17. The system of claim 11 , wherein the user-initiated events and the derived game events are stored on each client device according to times for the user-initiated events and the derived game events.

18. The system of claim 11 , wherein each client device makes an identical determination of the state of the virtual environment over time.

19. The system of claim 11 , the operations further comprising:

receiving at a server the user-initiated events from the client devices;

determining at the server the plurality of derived game events based on the user-initiated events;

storing on the server the user-initiated events and the derived game events in one or more server event queues; and

determining on the server the state of the virtual environment over time, according to the stored user-initiated events and the derived game events.

20. An article, comprising:

a non-transitory computer-readable medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed by one or more computer processors, cause the computer processors to perform operations comprising:

receiving user input at a plurality of client devices for a multi-player online game comprising a virtual environment;

generating user-initiated events for the online game on the client devices based on the user input;

distributing any user-initiated events generated on each client device to other client devices from the plurality of client devices;

determining at each client device a plurality of derived game events based on the user-initiated events received from the other client devices;

storing on each client device the user-initiated events and the derived game events in one inure event queues; and

determining at each client device a state of the virtual environment over time, according to the stored user-initiated events and the derived game events,

wherein determining the state of the virtual environment comprises:

synchronizing a game clock across the plurality of client devices; and

processing each stored event on each client device when the game clock reaches a time at which the stored event is scheduled to occur in the virtual environment.