Enriching multiplayer electronic game sessions
An electronic game subscribes to events—such as a physical gesture or appearance of the user, certain spoken user commands, or the like—identified by a game mediation infrastructure. The game mediation infrastructure receives user input data received from the user's client device, analyzes the data, and determines whether one of the events subscribed to by the electronic game has occurred. If so, the game mediation infrastructure notifies the electronic game of the occurrence of the event, and the electronic game alters the state of the game accordingly. The electronic game may additionally and/or alternatively use an API of the game mediation infrastructure to cause alteration of a user interface of a game mediator component in which the electronic game is displayed, based on actions taking place within the game.
1. A computer-implemented method comprising:
sending, by an electronic game executing on a client device, to a game mediation infrastructure, a request for subscription to a semantic event, wherein sending the request comprises making a call using an application programming interface of the game mediation infrastructure to an event subscription function, the event subscription function call specifying an identifier of the semantic event to which subscription is desired;
providing, by the client device, to the game mediation infrastructure, user input data, the user input data comprising geolocation sensor data;
receiving, by the electronic game from the game mediation infrastructure in response to the providing of the user input data, a notification that the semantic event occurred, the semantic event comprising a determination that the client device and at least one other client device are located within a threshold distance of each other; and
responsive to receiving the notification, the electronic game altering a state of the game according to the semantic event by adjusting at least a portion of a volume of the game.
2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving second user input data comprising camera image data from the client device, and determining, using the second user input data, that a user gesture by a game participant occurred.
3. The method of claim 1 , further comprising receiving second user input data comprising audio input data from the client device, and determining, using the second user input data, that a verbal expression by a game participant occurred.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the game mediation infrastructure comprises:
a game mediator server;
a game mediator component executing on the client device; and
one or more other game mediator components executing on one or more other client devices associated with one or more other game participants.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein adjusting at least a portion of a volume of the game comprises instructing the client device to mute one or more of game sound effects, background music, or audio content of a game video stream.
6. A computer-implemented method comprising:
receiving, at a game mediation infrastructure from an electronic game executing on a client device, a request for subscription to a semantic event, the electronic game sending the subscription request by making a call using an application programming interface of the game mediation infrastructure to an event subscription function, the event subscription function call specifying an identifier of the semantic event to which subscription is desired;
receiving, from game mediator components executing on at least two client devices, user input data, the user input data comprising geolocation sensor data;
determining, using the user input data, that the semantic event occurred, the semantic event comprising a determination that the at least two client devices are located within a threshold distance of each other; and
responsive to the determination, instructing at least one of the client devices to alter a state of the game by adjusting at least a portion of a volume of the game.
7. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving second user input data comprising camera image data from the client device, and determining, using the second user input data, that a user gesture by a game participant occurred.
8. The method of claim 6 , further comprising:
receiving second user input data comprising audio input data from the client device, and determining, using the second user input data, that a verbal expression by a game participant occurred.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the game mediation infrastructure comprises:
a game mediator server;
a game mediator component executing on the client device; and
one or more other game mediator components executing on one or more other client devices associated with one or more other game participants.
10. The method of claim 6 , wherein adjusting at least a portion of a volume of the game comprises instructing the at least one client device to mute one or more of game sound effects, background music, or audio content of a game video stream.
11. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations comprising:
sending, by an electronic game executing on a client device, to a game mediation infrastructure, a request for subscription to a semantic event, wherein sending the request comprises making a call using an application programming interface of the game mediation infrastructure to an event subscription function, the event subscription function call specifying an identifier of the semantic event to which subscription is desired;
providing, by the client device, to the game mediation infrastructure, user input data, the user input data comprising geolocation sensor data;
receiving, by the electronic game from the game mediation infrastructure, in response to the providing of the user input data, a notification that the semantic event occurred, the semantic event comprising a determination that the client device and at least one other client device are located within a threshold distance of each other; and
responsive to receiving the notification, the electronic game altering a state of the game according to the semantic event by adjusting at least a portion of a volume of the game.
12. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving second user input data comprising camera image data from the client device, and determining, using the second user input data, that a user gesture by a game participant occurred.
13. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the operations further comprise receiving second user input data comprising audio input data from the client device, and determining, using the second user input data, that a user gesture by a game participant occurred.
14. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein the game mediation infrastructure comprises:
a game mediator server;
a game mediator component executing on the client device; and
one or more other game mediator components executing on one or more other client devices associated with one or more other game participants.
15. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 11 , wherein adjusting at least a portion of a volume of the game comprises instructing the client device to mute one or more of game sound effects, background music, or audio content of a game video stream.