Game application launch system and method

1. A method of launching a game application, comprising the steps of:

providing a game application launch object to an operating system or helper application;

providing data specifying a plurality of modes of operation for the game application in association with the game application launch object;

providing a user interface in which at least a subset of the plurality of modes of operation are presented to a user when that user performs a predetermined interaction with the game application launch object;

receiving a user selection indicating a selected mode of operation; and

launching the game application into a playable game state that is dependent upon the selected mode of operation.

2. The method according to claim 1 , in which the game application launch object is a shortcut specifying a game executable location in association with a graphical object displayable by the user interface of the operating system.

3. The method according to claim 1 , in which the user interface is provided by one selected from a list consisting of

i. the operating system; and

ii. a helper application other than the game application,

and the method comprises the step of providing the selected mode of operation to the game application as data in a predetermined format.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of launching the game application comprises the steps of:

bypassing a menu stage of the game application that would otherwise by presented to the user by default; and

loading game assets specific to the selected mode of operation.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the step of launching the game application comprises the steps of:

loading at least that part of a menu stage of the game application that responds to a user selection during normal use of the menu stage;

providing a simulated user selection to that part of the menu stage responsive to the selected mode of operation; and

loading game assets specific to the selected mode of operation.

6. The method according to claim 1 , in which the game application comprises one or more common components that are common to two or more modes of operation, and in which the method comprises the steps of:

detecting whether the user interacts with the game application launch object;

and if so;

commencing the loading the one or more common components of the game application before the user has selected to launch the game.

7. The method according to claim 6 , in which the game application comprises one or more specific components that are specific to one or more modes of operation, and in which the method comprises the steps of:

detecting whether the user highlights a specific game mode using the user interface;

and if so;

commencing the loading of the one or more specific components of the game application corresponding to the highlighted specific game mode before the user has selected to launch the game.

8. The method according to claim 1 , in which the game application comprises one or more components used during the most recent state of play of the game by a user, and in which the method comprises the steps of:

detecting whether the user interacts with the game application launch object;

and if so;

accessing a data file indicating a most recent state of play of the game by the user; and

commencing loading one or more components required to launch the game into a playable state corresponding to the indicated most recent state of play.

9. The method according to claim 1 , in which the modes of operation comprise one or more selected from the list consisting of:

i. starting a single player game;

ii. continuing a single player game; and

iii. starting an online game.

10. The method according to claim 1 , in which the modes of operation comprise one or more selected from the list consisting of:

i. playing the game application in its original form; and

ii. playing the game application in a modified form.

11. The method according to claim 1 , in which the method comprises the steps of:

installing additional game application data; and

providing additional data specifying one or more additional modes of operation for the game application, for association with the game application launch object.

12. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium containing a computer program, which when executed by a computer system, causes the computer system to carry out a method of launching a game application, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a game application launch object to an operating system or helper application;

providing data specifying a plurality of modes of operation for the game application in association with the game application launch object;

providing a user interface in which at least a subset of the plurality of modes of operation are presented to a user when that user performs a predetermined interaction with the game application launch object;

receiving a user selection indicating a selected mode of operation; and

launching the game application into a playable game state that is dependent upon the selected mode of operation.

13. A game application launch system, comprising:

memory adapted to store a game application launch object for use by an operating system or helper application;

memory adapted to store, in association with the game application launch object, data specifying a plurality of modes of operation for the game application;

a user interface processor adapted to provide a user interface in which at least a subset of the plurality of modes of operation are presented to a user when that user performs a predetermined interaction with the game application launch object, and adapted to receive a user selection indicating a selected mode of operation; and

a game application launch processor adapted to launch the game application into a playable game state that is dependent upon the selected mode of operation.

14. The game application launch system of claim 13 , in which the game application comprises one or more common components that are common to two or more modes of operation, and in which:

the user interface processor is adapted to detect whether the user interacts with the game application launch object;

and if so;

the game application launch processor is adapted to commence the loading the one or more common components of the game application before the user has selected to launch the game.

15. The game application launch system of claim 13 , in which the game application comprises one or more components used during the most recent state of play of the game by a user,

the game application launch processor is adapted to access a data file indicating a most recent state of play of the game by the user; and

the game application launch processor is adapted to commence loading one or more components required to launch the game into a playable state corresponding to the indicated most recent state of play.