SYNCHRONIZATION MODEL FOR VIRTUAL TOURNAMENTS
Data characterizing two players enrolled in a tournament of an online video game is received. Each player is executing a separate instance of the online video game. The online video game is asynchronous between the two players. The data is received by a tournament server hosting the tournament and separate from a game server providing game data to clients associated with the two players. An instruction for synchronous initiation of gameplay between the two players is generated. The instruction is transmitted to the clients associated with the two players, the instruction causing synchronous initiation of the asynchronous games for the two players. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.
1 . A method, comprising:
receiving data characterizing a first client and a second client enrolled in a tournament of an asynchronous online video game having a first game instance and a second game instance;
transmitting an instruction to synchronize gameplay of the first game instance and gameplay of the second game instance;
receiving, at a media management server, a first video stream including captured video of the gameplay of the first game instance and a second video stream including captured video of the gameplay of the second game stance, the captured videos synchronized in response to the transmission of the instruction;
analyzing, by the media management server, the first video stream and the second video stream to determine a ranking of the first game instance relative to the second game instance;
assembling, based at least in part on the ranking of the first game instance relative to the second game instance, a suggested broadcast video stream for a commentator client, the suggested broadcast video stream including at least one highlight video segment selected from at least one of the first video stream and the second video stream; and
streaming a broadcast video stream to a viewing client, the broadcast video stream including one or more key video segments selected from the suggested broadcast video stream using the commentator client.
2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the first game instance is initiated at a first time on the first client device and the second game instance is initiated at a second time different than the first time on the second client device.
3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein analyzing the first video stream and the second video stream comprises determining, for each one of the first game instance and the second game instance, a rate of change of a score associated with the respective game instance.
4 . The method of claim 3 , wherein determining the ranking of the first game instance relative to the second game instance comprises comparing the rate of change of the score associated with the first game instance with the rate of change of the score associated with the second game instance.
5 . The method of claim 4 , wherein selecting the at least one highlight video segment comprises identifying at least one highlighted video segment from the game instance associated with a highest rate of change of the score.
6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein each of the first client and the second client includes a peer-tournament module that receives the instruction and causes the gameplay to initiate in response to receiving the instruction by executing a launch-game callback with the respective game instance.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein, in response to receiving the instruction, the peer-tournament module is configured to transmit a second instruction to a game server to cause initiation of communication of game data from the game server to the respective game instance.
8 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
transmitting, to the first client and the second client, a match identifier, a player identifier, and game parameters, wherein the match identifier specifies a unique identifier to the tournament, the player identifier is a unique identifier for a user′ s entry in the tournament, and the game parameters include data for configuring each of the first game instance and the second game instance to execute.
9 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
generating, by the commentator client, a graphical user interface including a video queue interface to display the at least one highlighted video segment.
10 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
providing, by the media management server, simultaneous video streaming of the gameplay of the first game instance and the gameplay of the second game instance for side-by-side viewing by the viewing client.
11 . A system comprising:
at least one data processor; and
memory storing instructions which, when executed by the at least one data processor, causes the at least one data processor to implement a method comprising:
receiving data characterizing a first client and a second client enrolled in a tournament of an asynchronous online video game having a first game instance and a second game instance;
transmitting an instruction to synchronize gameplay of the first game instance and gameplay of the second game instance;
receiving, at a media management server, a first video stream including captured video of the gameplay of the first game instance and a second video stream including captured video of the gameplay of the second game stance, the captured videos synchronized in response to the transmission of the instruction;
analyzing, by the media management server, the first video stream and the second video stream to determine a ranking of the first game instance relative to the second game instance;
assembling, based at least in part on the ranking of the first game instance relative to the second game instance, a suggested broadcast video stream for a commentator client, the suggested broadcast video stream including at least one highlight video segment selected from at least one of the first video stream and the second video stream; and
streaming a broadcast video stream to a viewing client, the broadcast video stream including one or more key video segments selected from the suggested broadcast video stream using the commentator client.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the first game instance is initiated at a first time on the first client device and the second game instance is initiated at a second time different than the first time on the second client device.
13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein analyzing the first video stream and the second video stream comprises determining, for each one of the first game instance and the second game instance, a rate of change of a score associated with the respective game instance.
14 . The system of claim 13 , wherein determining the ranking of the first game instance relative to the second game instance comprises comparing the rate of change of the score associated with the first game instance with the rate of change of the score associated with the second game instance.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein selecting the at least one highlight video segment comprises identifying at least one highlighted video segment from the game instance associated with a highest rate of change of the score.
16 . The system of claim 11 , wherein each of the first client and the second client includes a peer-tournament module that receives the instruction and causes the gameplay to initiate in response to receiving the instruction by executing a launch-game callback with the respective game instance.
17 . The system of claim 16 , wherein, in response to receiving the instruction, the peer-tournament module is configured to transmit a second instruction to a game server to cause initiation of communication of game data from the game server to the respective game instance.
18 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
transmitting, to the first client and the second client, a match identifier, a player identifier, and game parameters, wherein the match identifier specifies a unique identifier to the tournament, the player identifier is a unique identifier for a user′ s entry in the tournament, and the game parameters include data for configuring each of the first game instance and the second game instance to execute.
19 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
generating, by the commentator client, a graphical user interface including a video queue interface to display the at least one highlighted video segment.
20 . The system of claim 11 , further comprising:
providing, by the media management server, simultaneous video streaming of the gameplay of the first game instance and the gameplay of the second game instance for side-by-side viewing by the viewing client.