Invitation service for multi-device application sessions

1. A client device comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform a method for accepting an invitation to a multi-device networked-application session, the method comprising:

receiving a pushed invitation notification from an invitation server, said pushed invitation notification indicating, via identifiers, at least an invitation from an inviter user for an invitee user to join a multi-device session of a subject networked application, said pushed invitation notification omitting an invitation payload to enable said invitee user to join said multi-device session of said subject networked application;

notifying a user of the client device that said inviter user has invited said invitee user to join said multi-device session;

obtaining an indication from said user of the client device to accept said invitation to join said multi-device session;

sending a response to said invitation server according to said indication, said response identifying said invitation;

authenticating said user of the client device as said invitee user to said invitation server;

in response to authenticating said user of the client device as said invitee user, receiving said invitation payload from said invitation server;

attempting to join said multi-device session according to said invitation payload, but determining that said multi-device session has terminated; and

in response to determining that said multi-device session has terminated, automatically generating a re-invitation from said invitee user inviting said inviter user to join a new multi-user session of said networked application.

2. The client device of claim 1 , the method further comprising automatically launching said subject networked application prior to attempting to join said multi-device session.

3. The client device of claim 1 , wherein notifying said user comprises displaying a first interface comprising an action control, configured to display a second interface, and an ignore control, configured to disregard said invitation without notifying said invitation server; and

wherein obtaining said indication from said user of the client device to accept said invitation to join said multi-device session comprises displaying said second interface upon activation of said action control, said second notification comprising an invitation-accept control, configured to indicate acceptance of said invitation, and an invitation-decline control, configured to notify said invitation server that said invitation is declined.

4. The client device of claim 1 , the method further comprising automatically obtaining and installing said subject networked application prior to launching said networked application.

5. The client device of claim 4 , wherein automatically obtaining and installing said subject networked application comprises automatically initiating a networked-application purchase for completion by said user of the client device.

6. The client device of claim 1 , wherein said pushed invitation notification is received via a second networked application, different from said subject networked application.

7. The client device of claim 1 , wherein said client device is a mobile device.

8. The client device of claim 1 , wherein said multi-device networked-application session comprises a multi-user networked game session.

9. A client device comprising a processor and a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the processor, perform a method for accepting an invitation to a multi-device networked-application session, the method comprising:

receiving a pushed invitation notification from an invitation server, said pushed invitation notification indicating, via identifiers, at least an invitation from an inviter user for an invitee user to join a multi-device session of a subject networked application, said pushed invitation notification omitting an invitation payload to enable said invitee user to join said multi-device session of said subject networked application;

notifying a user of the client device that said inviter user has invited said invitee user to join said multi-device session;

obtaining an indication from said user of the client device to accept said invitation to join said multi-device session;

sending a response to said invitation server according to said indication, said response identifying said invitation;

determining that said user of the client device is signed-in to a user account that does not correspond to said invitee user; and

displaying an interface to facilitate signing-in to a user account corresponding to said invitee user; and then authenticating said user of the client device as said invitee user to said invitation server;

in response to authenticating said user of the client device as said invitee user, receiving said invitation payload from said invitation server; and

attempting to join said multi-device session according to said invitation payload.

10. The client device of claim 9 , the method further comprising automatically launching said subject networked application prior to attempting to join said multi-device session.

11. The client device of claim 9 , wherein notifying said user comprises displaying a first interface comprising an action control, configured to display a second interface, and an ignore control, configured to disregard said invitation without notifying said invitation server; and

wherein obtaining said indication from said user of the client device to accept said invitation to join said multi-device session comprises displaying said second interface upon activation of said action control, said second notification comprising an invitation-accept control, configured to indicate acceptance of said invitation, and an invitation-decline control, configured to notify said invitation server that said invitation is declined.

12. The client device of claim 9 , the method further comprising automatically obtaining and installing said subject networked application prior to launching said networked application.

13. The client device of claim 12 , wherein automatically obtaining and installing said subject networked application comprises automatically initiating a networked-application purchase for completion by said user of the client device.

14. The client device of claim 9 , the method further comprising:

determining that said multi-device session has terminated; and

in response to determining that said multi-device session has terminated, automatically generating a re-invitation from said invitee user inviting said inviter user to join a new multi-user session of said networked application.

15. The client device of claim 9 , wherein said pushed invitation notification is received via a second networked application, different from said subject networked application.

16. The client device of claim 9 , wherein said client device is a mobile device.

17. The client device of claim 9 , wherein said multi-device networked-application session comprises a multi-user networked game session.

18. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method for accepting an invitation to a multi-device networked-application session, the method comprising:

receiving a pushed invitation notification from an invitation server, said pushed invitation notification indicating, via identifiers, at least an invitation from an inviter user for an invitee user to join a multi-device session of a subject networked application, said pushed invitation notification omitting an invitation payload to enable said invitee user to join said multi-device session of said subject networked application;

notifying a user of the client device that said inviter user has invited said invitee user to join said multi-device session;

obtaining an indication from said user of the client device to accept said invitation to join said multi-device session;

sending a response to said invitation server according to said indication, said response identifying said invitation;

authenticating said user of the client device as said invitee user to said invitation server;

in response to authenticating said user of the client device as said invitee user, receiving said invitation payload from said invitation server;

attempting to join said multi-device session according to said invitation payload, but determining that said multi-device session has terminated; and

in response to determining that said multi-device session has terminated, automatically generating a re-invitation from said invitee user inviting said inviter user to join a new multi-user session of said networked application.

19. A client-device-implemented method for accepting an invitation to a multi-device networked-application session, the method comprising:

receiving, by the client device, a pushed invitation notification from an invitation server, said pushed invitation notification indicating, via identifiers, at least an invitation from an inviter user for an invitee user to join a multi-device session of a subject networked application, said pushed invitation notification omitting an invitation payload to enable said invitee user to join said multi-device session of said subject networked application;

notifying, by the client device, a user of the client device that said inviter user has invited said invitee user to join said multi-device session;

obtaining, by the client device, an indication from said user of the client device to accept said invitation to join said multi-device session;

sending, by the client device, a response to said invitation server according to said indication, said response identifying said invitation;

authenticating, by the client device, said user of the client device as said invitee user to said invitation server;

in response to authenticating said user of the client device as said invitee user, receiving said invitation payload from said invitation server;

attempting, by the client device, to join said multi-device session according to said invitation payload, but determining that said multi-device session has terminated; and

in response to determining that said multi-device session has terminated, automatically generating, by the client device, a re-invitation from said invitee user inviting said inviter user to join a new multi-user session of said networked application.

20. The method of claim 19 , further comprising automatically launching said subject networked application prior to attempting to join said multi-device session.

21. The method of claim 19 , wherein notifying said user comprises displaying a first interface comprising an action control, configured to display a second interface, and an ignore control, configured to disregard said invitation without notifying said invitation server; and

wherein obtaining said indication from said user of the client device to accept said invitation to join said multi-device session comprises displaying said second interface upon activation of said action control, said second notification comprising an invitation-accept control, configured to indicate acceptance of said invitation, and an invitation-decline control, configured to notify said invitation server that said invitation is declined.

22. The method of claim 19 , further comprising automatically obtaining and installing said subject networked application prior to launching said networked application.

23. The method of claim 22 , wherein automatically obtaining and installing said subject networked application comprises automatically initiating a networked-application purchase for completion by said user of the client device.

24. The method of claim 19 , wherein said pushed invitation notification is received via a second networked application, different from said subject networked application.

25. The method of claim 19 , wherein said client device is a mobile device.

26. The method of claim 19 , wherein said multi-device networked-application session comprises a multi-user networked game session.

27. A non-transient computer-readable storage medium having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a processor, perform a method for accepting an invitation to a multi-device networked-application session, the method comprising:

receiving a pushed invitation notification from an invitation server, said pushed invitation notification indicating, via identifiers, at least an invitation from an inviter user for an invitee user to join a multi-device session of a subject networked application, said pushed invitation notification omitting an invitation payload to enable said invitee user to join said multi-device session of said subject networked application;

notifying a user of the client device that said inviter user has invited said invitee user to join said multi-device session;

obtaining an indication from said user of the client device to accept said invitation to join said multi-device session;

sending a response to said invitation server according to said indication, said response identifying said invitation;

determining that said user of the client device is signed-in to a user account that does not correspond to said invitee user; and

displaying an interface to facilitate signing-in to a user account corresponding to said invitee user; and then

authenticating said user of the client device as said invitee user to said invitation server;

in response to authenticating said user of the client device as said invitee user, receiving said invitation payload from said invitation server; and

attempting to join said multi-device session according to said invitation payload.

28. A client-device-implemented method for accepting an invitation to a multi-device networked-application session, the method comprising:

receiving, by the client device, a pushed invitation notification from an invitation server, said pushed invitation notification indicating, via identifiers, at least an invitation from an inviter user for an invitee user to join a multi-device session of a subject networked application, said pushed invitation notification omitting an invitation payload to enable said invitee user to join said multi-device session of said subject networked application;

notifying, by the client device, a user of the client device that said inviter user has invited said invitee user to join said multi-device session;

obtaining, by the client device, an indication from said user of the client device to accept said invitation to join said multi-device session;

sending, by the client device, a response to said invitation server according to said indication, said response identifying said invitation;

determining, by the client device, that said user of the client device is signed-in to a user account that does not correspond to said invitee user; and

displaying, by the client device, an interface to facilitate signing-in to a user account corresponding to said invitee user; and then

authenticating, by the client device, said user of the client device as said invitee user to said invitation server;

in response to authenticating said user of the client device as said invitee user, receiving said invitation payload from said invitation server; and

attempting, by the client device, to join said multi-device session according to said invitation payload.

29. The method of claim 28 , further comprising automatically launching said subject networked application prior to attempting to join said multi-device session.

30. The method of claim 28 , wherein notifying said user comprises displaying a first interface comprising an action control, configured to display a second interface, and an ignore control, configured to disregard said invitation without notifying said invitation server; and

wherein obtaining said indication from said user of the client device to accept said invitation to join said multi-device session comprises displaying said second interface upon activation of said action control, said second notification comprising an invitation-accept control, configured to indicate acceptance of said invitation, and an invitation-decline control, configured to notify said invitation server that said invitation is declined.

31. The method of claim 28 , further comprising automatically obtaining and installing said subject networked application prior to launching said networked application.

32. The method of claim 31 , wherein automatically obtaining and installing said subject networked application comprises automatically initiating a networked-application purchase for completion by said user of the client device.

33. The method of claim 28 , further comprising:

determining that said multi-device session has terminated; and

in response to determining that said multi-device session has terminated, automatically generating a re-invitation from said invitee user inviting said inviter user to join a new multi-user session of said networked application.

34. The method of claim 28 , wherein said pushed invitation notification is received via a second networked application, different from said subject networked application.

35. The method of claim 28 , wherein said client device is a mobile device.

36. The method of claim 28 , wherein said multi-device networked-application session comprises a multi-user networked game session.