System and method for downloading video game programs

1. A video game program download apparatus configured to download a video game program to a target video game platform, the apparatus comprising at least one processor, the apparatus configured to:

generate a user interface for display on the target video game platform, the user interface displaying at least a list of one or more video game programs and, for each program in the list, a corresponding native video game platform and one or more input devices usable with video game program; and

receive a download request from the target video game platform requesting downloading of a video game program that executes on a native video game platform different than the target video game platform and, in response thereto, send the requested video game program along with a program for providing compatibility between the target platform and the native video game platform.

2. The video game program download apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the program for providing compatibility comprises an emulator program.

3. The video game program download apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus comprises part of a server connected to the internet.

4. The video game program download apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the apparatus is further configured to display a warning indicating that at least one specific type of input device is required to play the respective video game.

5. The video game program download apparatus according to claim 1 , wherein the user interface further displaying information related to a rating of a corresponding game in the list of one or more video game programs.

6. A video game program download method implemented in an information processing apparatus having one or more processors, the method comprising:

generating, via the one or more processors, a user interface configured to display on a target video game platform, the user interface displaying at least a list of one or more video game programs and, for each program in the list, a corresponding native video game platform and one or more input devices usable with the video game program;

receiving a download request from a target video game platform requesting downloading of a video game program that executes on a native video game platform different than the target video game platform; and

in response to the received request, sending the video game program for the requested game along with a program for providing compatibility between the target platform and the native video game platform.

7. The video game program download method according to claim 6 , wherein the program for providing compatibility comprises an emulator program.

8. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for use in the execution in a computer of a method according to claim 6 .

9. The video game program download method according to claim 6 , wherein a warning is displayed indicating that at least one specific type of input device is required to play the respective video game.

10. A target video game system comprising:

an input device; and

a processing system configured to:

display information for selecting a video game program and, for each video game program, display at least one native video game system corresponding to the associated video game program and display information about one or more input devices usable with the video game program,

contact a remotely located video game source and receive therefrom, in response to a video game program selection on a user interface made using the input device of the target video game system, a video game program that executes on a native video game system different than the target video game system along with a program for providing compatibility between the target video game system and the native video game system, and

execute the received video game program and the program for providing compatibility.

11. The target video game system according to claim 10 , wherein the program for providing compatibility comprises an emulator program.

12. The target video game system according to claim 10 , wherein the video game source is contacted over the internet.

13. The target video game system according to claim 10 , embodied as a hand-held video game system.

14. The target video game system according to claim 10 , embodied as a video game console including audio and video outputs supplied to a television.

15. The target video game system according to claim 10 , wherein the processing system is further configured to display a warning indicating that at least one specific type of input device is required to play the respective video game.

16. A video game program download method implemented in an information processing apparatus having one or more processors, the method comprising:

generating for display, via the one or more processors, information for selecting a video game program and, for each video game program, generating for display a corresponding native video game platform and one or more input devices usable with the video game program;

contacting a remotely located video game source;

receiving from the video game source in response to a video game program selection a video game program that executes on a native video game platform different than the target video game platform along with a program for providing compatibility between the target video game platform and the native video game platform; and

executing the downloaded video game program and the program for providing compatibility.

17. The video game program download method according to claim 16 , wherein the program for providing compatibility comprises an emulator program.

18. A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer readable code embodied therein for use in the execution in a computer of a method according to claim 16 .

19. The video game program download method according to claim 16 , wherein a warning is displayed indicating that at least one specific type of input device is required to play the respective video game.

20. An internet-enabled video game system comprising:

an input device;

an optical disk drive configured to receive an optical disk on which is stored a video game program; and

a video game program executing system configured to directly execute the video game program stored on the optical disk, the video game program executing system configured to:

generate for display a list of one or more video game programs and, for each program in the list, a corresponding native video game platform and one or more input devices usable with the video game program; and

access a source of video game programs associated with the one or more native video game platforms and which are not directly executable by the video game program executing system and, in response to a video game selection on the user interface made using the input device, receive both a selected one of the video game programs that is not directly executable by the video game program executing system and an emulator program for enabling the video game program executing system to emulate a video game program executing system on which the selected video game is directly executable.

21. The internet-enabled video game system according to claim 20 , wherein the video game program executing system is further configured to display a warning indicating that at least one specific type of input device is required to play the respective video game.