System for remote game access

1. A networked game system comprising:

a network interface configured to receive packetized information from a packet network;

a console server system comprising a console virtualization engine, including an audio and video encoder and a controller emulator, the console server system including a processor, the console server system configured to adjust to different game controller types and perform operations comprising:

identifying a remote game controller associated with a user;

locating and retrieving from a data store a compatible controller configuration for a game initiated by the user that is usable with the identified remote game controller associated with the user;

providing help information to the user after identifying the remote game controller that corresponds to the compatible controller configuration, the help information relating to a function of at least one game controller control;

receiving over the packet network at the network interface a packetized game controller signal from the remote game controller;

converting, by the controller emulator, the received packetized game controller signal to a corresponding controller input signal compatible with a game controller port of a game console configured to play the game;

communicating the converted game controller signal to the game console;

receiving audio and video output from the game console, wherein the audio and video output is generated by the game console at least partly in response to the communicated game controller signal;

encoding and packetizing the audio and video output from the game console using the audio and video encoder; and

transmitting by the network interface over the packet network to a client associated with the user, the encoded and packetized audio and video output from the game console.

2. The networked game system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising transmitting by the networked game system over the packet network at least one output to the remote game controller configured to cause the remote game controller to vibrate or illuminate.

3. The networked game system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising caching the retrieved compatible controller configuration for future use.

4. The networked game system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

providing for display to the user a menu of a plurality of games available via the networked game system;

receiving a game selection from the user over the packet network;

determining if the selected game is a simultaneous players game;

at least partly in response to determining that the selected game is a simultaneous players game, enabling the user to select players from a listing of players to play the selected game with;

configuring controller emulation; and

enabling the user to play the selected game.

5. The networked game system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

providing for display to the user a menu of a plurality of games available via the networked game system;

receiving a game selection from the user over the packet network;

determining if the selected game is a simultaneous players game;

at least partly in response to determining that the selected game is a simultaneous players game, enabling the user to select players from a listing of players to play the selected game with;

configuring controller emulation;

enabling the user to play the selected game;

receiving a packetized voice communication from the user while the selected game is being played; and

transmitting the voice communication to at least one other player of the selected game.

6. The networked game system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising:

providing for display to the user a menu of a plurality of games available via the networked game system;

receiving a game selection from the user over the packet network;

determining if the selected game is a simultaneous players game;

at least partly in response to determining that the selected game is a simultaneous players game, enabling the user to select players from a listing of players to play the selected game with;

configuring controller emulation;

enabling the user to play the selected game;

enabling one or more users to monitor the playing of the selected game via respective user clients without participating as a player of the selected game.

7. The networked game system as defined in claim 1 , the operations further comprising adapting video quality and latency associated with the selected game based at least in part on an image type from the selected game being transmitted to the client.

8. The networked game system as defined in claim 1 , wherein the client comprises a personal computer, a mobile computer, a handheld device, or a television set top box.

9. The networked game system as defined in claim 1 , wherein the game console comprises a standard computer configured to perform a plurality of functions in addition to enabling the user to play games.

10. A networked game system comprising:

a network interface configured to receive packetized information from a packet network;

a console server system comprising a console virtualization engine, including an audio and video encoder and a controller emulator, the console server system including a processor, the console server system configured to adjust to different game controller types and to perform operations comprising:

identifying a remote game controller associated with a user;

locating and retrieving from a data store a compatible controller configuration for a game initiated by the user that is usable with the identified remote game controller associated with the user;

receiving over the packet network at the network interface a packetized game controller signal from the remote game controller;

converting, by the controller emulator, the received packetized game controller signal to a corresponding controller input signal compatible with a game controller port of a game console configured to play the game;

communicating the converted game controller signal to the game console;

receiving audio and video output from the game console, wherein the audio and video output is generated by the game console at least partly in response to the communicated game controller signal; and

encoding and packetizing the audio and video output from the game console using the audio and video encoder; and

transmitting by the network interface over the packet network to a client associated with the user, the encoded and packetized audio and video output from the game console.

11. The networked game system as defined in claim 10 , the operations further comprising transmitting by the networked game system over the packet network at least one output to the remote game controller configured to cause the remote game controller to vibrate or illuminate.

12. The networked game system as defined in claim 10 , the operations further comprising caching the retrieved compatible controller configuration for future use.

13. The networked game system as defined in claim 10 , the operations further comprising:

providing for display to the user a menu of a plurality of games available via the networked game system;

receiving a game selection from the user over the packet network;

determining if the selected game is a simultaneous players game;

at least partly in response to determining that the selected game is a simultaneous players game, enabling the user to select players from a listing of players to play the selected game with;

configuring controller emulation; and

enabling the user to play the selected game.

14. The networked game system as defined in claim 10 , the operations further comprising:

providing for display to the user a menu of a plurality of games available via the networked game system;

receiving a game selection from the user over the packet network;

determining if the selected game is a simultaneous players game;

at least partly in response to determining that the selected game is a simultaneous players game, enabling the user to select players from a listing of players to play the selected game with;

configuring controller emulation;

enabling the user to play the selected game;

receiving a packetized voice communication from the user while the selected game is being played; and

transmitting the voice communication to at least one other player of the selected game.

15. The networked game system as defined in claim 10 , the operations further comprising:

providing for display to the user a menu of a plurality of games available via the networked game system;

receiving a game selection from the user over the packet network;

determining if the selected game is a simultaneous players game;

at least partly in response to determining that the selected game is a simultaneous players game, enabling the user to select players from a listing of players to play the selected game with;

configuring controller emulation;

enabling the user to play the selected game; and

enabling one or more users to monitor the playing of the selected game via respective user clients without participating as a player of the selected game.

16. The networked game system as defined in claim 10 , the operations further comprising adapting video quality and latency associated with the selected game based at least in part on an image type from the selected game being transmitted to the client.

17. The networked game system as defined in claim 10 , wherein the client comprises a personal computer, a mobile computer, a handheld device, or a television set top box.

18. The networked game system as defined in claim 10 , wherein the game console comprises a standard computer configured to perform a plurality of functions in addition to enabling the user to play games.

19. The networked game system as defined in claim 10 , further comprising a plurality of game consoles.

20. A method for enabling a user to remotely play an electronic game, the method comprising:

identifying, by a computerized system a remote game controller associated with a user;

locating and retrieving, by the computerized system, from a data store a compatible controller configuration for a game initiated by the user that is usable with the identified remote game controller associated with the user;

receiving over a packet network at the computerized system a packetized game controller signal from the remote game controller;

converting the received packetized game controller signal, by the computerized system, to a corresponding controller input signal compatible with a game controller port of a game console configured to play the game;

communicating, by the computerized system, the converted game controller signal to the game console;

receiving audio and video output from the game console, wherein the audio and video output is generated by the game console at least partly in response to the communicated game controller signal;

encoding and packetizing, by the computerized system, the audio and video output from the game console;

transmitting the encoded and packetized audio and video output from the game console, via the packet network, to a client associated with the user; and

adjusting to different game controller types.

21. The method as defined in claim 20 , wherein the remote game controller wirelessly transmits the information used to identify the remote game controller.

22. The method as defined in claim 20 , the method further comprising transmitting over the packet network at least one output to the remote game controller configured to cause the remote game controller to vibrate or illuminate.

23. The method as defined in claim 20 , the method further comprising caching the retrieved compatible controller configuration for future use.

24. The method as defined in claim 20 , the method further comprising:

providing for display to the user a menu of a plurality of games available via the computerized system;

receiving a game selection from the user over the packet network;

determining if the selected game is a simultaneous players game;

at least partly in response to determining that the selected game is a simultaneous players game, enabling the user to select players from a listing of players to play the selected game with;

configuring controller emulation; and

enabling the user to play the selected game.

25. The method as defined in claim 20 , the method further comprising:

providing for display to the user a menu of a plurality of games available via the computerized system;

receiving a game selection from the user over the packet network;

determining if the selected game is a simultaneous players game;

at least partly in response to determining that the selected game is a simultaneous players game, enabling the user to select players from a listing of players to play the selected game with;

configuring controller emulation;

enabling the user to play the selected game;

receiving a packetized voice communication from the user while the selected game is being played; and

transmitting the voice communication to at least one other player of the selected game.

26. The method as defined in claim 20 , the method further comprising:

providing for display to the user a menu of a plurality of games available via the computerized system;

receiving a game selection from the user over the packet network;

determining if the selected game is a simultaneous players game;

at least partly in response to determining that the selected game is a simultaneous players game, enabling the user to select players from a listing of players to play the selected game with;

configuring controller emulation;

enabling the user to play the selected game; and

enabling one or more users to monitor the playing of the selected game via respective user clients without participating as a player of the selected game.

27. The method as defined in claim 20 , the method further comprising adapting video quality and latency associated with the selected game based at least in part on an image type from the selected game being transmitted to the client.

28. The method as defined in claim 20 , wherein the client comprises a personal computer, a mobile computer, a handheld device, or a television set top box.

29. The method as defined in claim 20 , wherein the game console comprises a standard computer configured to perform a plurality of functions in addition to enabling the user to play games.

30. A non-transitory storage medium storing program code that when executed by a computing system is configured to cause the computing system to perform operations comprising:

identifying a remote game controller associated with a user;

locating and retrieving from a data store a compatible controller configuration for a game initiated by the user that is usable with the identified remote game controller associated with the user;

receiving a packetized game controller signal from the remote game controller;

converting the received packetized game controller signal to a corresponding controller input signal compatible with a game controller port of a game console configured to play the game;

receiving audio and video output from the game console, wherein the audio and video output is generated by the game console at least partly in response to the communicated game controller signal;

communicating the converted game controller signal to the game console;

encoding and packetizing the audio and video output from the game console;

transmitting over a packet network to a client associated with the user, the encoded and packetized audio and video output from the game console; and

adjusting to different game controller types.

31. The non-transitory storage medium as defined in claim 30 , wherein the game controller wirelessly transmits the information used to identify the remote game controller.

32. The non-transitory storage medium as defined in claim 30 , the operations further comprising transmitting over the packet network at least one output to the game controller configured to cause the game controller to vibrate or illuminate.

33. The non-transitory storage medium as defined in claim 30 , the operations further comprising caching the retrieved compatible controller configuration for future use.

34. The non-transitory storage medium as defined in claim 30 , the operations further comprising:

providing for display to the user a menu of a plurality of games available via a console server system;

receiving a game selection from the user over the packet network;

determining if the selected game is a simultaneous players game;

at least partly in response to determining that the selected game is a simultaneous players game, enabling the user to select players from a list of players to play the selected game with;

configuring controller emulation; and

enabling the user to play the selected game.

35. The non-transitory storage medium as defined in claim 30 , the operations further comprising:

providing for display to the user a menu of a plurality of games available via a console server system;

receiving a game selection from the user over the packet network;

determining if the selected game is a simultaneous players game;

at least partly in response to determining that the selected game is a simultaneous players game, enabling the user to select players from a list of players to play the selected game with;

configuring controller emulation;

enabling the user to play the selected game;

receiving a packetized voice communication from the user while the selected game is being played; and

transmitting the voice communication to at least one other player of the selected game.

36. The non-transitory storage medium as defined in claim 30 , the method further comprising:

providing for display to the user a menu of a plurality of games available via a console server system;

receiving a game selection from the user over the packet network;

determining if the selected game is a simultaneous players game;

at least partly in response to determining that the selected game is a simultaneous players game, enabling the user to select players from a list of players to play the selected game with;

configuring controller emulation;

enabling the user to play the selected game;

enabling one or more users to monitor the playing of the selected game via respective user clients without participating as a player of the selected game.

37. The non-transitory storage medium as defined in claim 30 , the method further comprising adapting video quality and latency associated with the selected game based at least in part on an image type from the selected game being transmitted to the client.

38. The non-transitory storage medium as defined in claim 30 , wherein the client comprises a personal computer, a mobile computer, a handheld device, or a television set top box.

39. The non-transitory storage medium as defined in claim 30 , wherein the game console comprises a standard computer configured to perform a plurality of functions in addition to enabling the user to play games.