Detailed descriptions



[0009] In some instances, a supplemental computing device may also be used by other "remote" game consoles--or game consoles that do not locally (e.g., physically) couple to the supplemental computing device. For instance, the supplemental computing device may include a wireless communication interface (or may utilize the wireless communication interface of its local game console) to communicate with the remote game consoles over a network. The remote game consoles may then use the processing and/or storage resources of the supplemental computing device similar to how the local game console utilizes these resources, albeit in a wireless manner.



[0013] In some instances, a user may be compensated based on an amount (e.g., time, raw resources, etc.) that the user shares his or her supplemental computing device or indicates that he or she is willing to share the supplemental computing device. This compensation may comprise any form of value, include access (e.g., time) to other supplemental computing devices maintained by other users, discounts on games, access to certain game content, points for redemption for digital or physical goods, information for display (e.g., as a badge) on a social network, or the like.



[0020] In instances where a game console utilizes resources from a remote supplemental computing device, the game console may couple to a supplemental computing device that is relatively "close" within a network. That is, the game console 102, or the coupled supplemental computing device 104, may identify other supplemental computing devices that have a threshold connection strength with the game console 102 or the supplemental computing device 104, or through which communications between the respective endpoints are less than a network latency threshold. By coupling to these devices, the techniques described herein limit the latency between the devices. The other supplemental computing devices could be within a relatively short distance (e.g. within the same household, building, or neighborhood) or could be some distance away. In some embodiments, the network distance can affect the types of functionality that the supplemental computing devices may provide. Network distance can be a measurement of latency between the game console and the respective supplemental computing device and/or the actual or estimated number of network hops between the console and the network computing device, for example. Thus in terms of network distance, a network computing device that is "close" has relatively low latency or hops, and one that is "far away" has relatively large latency or numbers of hops. Relatively close supplemental computing devices may be able to provide services at a nearly real-time speed (e.g. processing real-time graphics and sound effects), while relatively far away devices may only be able to provide asynchronous or supplementary support to the events occurring on the console (e.g. providing for weather effects in games, artificial intelligence (AI), etc.). In some cases the supplementary support provided by the supplemental computing devices could be based on a best-effort basis. For example, in a computer chess game, some amount of onboard AI may be possible on board the console to provide relatively quick analysis, but supplemental computing devices may perform additional AI analysis. If the additional analysis is not received from the supplemental computing devices within a threshold time, the console can use what is available to it (e.g. the analysis done by the console or by any supplemental computing device that has returned its respective AI analysis).



[0023] As described in further detail below, a game console may also couple to multiple supplemental computing devices to even further increase capabilities of the resulting game system. For instance, multiple supplemental devices may be daisy-chained to one another and/or the game console may be physically coupled or wirelessly coupled to other supplemental computing devices.