text:
|Publication number
|Publication type
|Application number
|Publication date
|28 Nov 2000
|Filing date
|6 Mar 1998
|Priority date
|6 Mar 1997
|Fee status
|Publication number
|Jeffrey Jackiel Rothschild, Marc Peter Kwiatowski, Michael Andrew Wolf, Stephen Michael Grimm, Daniel Joseph Samuel, Norman Robert Henry Black, Conrad Donald Wong
|Original Assignee
|Mpath Interactive, Inc.
|Export Citation
|BiBTeX, EndNote, RefMan
|Patent Citations (10), Referenced by (191), Classifications (25), Legal Events (4)
|External Links: USPTO, USPTO Assignment, Espacenet
This application claims the benefit of U.S. Patent Provisional Application Ser. No. 60/040,640, filed Mar. 6, 1997, entitled "ONLINE GAMING ARCHITECTURE" which is hereby incorporated by reference.
The present invention relates to the field of online computer gaming.
The terms computer game and video game are taken to be synonymous. Prior art online computer gaming services such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,586,257, entitled "Network Architecture To Support Multiple Site Real-Time Video Games", illustrate some of the advantages of using centralized server computer for bringing together players who wish to engage mutually in an online real-time multiplayer computer game. This bringing together of players is termed rendezvous.
Referring to FIG. 1, a Client computer 1 (also known simply as a Client) which is a computer physically attended by a person who wishes to engage in online multiplayer games (using the System) becomes attached to an internetwork 5 such as the Internet, hereinafter referred to as the Net. This attachment is typically by way of modulator/demodulator (Modem) 2 dial-up on the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) 3. Typically equipment at a point of presence (POP) 4 installed by an Internet Service Provider (ISP) connects the PSTN to the Internet. Similar arrangements apply in the cases where the Net is other than the Internet. Referring to FIG. 2., a slightly different alternative arrangement is possible wherein of a Terminal Adapter (TA) 6 is connected to some form of switched or unswitched digital data service 7 such as Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN). The types of connections of Clients to Nets described above are well known in the art.
However earlier systems are less reliable, of lower performance, and are more susceptible to intentional disruption by unfriendly parties than would be the case with an improved design. Moreover, additional features can usefully be added to the rendezvous part of the online gaming system.
What is required is an online gaming architecture that provides a method of authenticating users. The online gaming architecture should provide a means of secure and efficient communications between the users and online gaming servers. It should also facilitate player matching and ensure that opportunities to cheat are minimized.
The present invention is a networked computer online gaming system and process that facilitates the connection of players and authenticates their identity in a client/server environment. The online gaming architecture of the present invention provides a means of secure and efficient communications between the users and online gaming servers. It also facilitates player matching and ensures that opportunities to cheat are minimized while increasing the opportunity to realize satisfying gaming entertainment.
In one embodiment, a networked computer on-line gaming system is arranged in a client/server online gaming architecture and utilized to run gaming programs. The Client computers are configured to run a gaming Client program. The Server computers are coupled to the Client computers via a network. The Server computers run Server programs including a Master Control Program (MCP) that governs access of the server programs to the online gaming architecture, a Servorum program (SV) for creating instances of a server program, a Matchmaker program (MM) that supports rendezvous services, a Game Instances Class Server program (GICS) that enables features of the online gaming architecture to be Utilized, and Game Upper Level Protocol server program (GULP) associated with said GICS.
The accompanying drawings which are incorporated in and form a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention:
FIG. 1 shows a prior art internetwork connection of a client computer system in a client/server architecture.
FIG. 2 shows an alternative arrangement prior art internetwork connection of a client computer system in a client/server architecture.
FIG. 3 is a schematic of a client computer configured to run a gaming program in an online gaming architecture of embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a schematic of a virtual link that is established in one embodiment of the present invention after between a client computer and an internetwork system.
FIG. 5 is a flow chart illustrating steps of a process employed in one embodiment of the present invention for connecting a client gaming program to a master control program.
FIG. 6 is a flow chart depicting the steps of a process utilized in one embodiment of the present invention for establishing an encrypted connection between a client gaming program and a master control program.
FIG. 7 is a flow chart showing the steps of a process utilized in one embodiment of the present invention that relies on previously established encryption keys to set up a secure connection between a client gaming program and a master control program.
FIG. 8 is a flow chart of a process one embodiment of the present invention engages in to establish an efficient connection between a client gaming program and an initial master control program.
FIG. 9 is a block diagram showing the conceptual structure of software services provided one embodiment of a matchmaker program in the present invention.
FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating the steps of a process used by one embodiment of the present invention to generate a list of sufficient matchmaker programs.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram of one embodiment of a computer network system online gaming architecture that facilitates the connection of players and authentication of their identity.
Reference will now be made in detail to the preferred embodiments of the invention, a online gaming architecture, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings. While the invention will be described in conjunction with the preferred embodiments, it will be understood that they are not intended to limit the invention to these embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover alternatives, modifications and equivalents, which may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. Furthermore, in the following detailed description of the present invention, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be obvious to one ordinarily skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details. In other instances, well known methods, procedures, components, and circuits have not been described in detail as not to unnecessarily obscure aspects of the current invention.
This is a description of an embodiment of an Online Gaming Network herein referred to as the System.
Referring to FIG. 11, a Client Program 500 is shown together with a number of Server Programs 501 through 509. Wherever the boxes representing Server programs touch (such as for example 502 and 505), this indicates that those Server programs necessarily reside in the same physical computer. Lines 520 are drawn to show the logical channels of communication between the Client Program 500 and the various types of Server programs 501 through 509. The names of the various types of Server Programs are: Master Control Program (MCP) 501, Servorum (SV) 502, 503, 504, Matchmaker (MM) 505, Game Instances Class Server (GICS) 506, and Game Upper Level Protocol Servers (GULP) 507, 508, 509. Only one type of Client Program is shown, the Gizmo type 500. Only the logical channels of communication shown are used. The purposes of the various Server and Client programs are explained hereinafter.
Referring to FIG. 3, in which for the sake of clarity Modem TA PSTN and ISDN are all omitted, the Client 1 runs a computer program, herein termed the Gizmo 10, that provides a human interface 11 consisting of at least a video display and an input device such as a keyboard. The Gizmo is further able to exchange data messages with other computers (not shown) that are also attached to the Net. Configuration files 12(MPIs) which are held locally in non-volatile storage on the Client are read by the Gizmo. Such non-volatile storage is typically implemented as a shared disk drive device and supporting electronic and software components.
Referring again to FIG. 3, the MPIs provide the Gizmo with, inter alia, the well-known Net address or addresses of one or more Server computers 13, 14, 15 that run Master Control Programs (MCPs) 16, 17, 18. Server computers per se are well known in the art. None of the MCPs reside on the Client, or indeed on any Client used by any prospective gamester, rather each MCP resides on a Server computer (also known more simply as Server) that is located remotely from the Client. Servers are typically computers which are not attended by any person but which are accessible via the Net for the interchange of data messages to and from any Client. In the System some Servers also interchange amongst themselves. In the typical case where the Net is the Internet, then the Net address is equivalent to the Transport Service Access Point (TSAP) and comprises the Internet Protocol (IP) Address together with the Internet Protocol Suite (IPS) Protocol Number and an IPS Port Number. TSAP, IP and IPS are each well known in the art. Any Net address may be encoded (with or without compression) in any convenient manner.
Referring to FIG. 4, some components such as the Modem, PSTN and POP have been omitted for clarity. The Gizmo 10 having discovered the Net address of one or more MCPs 16, 17, 18 from one or more MPIs, attempts to open a connection with (or more briefly to attach to attach to), each MCP on the list in turn until a data communications virtual circuit 19 (or more briefly, herein, a link) is successfully established with an MCP. In telecommunications the term "virtual circuit" is sometimes used in a highly specific sense relating to a very few specific protocols, but in this specification the term "virtual circuit" is used in its alternative and more generic sense. The link is a logical connection rather than a physical connection, it is embodied as software states in the Gizmo, the POP, the Client computers, the MCPs and possibly in others also.
Referring to FIG. 5 the attachment procedure is shown in simplified form, in step 20 the Gizmo sends a request for a link to the MCP. In step 21 the MCP receives the request; and the MCP sends a message of acceptance back to the Gizmo (step 22). In step 23 the Gizmo receives the acceptance thus competing the establishment of an insecure link between Gizmo and MCP (shown as box 24 and 25).
The link is durable, that is to say it persists until one of the software components that support the link takes action to dismantle it; and in a timely manner thereafter all of the software states defining the link in the various software components that support the link vanish or become quiescent depending upon their individual embodiments.
In order to protect the System from accidental or malicious damage due to incorrect messages being received, both checksums and encryption are utilized. Checksums and their benefits are well known in the art. Various types of encryption are also well known in the art, including public key and strong private key encryption. Public key encryption has the considerable advantage that it provides for the exchange of encryption keys over an insecure link and it can be as strong as strong private key encryption. Strong private key encryption has the considerable advantage that it requires fewer Microprocessor Unit (MPU) clock cycles and thus much less time to execute than does public key encryption. The System exploits the advantages of both public key encryption and strong private key encryption by using, in appropriate circumstances, the type of encryption that has greater or greatest advantage. In short, public key encryption is used to exchange private keys and private key encryption is used for most or all other purposes.
Having established a link with an MCP the Gizmo must authenticate itself with that MCP before the Gizmo may use any of the services provided by the MCP (beyond services related to the authentication process itself). If the Gizmo has never previously authenticated itself with the particular MCP with which it has contact, then it needs to obtain a private key (PK) for the strong private key encryption method supported by that particular MCP.
Referring to FIG. 6, in steps 30, 31 (for Gizmo and MCP, respectively) the PK is obtained by some form of public key cryptographic exchange such as the prior art Diffie-Hellman key exchange procedure disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,214,703 entitles "Device For The Conversion Of A Digital Block And Use Of Same." The PK is a strong private encryption key such as that of the well-known International Data Encryption Algorithm (IDEA). Upon completion of the key exchange the Gizmo has a PK and thus a secure link is created (steps 34, 35 for Gizmo and MCP, respectively) between the Gizmo and the MCP with which it is in contact and without the computational overhead of public key encryption. The MCP with which the Gizmo first successfully establishes a secure link is referred to as the initial MCP.
If the Gizmo already has a PK (for that particular MCP) that was obtained during some previous authentication, then, referring to FIG. 7, the Gizmo attempts to use that PK for authentication (steps 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45) and if successful (step 46) it uses a new PK obtained from the MCP (in step 45) for use during the present session. If this attempt fails (a likely reason being that PK is either stale or forgotten by the said MCP) then the Gizmo falls back upon public key cryptographic exchange with the MCP to obtain a new PK (steps 47, 48). As previously suggested a public key cryptographic exchange (steps 47, 48) is more computationally intense and so takes much longer than a strong private encryption key exchange using a PK. The same PK is used for encryption/decryption for traffic passing both ways, so long as the PK remains in effect. As a result of the steps 40 through 48, the Gizmo and MCP have a secure mutual link (steps 49, 50).
Next the Gizmo prompts the (human) user for account information, this comprises a player's name (or pseudonym since many gamesters prefer to use a nom de plume), and a secret password. Alternatively the user may request creation of a new account, in which case he may be prompted to provide billing information such as legal name and address. The account information is securely passed to the MCP which in turn communicates with still another Server (not shown in any Figure) that maintains and provides accounting data. Assuming the user's account information is approved, the MCP will so notify the Gizmo and will make any information associated with that user to any other Server that requests this information from the MCP (provided the requesting Server is authenticated with the MCP). The MCP maintains a database of information on the user and distributes copies of this database amongst all the MCPs for reasons of redundancy and resilience in the event of any form of MCP failure or other inoperability.
As a consequence of being authenticated with the initial MCP, the Gizmo is able to pass messages to and from the initial MCP both efficiently and securely. Referring to FIG. 8, regardless of how the Gizmo comes to be authenticated with the initial MCP, the Gizmo requests from the initial MCP a list of the Net addresses of all MCPs (step 60). All the MCPs continually maintain securely encrypted conversations amongst themselves so as to make every MCP aware of the Net addresses and operational status of all MCPs, this information being maintained to a reasonable degree of topicality. In step 61 the initial MCP sends a list of MCP addresses to the Gizmo. In step 62 the Gizmo obtains an updated list of MCP Net addresses from the initial MCP, the Gizmo stores the updated list in local non-volatile storage for possible future use.
Any MCP may have more than one Net address assigned to it. Multiple Net addresses for a single MCP typically occur when that MCP is Multihomed. Internetworks and multihomed servers such as MCP are discussed in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No 60/034,534, filed by Steven Grimm and Marc Kwiatkowski and entitled "Multihomed Network Computers," which is incorporated herein by reference.
The Gizmo determines the data packet transit time (also known as latency) to each MCP Net address in the list of MCP Net addresses, by using the Internet Protocol Suite (IPS) Ping protocol (step 63). The IPS Ping protocol is well known in the art. The information representing the latencies is passed securely to the initial MCP (also part of step 63) and they mutually enter into a negotiation as to which MCP the Gizmo should use for game rendezvous purposes (not shown in FIG. 8). The criteria for this negotiation include the latencies and believed operational condition and features of each MCP and other factors.
Still referring to FIG. 8, if the replacement MCP is not the same as the initial MCP (step 66), the Gizmo next disconnects from the initial MCP (Step 68) and then establishes a new virtual circuit to the replacement MCP (step 69) that is to be used for game rendezvous and which is the MCP that was identified as a result of the negotiation with the initial MCP. This replacement MC is referred to as the present MCP. The Gizmo performs the session authentication procedure with the present MCP (not shown in FIG. 8 for simplicity). Once it is authenticated then the Gizmo enters into a secure dialog with the present MCP, in particular the Gizmo conveys to present MCP codes that represents the type or class of game that is desired. Certain other information will typically also be conveyed from the Gizmo to present MCP, especially information that was retrieved from the MPI. In the event that the Initial and replacement MCP are both the same MCP the new authentication is not required (step 67) but information from the MPI is still required to be passed to the MCP (not shown in FIG. 8 for simplicity).
Next the Gizmo is to become authenticated with yet another Server program, in this case it is a Server program called a Matchmaker (MM), but there are a number of prerequisites to this authentication. Matchmakers execute on a Server that does not host any MCPs. A Matchmaker provides (to Gizmos) services that support such operations as bringing players together and supervising game instances. These are termed rendezvous services. The conceptual structure of these software services provided by a MM is shown in FIG. 9. Referring to FIG. 9, there are an open ended number of Game classes (GC) 550, each game class is supported by one or more Matchmakers (MM) 551, and indeed some MMs support more than one GC. Closely associated with each MM and executing in the same Server computer are other software objects and these include: Buildings (B) 552, Lobbies (L) 553, Game Rooms (GR) 554, Chat Game Connections (CGC) 555 and Playable Game Connections (PGC) 556. Although a MM may consist of one or more Buildings (B), each B maps to precisely one Lobby (L). For each MM there is an open ended pool of Game Rooms (GR) which are shared by all Lobbies in that MM. Each GR is associated with precisely one CGC and precisely one PGC.
MMs exist primarily to provide services to Gizmos and for a Gizmo to be able to use the services of a particular MM, the Gizmo must become authenticated by the MM. One of the prerequisites of getting a Gizmo authenticated with a MM is that the MM object code must actually exist within an executing program. In particular an instance of the MM program needs to be running on a Server and that instance of the MM program needs to be configured so that it is willing and able to service the requests to be made by the particular Gizmo. Moreover, the MM must be configured to support the game type or class that the Gizmo has requested or the Gizmo will be unable to use that particular MM.
Additional features of MMs are disclosed in U.S. Provisional Pat. Appl. Ser. No. 60/013,812 entitled "Network Match Maker."
In order to be able to cause instances of MM programs to be run, each MCP maintains a continual dialog with an instance of a particular Control Program known as a Servorum (SV). Each and every Server that is configured so as to be capable of running one or more MM program instances have (at all times that the Server is in an operational condition) precisely one Servorum (SV) running in that Server. The SV is responsible for initiating and sustaining dialog with every MCP that the SV is configured to be aware of. Although both MM and SV maintains their mutual dialog on a periodic basis, the SV is responsible for initial establishment of the dialog and subsequent reestablishment and recovery after possible loss of timely communication.
Referring to FIG. 10, the Gizmo initiates a request for a list of MM addresses (step 100) by sending a message that is received by the present MCP(step 101). In step 102, the present MCP makes a determination as to whether a sufficient number of suitable MMs exist for the Gizmo. This determination is based on a number of factors comprising: whether any MMs already exists, whether the MM is configured to permit the present MCP to command the MM to add support for additional types of games and so on. In step 102, if an insufficient number of MMs exist that are judged suitable by the previously mentioned criteria, in step 103 the MCP sends a control message to a SV to command the SV to cause a MM to start running (step 105) on the Server where the SV is located and to configure that MM to support the type or class of game sought by the Gizmo. In this embodiment it is likely that several or many MMs are available for use by the Gizmo. In step 110, a list of all of the Net addresses of all of the suitable MMs is conveyed from the present MCP to the Gizmo. The Gizmo receives this list of addresses (step 111).
The Gizmo conducts IPS Ping protocol tests to determine the latency from the Gizmo to each candidate MCP. The results of these ping tests are sent back to the present MCP which uses this information together with the previously mentioned criteria to make a final determination as to which MM the Gizmo is to use. The present MCP notifies the Gizmo of the Net address of the MM to use.
SVs have further properties that can be exploited by MCPs both in creating the list of Net addresses that the Gizmo is to ping, and also in making the final selection of MM for the Gizmo to use. For example, SVs may be multi-homed as described in U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. No. 60/034,534. In the case the SV is multi-homed, it necessarily has a plurality of Net addresses that MCPs may take into account when selecting a MM for the Gizmo to use. Moreover, in order to reduce redundancy and generally streamline the selection process the SVs are assigned cluster numbers such that SVs which share a cluster number have a very similar set of network attributes. Thus, an MCP may avoid the need for the Gizmo to conduct the IPS Ping test on multiple MMs that share a cluster number, since it is reasonably certain that very close results would be obtained. A single IPS Ping test by the Gizmo is sufficient for an entire SV cluster. It is highly likely to be the case that all the SVs belonging to a cluster are co-located physically, and if multi-homed then they are all multi-homed to the same networks and in the same manner.
At this stage in the method, the Gizmo is authenticated with the present MCP and the Gizmo needs to be authenticated with the MM that the MCP selected for the Gizmo to use. Since the Gizmo has already successfully conducted IPS Ping tests with the selected MM, there is a good probability that the Gizmo can at least exchange messages with that selected MM, and certainly a better probability than would be the case with a MM selected at random.
As a last resort the Gizmo can authenticate itself with the MM by means of sending a message to the MM using the Diffie-Hellman key exchange technique described above. However, it is desirable to have a faster means of authentication. The MM does not keep non-volatile keys for Gizmos like the MCPs do, so the MM cannot simply retrieve a private key from non-volatile storage to authenticate the Gizmo on such a basis. Instead the MM enlists the assistance of any MCP with which the MM is authenticated (i.e., with which it can communicate securely). Private keys are maintained only in MCPs and this has important beneficial security implications. Since security depends (at least in part) upon private keys' remaining uncompromised and since MCPs are typically much fewer in number than either MMs or Gizmos there are few points of relative vulnerability in the system in regards to private keys. Also, since the number of MCPs is severely limited, it becomes economically feasible to take extra security measures at those few points, measures such as physically securing the Servers from unauthorized access are economic. Moreover if it is discovered over time that additional security measures are needed then it is likely that those additional measures need to be implemented at the relatively few locations that have MCPs.
The fast Gizmo authentication with MM is implemented as follows: The link is initially regarded as insecure, although weak encryption is used to make life harder for any interlopers. The Gizmo sends a weakly encrypted message to the MM to inform the MM that the Gizmo holds a private key corresponding to the user logged onto the MCP, of course the user is also identified. It is important to realize that at this stage the private key is not sent, merely a notification that the Gizmo holds the key. The MM securely asks the MCP for a key pair, that is a random unencrypted code and the encrypted version of it (encrypted using the user's private key which is held by the MCP). The MM insecurely relays the unencrypted code to the Gizmo as a challenge, but retains the encrypted version of the code. The Gizmo encrypts using the private key and sends the result back to the MM. The MM can now compare the results of the Gizmo's encryption and the MCP's encryption of the same code, if they match then the implication is that the Gizmo knows the same private key for the MCP as the MCP knows for the Gizmo and the MM considers the Gizmo authentic. At this stage, both the MCP and the MM know the Gizmo to be authentic and the MCP (but not the MM) can communicate securely with the Gizmo. The final part of authentication is for a new session key to be generated. The MM sends to the MCP a command to generate a new private key for the Gizmo and the MCP sends the new private key to both MM and Gizmo, and so the Gizmo and MM can now communicate securely.
A benefit of negotiating a new private key is to limit the amount of time the private key held by the MCP is used, thus severely limiting the amount of data encrypted with any one key so impeding any brute force attack on the private key encryption and also limiting the period of validity of any possibly compromised key. All further communications between the Gizmo and the designated MM is conducted securely for the duration of the user's online session.
The MM next requests from the MCP, a copy of the database of volatile and non-volatile information kept on the user (account) that logged into the original MCP, this database of information is updated by any MCP and distributed amongst all MCPs by way of the previously described conversation that all MCPs mutually maintain.
The MM supports the abstract concept of Rooms which are an association of players which will potentially enter a playing instance of a game. The analogy with non computer games is that the players congregate in a room, discuss game rules, select teams etc., and then some or all of the players leave the room to form a game instance. For example in a room designated for contract bridge players that contains several players, precisely four may leave to form a game instance, or in other words to play a rubber since the game is contract bridge. Similarly players would pair off in rooms for chess players or would form two teams of eleven and then leave in a room for soccer players. The Gizmo requests the MM to attach the Gizmo to a room for a particular type or class of game.
In fact the Gizmo is initially attached to a special kind of room which is termed a lobby. There is a least one lobby per type of game that can be requested. Conceptually the lobby is treated as supporting a type of game. However, the lobby's game is always a chat game rather than the type of game that the Gizmo requested. A chat game is not really a game in the ordinary sense of the word, it is rather a vehicle for supporting conversation and negotiation between a plurality of users. This chat game requires still more Server programs to provide user to user communication of such things as typed text messages, digitized sound streams representing comments spoken into a microphone by the users, and game specific parameters that refine the definition of the type of game to be played. These further instances of Server programs that enable games (including the chat game) are known as Game Instance Class Servers (GICSes in the plural or GICS in the singular). GlCSes are potentially clustered in a similar manner to MMs, and typically reside on still other Server computers.
In the present embodiment, whenever a lobby room is to be used, the Gizmo requires access to the following a Chat GICS. Given that the Gizmo wishes to use a particular lobby room that corresponds to the type of games to be played (and perhaps other properties), the MM must make a determination as to which GICS the Gizmo is to use to support the lobby room. In particular the MM must keep track of the GICSes available to each lobby. If the user's Gizmo is not the first Gizmo to enter a particular Lobby then the GICes for that Lobby will already exist and the MM can pass the Net addresses of the GICS or GICSes to the Gizmo.
If no Gizmo has previously entered the subject Lobby then there will be no GlCSes for that Lobby known to the MM so the MM must take action to cause one or more GICSes to be created. The following is a description of how the MM causes GICSes to be created: Servers, such as GICSes, are created as a result of commands sent to SVs. Every SV authenticates itself with every MCP and SVs accept commands to create Servers only from MCPs. Thus, since the Gizmo needs access to GICSes and only the MM knows which type or types of GlCSes the Gizmo needs, it is necessary for the MM to relay to the present MCP a list of the types (and quantities) of Servers required. The MCP returns to the MM a list of possible SVs and the MM passes this list to the Gizmo which conducts IPS Ping tests to determine the Gizmo's latency to each SV. The Gizmo then passes the Ping test results to the MM which forwards the results to the MCP. Armed with the Ping test results and the status of each SV (every MCP always knows a fairly current status of each SV because the SVs report into every MCP periodically), the MCP is able to select the SV to be used and (if necessary) commands the SV to start the needed GICSes running. The list of Net addresses of the GICSes is then passed back to the MM which passes that same list to the Gizmo. As a matter of expediency the MCP typically pre-creates a few of the most popular types of GICSes in anticipation of demand for them, and as a consequence the MCP is able to respond to requests for Net addresses of appropriate GICSes by returning a list of Net addresses of precreated GlCSes which is a fast and therefore responsive thing to do. In the event that there be an insufficient supply of pre-created GICSes, the MCP can always create a few more, and indeed after pre-created GICSes have been allocated the MCP may, at its leisure so to speak, replenish the supply by creating more. Indeed the MCP may adjust the supply of pre-created GICSes based upon demand history in an attempt to anticipate demand more efficiently.
Regardless of whether the MM was able to supply the Net addresses of GICSes already in use (by another Gizmo that is attached to the same lobby), or whether the MM had to cause new GlCSes to be created, the MM can pass a list of Net addresses to the Gizmo. The Gizmo in turn authenticates itself with the GICSes, and the GICSes use the services of the MCP to perform authentication in the same manner as the MM was able to authenticate the Gizmo as described above.
All of the players in a particular Lobby may engage one another in conversations using typed messages, icons representing persona, and the like. As the name suggests, a primary purpose of Lobbies is a place from which player may move to other rooms, these rooms being game rooms of the type alluded to earlier wherein players' congregate and leave to form playing game instances. While the user is associated with a Lobby, they may view information about game rooms that are attached to that Lobby, such information being for example, the name given to the room, the number of players presently in the room, and some indication of the Gizmo's latency to the GICS that is supporting the corresponding game room. The user may also stimulate the Gizmo to cause the Gizmo to become detached from the Lobby GICs and instead attached to one of the game room GICes, this is termed entering a game room. The method of attachment to the game room is carried out under the supervision of the MM and is very much like the attachment of the Gizmo to the Lobby GICS, except that the type and number of GICSes required is determined from the requested game room class database information rather than from the characteristics of the special Lobby game (a Lobby is not really a game but it is handled like a game from as regards GlCSes).
A user may also stimulate the Gizmo to cause a room to be created, in this case the MM contacts the MCP requesting the MCP to use SVs to cause a game room GICS to be created in a very much similar manner to how the Lobby GICS was created.
There is yet another type of Server used and it is termed a GULP (for Game Upper Level Protocol Server). There are two manners in which GULPs come into existence. Firstly when a GICS is created, a Shell script controls execution of programs and the Shell script directs the GICS to create certain GULPs. Shell scripts are well known in the art. A second source of GULPs is that any Gizmo which is authenticated with the GICS may command the GICS to have a GULP created with a particular set of properties.
GULPS are caused to be created by a GICS in much the same manner as an MM creates GICSes. That is the GICS commands the MCP to create GULPs. However the method for creating GULPs is a little different in that it is desirable for reliability reasons not to involve too many Server computers once the game is launched. Therefore the GICS initially requests the MCP to create the GULPs on the same physical computer as the GICs is located. If this is not possible to do without overloading the Server there is a conversation between the MCP, the GICS and the Gizmo to decide where the GULPs. The most important criterion in deciding where to place the GULPs is that they should be in close proximity (both in a physical sense and a Net topology sense) to the GICS. Failing that the GULPs are placed all in the same location and in a location with good IPS Ping results as measured by the Gizmo.
Thus, a game room is associated with a so-called Chat GICS and the Chat GICS owns several GULPs. In particular for a Chat GICS the types of GULP are: a speech GULP, a text GULP, a scribble GULP, a game settings GULP. The speech GULP is used to multicast digitized encoded sound data that represents the speech spoken by a user into the microphone attached to his computer. A text GULP multicasts the text that each user types in to all the Gizmo serving the other users in the room. Similarly a scribble GULP allows for freehand drawing on a shared whiteboard. And the game settings GULP is used to communicate with game class specific programs residing in the Gizmo to allow for the negotiation of game parameters for example smooth or rough terrain for a racing game. The game settings GULP also maintains the consent status of players, when a player is satisfied with the game settings he consents to play. Once a correct number of players have consented a game instance may be launched as a result of one of the players commanding his Gizmo to have this set in motion.
When a game instance is launched the GICS supporting the game room remains running but another GICS is created to support the game instance. This creation of the game instance GICS is very much like the creation of the game room GICS except that the type of GICS to be created is determined by the data associated with the game class and also the negotiated game parameters.
Typically there will be at least one GULP to multicast the game data amongst the players, unless the game uses a Client-Server model. Client-Server models are well known in the art. In the event that the game is of the Client-Server type then one of the GULP will be the entire Client part of the game program itself. In this Client-Server case the entire game modeling is performed in the GULP and that can be a significant load of the Server computer.
Game launching also comprises launching the game program executable on the Client computer (the computer upon which the Gizmo is running). The game executable sends and receives data by to and from the Gizmo and Gizmo in turn forwards the game data to and from the appropriate GICS or GICSes.
While the game is playing there are periodic communications between: the MM and the Gizmo, the MM and the GICS, the GICS and the GULPs and of course a great deal of game data is exchanged between the Gizmo and the GULPs at frequent intervals. The MM remains part of the ongoing communication so that it can detect when the game ends and, at that time, reconnect the users to the game room from whence they came. In addition the MM detects the end of the game for billing purposes and updates the MCP accordingly. At normal termination of a game the players are returned by the MM to the game room and may negotiate a new game instance.
Since on many Nets communications can be lost without notice it is possible that a game will end prematurely. In particular if the Gizmo cannot communicate with the GICS or cannot communicate with the GULPs then the game cannot ordinarily continue for that player, though it may continue for the other players with one player dropped out (this is possible only for some types of game, for example it is not possible to play "Solo Whist" with any number of players other than four). However the MM has a measure of redundancy in that it can continue to supervise the game and watch for the end of the game if it can communicate with either the GICS or the Gizmo. If the MM loses communication to both GICS and all the Gizmos in the game Gizmo then the game is ended from a billing standpoint and the MM updates the MCP and destroys the game room. Similarly, if the MM loses communication to the GICS and some (but not all) of the Gizmos then the game is ended for those Gizmos.
In the case that the GICS does not reside on the same computer as the GULPs and the Gizmo loses communications with the GULPs, it is possible in for new replacement GlCSes to be created by the MM and all Gizmos are directed by a message sent from the GICS to disconnect from the old GULPs and connect to the new GULPs in order to continue the game. The MM can successfully replace the GULPs only if it has the state information for the game that was held by the old GULPs. This is a lot easier for a peer to peer game that has little or no state information in the GULPs than for a Client-Server game where the entire game state resides in a GULP alone.
The foregoing descriptions of specific embodiments of the present invention have been presented for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and obviously many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teaching. The embodiments were chosen and described in order to best explain the principles of the invention and its practical application, to thereby enable others skilled in the art to best utilize the invention and various embodiments with various modifications as are suited to the particular use contemplated. It is intended that the scope of the invention be defined by the Claims appended hereto and their equivalents.
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|463/42, 700/2, 700/9, 700/3, 706/908, 463/41, 706/909, 700/8, 463/29, 706/916, 463/40
|International Classification
|Cooperative Classification
|European Classification
|21 Sep 1998
Owner name: MPATH INTERACTIVE, INC., CALIFORNIA
Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:ROTHSCHILD, JEFFREY JACKIEL;SAMUEL, DANIEL JOSEPH;GRIMM,STEPHEN MICHAEL;AND OTHERS;REEL/FRAME:009468/0760;SIGNING DATES FROM 19980910 TO 19980915
|16 Jun 2004
|Maintenance fee reminder mailed
|29 Nov 2004
|Lapse for failure to pay maintenance fees
|25 Jan 2005
|Expired due to failure to pay maintenance fee
Effective date: 20041128


text:
The International Franchise Association (IFA) and the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) have launched a new online matchmaking portal designed to streamline franchise companies seeking real estate and landlords and brokers looking for retailers to fill open space.
The ICSC/IFA Matchmaking Database (icsc.org/ifa) can be accessed by thousands of retail and real estate professionals online daily. Retailers can post their need for space and landlords and brokers can post available retail space. The searchable databases contain available retail properties by location, size, ownership/management and demographic information.
"This new tool will help link new franchise developments with available real estate, thereby escalating the pace at which businesses are coming to market and speeding up the creation of new jobs," Steve Caldeira, IFA president & CEO, said in a press release.
Retailers can list their need for space using common fields including, size of property, scope of business, space needed (type of shopping center), demographics and other parameters. All active ICSC and IFA members may post all their available properties and space needs for free. Listings on the site are secure and members provide continuous updates so they remain timely.
Read more about operations management.
Topics: Franchising & Growth , Operations Management , Restaurant Design / Layout
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subset: commoncrawl


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Wizards should duplicate Shawn Marion's final-play tactics
Highlights: Wizards 106, Pistons 99
If Wednesday's game with the Dallas Mavericks comes down to the wire, John Wall, should stay clear of Shawn Marion, who just accomplished something unprecedented. Nevermind that his nickname, Trix, is a nickname for his original nickname, Matrix. It's that he scored 32 points in a game in his fifth season with the team, the first time he has had 30 or more.
"That's an extension of what I used to do," said Marion after the game, a four-time All-Star in his first eight seasons with the Phoenix Suns.
But Marion also got away with what most would consider a foul as he hacked the arm of Kevin Love as he attempted a three-pointer that could've won Monday's game when the Mavericks beat the Minnesota Timberwolves 100-98.
Wall has complained that his miscues on the final play of two games in which he failed to make the game-winning shot were caused by fouls in which his arm was either hacked (Jeremy Lamb, Oklahoma City Thunder) and outright grabbed on the catch (Nate Robinson, Denver Nuggets).
He's correct and I addressed that topic here. Love is the bigger name player in this exchange with Marion, and even though two officials appeared to have a clear sight line of the play a whistle wasn't blown. Like Wall has found out the hard way, they're erring on the side of caution to allow players to decide the outcome.
[RELATED: Wizards comeback to stun Pistons]
The Mavericks (18-13) still have key pieces for the 2011 championship team such as Marion who know how to win and bend the rules to their favor. They have quality road wins vs. teams such as the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets and they're almost .500 away from home at 7-9.
They beat the Wizards (14-14) last month, 105-95, at America Airlines Center. This isn't a strong defensive team, but it is 12-2 when holding opponents to less than 100 points.
If it comes down to the wire, the Wizards should take a page out of Marion's book and defend Dirk Nowitzki, the Mavs' 7-foot jump shooting power forward or speedy point guard Monta Ellis, in the same way. Chances are, the officials will reward defensive aggression. Just not the Jan Vesely six-fouls-in-eight-minutes aggression.


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Leo packers and movers doesn't need any introduction by having a strong presence in the country for more than three decades. Leo packers and movers has seen a total of three generation in the business. They are pretty much into corporate and residential relocation services. Now, they have introduced the international relocation services as well to please their customer way better. They have earned tremendous patronage and support from their customer over time.
Leo packers and movers are the leading name in nation's relocation service providers. The legendary Maganlal Shal holds the position of Founder Chairman in Leo packers and movers while Dillip Shah and Abhay Shah holds the chair of Managing Director and Director respectively. They are the faces behind Leo packers and movers who have fostered this organization which had started in a room and now has a spread over multiple countries around the globe. This is a perfect example of unfathomable desire and rock solid determination with courage to transcend all the limits set physically or mentally.
Over the time, leo packers and movers has shown admirable endeavour in the field of relocation services by almost changing the face of relocation in India. They have received a patronage of thousand of happy customer globally. I have personally used their services and found it to be exactly what is described on numerous articles floating over internet. Leo packers and movers have done exceptionally well and worth admiring in this arena and has put forward a completely new dimension in this type of business. They have been proven as a role model for several other similar services in India and abroad yet the simplicity and their trust on customer satisfaction has always been their prime principles. I strongly recommend all of you to try their services at least once to experience the joy of relocation.


text:
SteerMouse is an advanced driver for USB and Bluetooth mice. It also supports Apple Mighty Mouse very well. SteerMouse can assign various...
SteerMouse is an advanced driver for USB and Bluetooth mice. It also supports Apple Mighty Mouse very well. SteerMouse can assign various...
After months of expressing dissatisfaction with the software on more than 40,000 iPads, a massive school district will get a small settlement from Apple if the school board approves.
Apple has reminded developers to verify their copy of Xcode before submitting iOS apps, but it probably won't stop Chinese developers from using pirated versions of the free software.
A bug last week held Apple back from releasing the highly anticipated watchOS 2 software update, which brings native third-party application support.
Slide-to-unlock, autocorrection and quicklinks are all Apple's domain when it comes to mobile software says a U.S. court. Not only is this a potentially huge blow to Samsung but to all Google Android partners.
A bug has held up the next version of software for the Apple Watch, which was expected to launch on Wednesday.
MacPractice iEHR for iPad employs a familiar, intuitive interface based on traditional paper medical forms to provide a secure, streamlined...
Amplify was supposed to reinvent education, but could its hardware, software and content bundle realistically compete with Apple and Google?
Software hints suggest this year's iPad mini refresh will be far more substantial than the iPad mini 3 was. Has Apple shifted to a two-year major update cycle on the small slate?
Stellar Phoenix Mac Data Recovery is a professional choice to undelete files on Mac that are lost to a minor software glitch, a disk...
Google's Android Wear watches may be getting more like the Apple Watch after the next software upgrade with direct communication and more information on watch faces.
Let the Apple Music streaming begin: Apple pushed iOS 8.4 out on Tuesday morning with support for the audio service along with a few bug fixes and improvements in iBooks.
Apple already shared two ways it will be easier to fit the iOS 9 software upgrade on your iPhone. Now it has a third approach to make sure iOS adoption rates are high.
Four school districts will have the chance to pilot a program using IBM software and services on Apple hardware in the classroom.
Plans for the next year of software features that drive existing and new Apple hardware will be mapped out on Monday. Here's what to expect, and what not to.
Newly released data suggests that the Apple Watch might be delivering some big benefits for the iOS ecosystem. Not only are app crash rates low, but the device also seems to be helping to drive iPhone hardware and software upgrades.
After a software update, the Apple Watch heart rate monitor skips readings if you're in motion. The likely reason? Improved overall accuracy for a better picture of your health.
Not one to break tradition, Apple confirmed it will hold a two-hour keynote to kick off its yearly developer event. Software is the focus but a few hardware surprises could arrive.
The Canadian former handset giant announced over the weekend that it will be cutting an unspecified number of workers.
Say so long to simple navigation and hello to more robust Maps software on your wrist. The battle for your wrist between Google and Apple is improving both watch products.
The small update is mainly bug fixes, a new default Today view and performance improvements, including some for Siri which has been inconsistent on my wrist of late.
It's about time for Apple's TV "hobby" to become a big deal: A new software platform for third-party apps would help. And the Apple Watch is expected to improve too next month.
The Kremlin wants to use smartphone technology it can trust -- by cracking open an alternative's source code.
Surface Pro 4 and Surface Book mean business, but no big threat to Apple
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Orrin Coley - Sent x - 09/Aug/15 with Billy Ridal
Repeat ascent, redefining some beta... the whole thing may be possible now. Better get training. Beastly Squirrel - Sent rpt - 27/Jul/15 with Crowd
Hard first move and keep it together for the finish. Went in for the flash, got frustrated, calmed down and sent. 1 hour. Been dreaming about sending this block for so long. Happy.Beastly Squirrel - Sent x - 02/Jul/15 with Crowd, Ed Gow-Smith
Campussed the first move. Fuck you inflexible hips.EdGS - Sent x - Jul/15
Alex moore - Sent - 13/Jun/15
EliotStephens - Sent - 26/Apr/15
MorganPreece - Sent x - 18/Apr/15 with Sam Tolhurst
One of the best. First 8a, 6 sessions.cover09 - Sent x - 26/Oct/14 with Jess Leeds
So good!grey wolf - Sent x - 12/Jul/14
I have wanted to climb this boulder for many years and was so happy to do it! Hard first move, not too bad there afterCailean Harker - Sent x - 14/May/14 with Hannah
Hidden - Sent dnf - 29/Sep/13
Hidden - Sent dnf - 27/Sep/13
jakk - Sent - 28/Aug/13
Took far too many goes, including 2 falls into the river.jfreeman - Sent x - 25/Jun/11 with Ben Freeman, Tom Williams, Greg Courtney, Daniel Turner
Fryder - Sent - 03/May/11
bfreeman - Sent x - 19/Aug/10 with Jon Freeman, Dan Turner
Made up to get this in the rain at the end of the trip, took 3 attempts after briefly trying the first move in the dark a few days earlier.Richard Hession - Sent x - 21/Aug/09
TGore - 16/Jun/07


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Average Rating
User Reviews
101 out of 128 people found this review helpful:Why do I watch this?I read through the comments and some people who are leaving low ratings aren't hitting the correct points and don't seem to know what some of the words mean that they use in their review.Read more
I have seen plenty of vampire movies and anime and read nearly two dozen vampire novels including fiction and nonfiction. The vampires in this anime are perfect. If you're not into abuse and sexual, ...
63 out of 95 people found this review helpful:Basically a Twilight rape fantasy...In short: Do not waste your time on this unless you are in to boring rape fantasies and being bitten and abused on a daily basis.Read more
At first, I thought this looked interesting. The beginning of the first episode when the female protagonist arrives at the house hooked me on and kept me hoping for more of the same... At least for three episode which was when I decided to drop the ...
40 out of 56 people found this review helpful:Perverse and PlotlessI can't remember the last time an anime made me this furious. All of the male characters are abusive dickwads that ought to be slapped in the face but the main character doesn't really seem to care about her own self respect to do anything about their bullying and sexual assaults. If you're into masochism, this show is your ticket to heaven. Otherwise, be aware that the moral to this show runs ...Read more
34 out of 50 people found this review helpful:Hidden details and hints you must to pay attention to!This anime should get more credit because of its amazing artwork, also the plot of diabolik lovers starts to develop slowly if you just pay close attention to it. The author of this show purposely wanted to develop the plot slowly to foreshadow that is really going to happen, for this reason the author decided to make the watcher think another way because they want to surprise the watcher, when ...Read more
31 out of 49 people found this review helpful:Infuriating psychological tortureI have watched the first 2 episodes and I am at my limit with how horrible the poor girl is being treated. If you put yourself in her shoes this would be a traumatizing experience. She has essentially been kidnapped, threatened to be killed many times, almost drowned on purpose, and used as a food source like livestock. The guys have zero respect for life, only refraining from killing her because ...Read more
22 out of 35 people found this review helpful:Plot? Who needs plot?For starters, I am not going to say I didn't like this anime because it doesn't follow the vampire myths and stuff. That's not why I disliked it.Read more
The art was great and I actually liked some of the characters and wanted to like this anime. I just couldn't like it.
There was absolutely zero plot in this. They threw in plot elements that could have led somewhere only to say "Meh, screw it." and ...
21 out of 34 people found this review helpful:Should've Just Been a HentaiSeriously.Read more
This anime is short first off - a mere 15 minutes. Most of which being preoccupied by our heroine being ra... having her blood sucked.
Literally nothing else goes on but our heroine walking around and being assaulted.
We already know there's no plot, they should've at least thrown a bone and redeemed itself by just being a bloody hentai. It's always virtually on the cusp if ...
10 out of 13 people found this review helpful:Vampires are not supposed to be niceA show about vampires. Yes, they're mean, yes, they suck blood, they're (SPOILER ALERT: VAMPIRES!) It is in their nature. That's it. If you want some cutesy non-realistic vampire with ponies and rainbows go watch Twilight.
12 out of 18 people found this review helpful:honestly this is just a vamp hentai without the sexand not a good one at that, no likeable characters and the plot is like reading a poorly written fanfic of 50 shades of grey the pg-13 version. the main protagonist doesn't even want to be in this story.
5 out of 5 people found this review helpful:For some reason I'm addicted?!I don't know what this anime has that gets me so intrigued, but I am addicted to it. But don't get me wrong, I won't say it's amazing. I can't even say it's good, but there's something about that's got me hooked and even though a plot is non existent, it's got me wanting more. All I can say is that the artwork is amazing so props for that. The characters are pretty sexy so double props for that. ...Read more


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Grounds For Conversation: Learning And Improving
Watch Now
Date Added: Oct 2009
Format: Webcast
This webcast focuses on enhancing the customer experience. Past webcasts in this series talked about collecting, and cleaning, and storing, and segmenting, and analyzing customer data. All well and good, but at some point we need to think about doing something with the data. We need to act on it in a way visible to our customers. Karen Heath, a Managing Practice Principal with HP, and Jeff Gilleland, Global Strategist of SAS Customer Intelligence Solutions are joined by Retha Keyser, SAS Customer Intelligence Product Manager who has experience working with companies to improve the customer experiences they deliver.


text:
Special Offers
Keep an eye on this page for special offers and promotions in Leeds.
Many of Leeds amazing attractions are free to enter! The perfect day out for all the family.
We want visitors to make the most of their time in Leeds, so have come up with a number of example itineraries to help shape their stay. So whether it's 24, 48 or 72 hours in Leeds, we've got it covered
Two courses for £10.95 or three for £13.95 from the Menu Espresso which runs Tues-Friday noon – 2.30pm
The home of real French cooking, Brasserie Blanc's set menu is a taste of summer and just £9.95 for two courses. All our dishes are freshly cooked by their wonderful chefs and our delicious set menu is available Monday to Saturday until 6.30pm.
eNews Sign Up
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Use the form below to search for fantastic deals on Attractions in Leeds.
Leeds' only free voucher site, offering you the best discounts in the city's bars, restaurants, retail stores and leisure outlets.


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View black Singles in Mickleton
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Chanel Vitalumiere
540 reviews
65% would repurchase
Package Quality: 4.3
Price: $$$$
Package Quality: 4.3
Price: $$$$
INGREDIENTSwater, ethylhexyl palmitate, neopentyl glycol diethylhexanoate, cyclomethicone, talc, caprylic/capric triglyceride, ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, HDI/trimethylol hexyllactone crosspolymer, propylene glycol, PEG-30 dipolyhydroxystearate, glycerin, butylene glycol, phenoxyethanol, fragrance, methylparaben, disteardimmonium hectorite, disodium stearoyl glutamate, polyglyceryl-3 beeswax, propylparaben, tocopherol, lecithin, ascorbyl palmitate, glyceryl stearate, alcohol denat., walnut seed, silica, laminaria digitata extract, glyceryl oleate, sodium hyaluronate, aluminum hydroxide, citric acid, sodium metabisulfate, BHT, licorice extract, butylparaben, ethylparaben, isobutylparaben.
on 5/17/2009 5:30:00 PM
Age: 19-24
Skin: Combination, Fair, Not Sure
Hair: Brown, Other, Other
Eyes: Brown
This foundation does have a nice satin finish however that satin finish only lasts all of 1 hour for me. I wouldn't recommend it for people with skin that is even the slightest bit prone to oily-ness. I have combination skin and by mid morning, my face has turned into an absolute oil slick. Do not like it at all! Also this foundation feels too rich and heavy on me and tends to melt and slide and stain clothes, hands everything!
The range of colours is also not right for me, the lightest shade shell, cendre, is too dark and too orange for me. Also I felt that it oxidised throughout the day to become even more orange. Didn't like it and for the price frankly I expected more.
on 4/20/2009 5:06:00 AM
Age: 30-35
Skin: Combination, Fair, Not Sure
Hair: Brown, Other, Other
Eyes: Brown
I've only been using this for three days so my overall rating may change but for now I'm liking it. I have combination/oily BUT I have fine lines round my eyes (mostly dehyration and some finer age lines- the horror!) so finding a foundation that fits my needs can be tricky. This (so far) is working for me. It doesn't crease round the eyes nor does it vanish over my oily areas.
At �30 I think it is expensive but I can cover my face with just one pump so it should last a good while. Coverage I'd say is light to medium. Texture is light and fairly runny. I apply it quickly much like a tinted moisturiser followed by just apply a little blush and I'm good to go in the mornings looking fresh. I have tried applying a translucent powder over the top and that changes it from satin/dewy to a more matt finish but not 'too' matt. I like that versatility.
No breakouts so far.
on 4/20/2009 4:30:00 AM
Age: 19-24
Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Not Sure
Hair: Brown, Other, Other
Eyes: Brown
YUK! Hated it.
I bought this on a whim as I don't use foundation, I just use concealer and then finish off with a light dusting of powder. But I thought everyone needs a trusty liquid foundation so thought this would be good. As I have dry skin, I was advised to try this.
This is a very lightly pigmented foundation- I hated it. But not just that, my biggest reason for wanting to run my car over it is that it gave me an oily finish- I mean whaaat? I applied as normal and stared at an oily, greasy reflection in the mirror. Yikes I thought- another one for the bin. I also was quite disappointed that the SA gave me a foundation like 1/2 shades too dark for my skin- it looked like I had a dirty face :(
I get the idea of the dewy look and all, but this product does not give dewy, it gives greasy/ oily. I just hated it and wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
on 3/30/2009 2:38:00 PM
Age: 25-29
Skin: Combination, Other, Not Sure
Hair: Brunette, Other, Other
Eyes: Blue
I used this one for quite some years. Great foundation. I have combined skin so this one works fine. Sometimes i find it a bit too greasy looking, that's why i don't use it anymore. Pretty colour base.
Avoid if you have oily skin.
on 3/29/2009 12:55:00 AM
Age: 19-24
Skin: Dry, Fair-Medium, Not Sure
Hair: Brunette, Other, Other
Eyes: Brown
I have dry skin so I wanted to give this product a try because I'd heard that it gave a dewy finish. Well yeah, it did... but it looked like I had applied a worthless tinted moisturizer. My face looked shiny, but it didn't cover anything. My cheeks are quite pink and I have some redness around my nose, too. This didn't cover anything! For the price, not worth it! I also had to pump like 4x and even then no coverage at all. Awful!
on 3/24/2009 5:12:00 PM
Age: 19-24
Skin: Very Dry, Fair, Not Sure
Hair: Brunette, Other, Other
Eyes: Hazel
My HG foundation!!
This is absolutely fantastic, the best foundation I've tried for my very dry skin. I was using MAC studio sculpt but it wasn't working for me & emphasised dry patches on my skin. The Vitalumiere is more runny than i'm used to, but makes my skin look fresh & glowy. It sinks into my skin & evens out the tone, also covering redness around my nose & dark circles ( I find I don't need concealer ). It moisturises and covers well on my dry patches (nose and forehead). I have had comments since I've started using it that my skin looks nice & what foundation do I use, so that can't be bad!
A bit pricey at 28.00, but I think it's worth it as I'd say it's skin perfection in a bottle!
on 3/18/2009 10:41:00 AM
Age: 19-24
Skin: Acne-prone, Fair, Cool
Hair: Blond, Curly, Fine
Eyes: Brown
I have tried three Chanel foundations now, and the only one I would go back to is the liquid TI. This stuff looked great when the man at the Chanel counter applied it, but he used a few other products on me as well. When I apply this, it looks great for about an hour. Then it starts to oxidize on me, and I end up with a yellowy, too dark foundation. Not cute! It also makes my t-zone an oil slick, which no amount of powdering fixes - it just reverts back to an oily mess. This was an expensive mistake on my quest for an HG foundation, tossed aside for the new Dior Nude foundation. The packaging is very nice, however, I don't think I'll be returning to Chanel foundations. There is better stuff out there that costs much less.
on 3/11/2009 10:37:00 PM
Age: 19-24
Skin: Dry, Medium, Not Sure
Hair: Other, Other, Other
Eyes: Brown
My HG foundation! I have extremely dry, sensitive skin and have never been able to find a foundation that would give me medium coverage with out breaking me out or clogging my pores.Then I found this and it does the job! It's moisturizing, I found my perfect shade (medium sand) and it does not clog my pores, it also does a great job at covering mild acne blemishes and spots. Overall I would definitley reccomend!
on 3/8/2009 5:21:00 AM
Age: 19-24
Skin: Dry, Fair, Not Sure
Hair: Red, Other, Other
Eyes: Brown
Love this! The formula works really great with my skin, it looks so natural! Covers everything that needs to be covered, my skin looks fantastic. I had been using a MAC foundation, but after getting tired of it not helping my skin, I switched. Great choice.
My only problem is that the color is a bit too dark for me. I bought the lightest shade they had, a 15 and it is a bit too tan for me, but someway, it works well. My MAC foundation matched better my skin.
on 2/19/2009 8:56:00 PM
Age: 19-24
Skin: Combination, Fair, Neutral
Hair: Brown, Straight, Fine
Eyes: Brown
I think Chanel generally does great foundations, along with their lipsticks and nail polish (minus the chipping). They are expensive but always done up in sleek and elegant packaging. Picking a foundation is always a headache and I've tried only 4 so far - I generally have good skin and only wear foundations on nights out or when I feel ugly LOL. Laura Mercier's was a headache to blend and felt like a mask. MAC's Studio Fix Liquid felt a little too oily and heavy for my liking.
Vitalumiere is a moisturising foundation that provides medium-full coverage and provides a nice glow on my skin. The texture is on the watery side but I believe this makes it a dream when blending with a foundation brush. In London, this foundation is just about perfect for a special night out! However, it is far too moisturising for me now that I've moved back to a tropical climate and have put it up for swap :( Oily skin girls should beware as well as those who live in a more humid climate. Also, the fragrance contained in this foundation is very strong and I can always smell it throughout the night! My nose is quite resilient to scents and perfumes but if you have a sensitive sense of smell, I suggest you try it on for a couple of hours first.
One last thing, 20 Clair is getting a little too dark for me and it is already the lightest colour available in London. I believe they have 5 and 10 on the Asian markets but will have to confirm this when I'm at a Chanel counter.
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Dominick and Eugene (1988)
Critic Consensus: No consensus yet.
Dominick and Eugene Videos & Photos
Movie Info
Dominick Luciano (Thomas Hulce) is the moderately retarded twin brother of highly intelligent young intern Eugene (Ray Liotta). Anxious to become a successful doctor, Eugene finds he must devote most of his time to caring for Dominick. For his part, Dominick has been contributing to the family unit as a trash collector; in fact, it is his earnings that keeps food on the table. All Dominick wants out of life is a house by the lake where he and his brother can be together for all time. But the ambitious Eugene can't always bring himself to share that vision. … More
|PG-13 (adult situations/language, nudity, violence)
|Directed By:
|Robert M. Young
|Written By:
|Corey Blechman, Alvin Sargent
|In Theaters:
|Jan 1, 1988 Wide
|On DVD:
|Nov 6, 2001
Watch it now
as Dominick 'Nicky' Luc...
as Eugene 'Gino' Lucian...
as Jennifer Reston
as Dr. Levinson
as Larry Higgins
as Jesse Johnson
as Mrs. Gianelli
as Mikey Chernak
as Theresa Chernak
as Father T
as Choir Director
as TV Announcer
as Guido
as Joe
as Leon
as Woman
as Mrs. Vinson
as Martin Chernak
as Vince
as Tony
as Lew
as Perry
as Abe
as Neighbor Boy
as Lt. Gage
as Fred
as Reporter
as Teen #1
as Teen #2
as Teen #3
as Joey
as Joey
as Joey
as Joey
as TV Announcer
as Reporter
News & Interviews for Dominick and Eugene
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Critic Reviews for Dominick and Eugene
All Critics (14) | Top Critics (4) | Fresh (9) | Rotten (0) | DVD (1)
Terrific performances......sweet as honey
About a developmentally disabled young man and his compassionate brother.
Audience Reviews for Dominick and Eugene
the unlikely pairing of tom hulce and ray liotta is the thing here, hulce predictably in the walkaway gimme role of "someone mentally challenged" and ray liotta as a nice guy(gasp!). a feel good movie that feels good.
Super Reviewer
It has it's moments, here and there, but overall Dominick and Eugene plays like a bad after-school special. Heavy on the sentimentality and lite on the realism. The intentions seem sincere but the result is often sappy and sometimes ridiculous.
Super Reviewer
Not a bad bit of film. I rarely see Tom Hulce outside of Amadeus and his performance here is good..okay maybe a bit too much after school special.
Super Reviewer
Discussion Forum
Discuss Dominick and Eugene on our Movie forum!


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A reception for three Central College senior art majors from the local area will be held this weekend.
Keywords: Art Exhibition, central college, Kyler Vande Kieft, Leighton, Mills Gallery, pella, Sage Baugh, Tyler Rempe
60% of Americans think we need a third political party. Do you?
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Veterans home passes inspectionAugust 19,2013Staff Report
BENNINGTON — The Vermont Veterans Home has passed an inspection by agents of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and is no longer in danger of losing its certification to receive Medicare and Medicaid funding, according to the home's administrator Melissa Jackson.
A number of deficiencies had been identified at the home in recent months and it was scheduled to lose its ability to accept Medicare and Medicaid, its main source of funding, on Aug. 26.
On Aug. 8, Sen. Bernard Sanders, I-Vt., hosted a meeting in Montpelier which brought together members of the administration of Gov. Peter Shumlin, administrators, employees from the home and CMS to look at ways to prevent an interruption in the home's funding.MORE IN This Just In
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