System and method for generating personalized messaging campaigns for video game players

• US 10,099,140 B2
• Filed: 03/18/2016
• Issued: 10/16/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/08/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lynch, Eric James, Kanouse, Darryl
• Primary Examiner(s): Liddle, Jay
• Application Number:
  US15/074,502
• Publication Number:
  US 20170100676A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories

Abstract

A system and method for generating personalized messaging campaigns for video game players is provided. A video game player'"'"'s profile data and/or behavioral data may be used to create a customized messaging campaign for the player. The messaging campaign may comprise one or more messages, each selected from a variety of message types, that may be delivered to a game player through one or more channels, at predetermined time intervals. Examples of message types may include gameplay tips, techniques, strategy information, news, awards, milestones, promotions relating to microtransactions (e.g., offers, discounts, etc.), overviews of new products, features, etc., or other message types. Any number of predefined messages may exist (e.g., tens, hundreds, thousands, etc.) for each message type.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of generating personalized messaging campaigns for video game players, the method being implemented in a host computer system having one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more physical processors, cause the host computer system to perform the method and wherein the host computer system is remote from, and in data communication with, a plurality of computer devices to facilitate a multiplayer game between the video game players, the method comprising:

detecting, by the host computer system, an occurrence of a trigger, wherein the trigger is at least one of an event, action or property related to a video game and wherein the trigger is detected using a trigger management engine integrated within the computer program instructions;

accessing, by the host computer system, a data structure stored in one or more datastores remote from the plurality of computer devices, wherein the data structure relates the trigger, at least one user classification, and one or more treatments in a predefined format;

identifying, by the host computer system and the data structure, the at least one user classification associated with the detected trigger, the at least one user classification grouping one or more video game players based on player profile data and/or player behavioral data;

identifying, by the host computer system and the data structure, the one or more treatments associated with the at least one user classification, each of the one or more treatments comprising one or more allocations, each of the one or more allocations comprising a predetermined number of messages of varying message type eligible to be transmitted to the one or more video game players in the at least one user classification; and

for each of the one or more video game players grouped in the at least one user classification;

(i) determining, by the host computer system, a relevancy score for each of the predetermined number of messages;

(ii) ranking, by the host computer system, the predetermined number of messages according to the determined relevancy scores; and

(iii) selecting for transmission, by the host computer system, one or more messages having a relevancy score that meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said trigger comprises an event related to gameplay, wherein the event related to gameplay is at least one of a player achieving a certain level in a game, a player achieving a certain objective in a game, a player losing a predetermined number of games in a row, a player winning a predetermined number of games in a row, a player performing a certain action in a game or a player making one or more in-game purchases.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein said trigger comprises a series of the events related to gameplay.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said trigger comprises an event external to gameplay, wherein the event external to gameplay is at least one of a date or a time.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said trigger comprises a scheduled trigger based on attributes of a player profile.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said trigger comprises a scheduled trigger based on demographic data of players.

7. A system for generating personalized messaging campaigns for video game players, wherein the system comprises a host computer that is remote from, and in data communication with, a plurality of computer devices to facilitate a multiplayer game between the video game players the system comprising:

one or more physical processors in the host computer programmed with one or more computer program instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more physical processors to;

detect an occurrence of a trigger, wherein the trigger is at least one of an event, action or property related to a video game and wherein the trigger is detected using a trigger management engine that is part of the one or more computer program instructions;

access a data structure stored in one or more datastores remote from the plurality of computer devices, wherein the data structure relates the trigger, at least one user classification, and one or more treatments in a predefined format;

identify the at least one user classification associated with the detected trigger from the data structure, the at least one user classification grouping one or more video game players based on player profile data and/or player behavioral data;

identify the one or more treatments associated with the at least one user classification from the data structure, each of the one or more treatments comprising one or more allocations, each of the one or more allocations comprising a predetermined number of messages of varying message type eligible to be transmitted to the one or more video game players in the at least one user classification; and

for each of the one or more video game players grouped in the at least one user classification;

(i) determine a relevancy score for each of the predetermined number of messages;

(ii) rank the predetermined number of messages according to the determined relevancy scores; and

(iii) select for transmission one or more messages having a relevancy score that meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein said trigger comprises an event related to gameplay, wherein the event related to gameplay is at least one of a player achieving a certain level in a game, a player achieving a certain objective in a game, a player losing a predetermined number of games in a row, a player winning a predetermined number of games in a row, a player performing a certain action in a game or a player making one or more in-game purchases.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said trigger comprises a series of the events related to gameplay.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein said trigger comprises an event external to gameplay, wherein the event external to gameplay is at least one of a date or a time.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein said trigger comprises a scheduled trigger based on attributes of a player profile.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein said trigger comprises a scheduled trigger based on demographic data of players.

13. A computer program product located in a host computer system that is remote from, and in data communication with, a plurality of computer devices to facilitate a multiplayer game between video game players, wherein the computer program product generates personalized messaging campaigns for video game players and comprises:

one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage devices;

program instructions, stored on at least one of the one or more tangible, non-transitory computer-readable storage devices that, when executed, cause the host computer to;

detect an occurrence of a trigger, wherein the trigger is at least one of an event, action or property related to a video game and wherein the trigger is detected using a trigger management engine integrated within the computer program product;

access a data structure stored in one or more datastores remote from the plurality of computer devices, wherein the data structure relates the trigger, at least one user classification, and one or more treatments in a predefined format;

identify the at least one user classification associated with the detected trigger using the data structure, the at least one user classification grouping one or more video game players based on player profile data and/or player behavioral data;

identify the one or more treatments associated with the at least one user classification using the data structure, each of the one or more treatments comprising one or more allocations, each of the one or more allocations comprising a predetermined number of messages of varying message type eligible to be transmitted to the one or more video game players in the at least one user classification; and

for each of the one or more video game players grouped in the at least one user classification;

(i) determine a relevancy score for each of the predetermined number of messages;

(ii) rank the predetermined number of messages according to the determined relevancy scores; and

(iii) select for transmission one or more messages having a relevancy score that meets or exceeds a predetermined threshold.

14. The computer program product of claim 13 wherein said trigger comprises an event related to gameplay, wherein the event related to gameplay is at least one of a player achieving a certain level in a game, a player achieving a certain objective in a game, a player losing a predetermined number of games in a row, a player winning a predetermined number of games in a row, a player performing a certain action in a game or a player making one or more in-game purchases.

15. The computer program product of claim 14, wherein said trigger comprises a series of the events related to gameplay.

16. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said trigger comprises an event external to gameplay, wherein the event external to gameplay is at least one of a date or a time.

17. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said trigger comprises a scheduled trigger based on attributes of a player profile.

18. The computer program product of claim 13, wherein said trigger comprises a scheduled trigger based on demographic data of players.