Interface-based game-space contest generation

• US 10,245,513 B2
• Filed: 07/27/2018
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/20/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Chu, Yuexin, Genco, Alex, Lee, Jason, Henrick, Clive, Curtis, Matthew, Smalley, Kellen Christopher, Caldarone, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Application Number:
  US16/048,095
• Publication Number:
  US 20180361256A1
• Time in Patent Office: 249 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/70 Game security or game management aspects
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/55 Details of game data or player data management
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3276 wherein the players compete, e.g. tournament

Abstract

An approach to facilitating interface-based game-space contest generation is provided. A user interface may be provided to an administrator. The user interface may be configured to receive user inputs from the administrator that include one or more performance criteria to be associated with a contest to be provided in a game space, one or more awards to be distributed in association with the contest, and one or more qualifications to participate in the contest. A notification that relates to the contest may be provided, based on the user inputs, in the game space. Performance scores of users that participated in the contest may be determined based on the performance criteria and activities that are performed in the game space by the participating users. Automated distribution of the awards to individual ones of the participating users may be facilitated in accordance with the performance scores of the individual participating users.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating generation and execution of contests for an online game, wherein the generation includes providing an administrator user interface to an administrator of the contests, and wherein the online game is configured to facilitate interaction of players with the online game and/or each other in response to commands received from client computing platforms associated with the players, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured by machine-readable instructions to;

provide the administrator user interface for presentation to the administrator, wherein the administrator user interface is configured to receive user inputs from the administrator that indicate;

(i) one or more performance criteria to be associated with activities performed by the players in the online game, and

(ii) one or more awards to be distributed to the players in association with the one or more contests, wherein the one or more awards include virtual items usable in the online game, and

wherein the players participate in ongoing gameplay within the online game such that the players that participate in the one or more contests continue to participate in the ongoing gameplay during the one or more contests;

determine, based on the performance criteria by the players that participated in the one or more contests, performance scores of the participating players, wherein the activities associated with the one or more performance criteria can be performed by the players in the online game without regard to their participation in the one or more contests such that the activities are performed during the one or more contests by both the players that participated in the one or more contests and by one or more players that did not participate in the one or more contests,

wherein determining the performance scores of the participating players includes monitoring the activities associated with the one or more performance criteria during the one or more contests by the players that participated in the one or more contests, and

wherein the activities associated with the one or more performance criteria that contribute to the determination of the performance scores of the participating players in the one or more contests are the same activities performed by the players to achieve one or more game objectives of the ongoing gameplay outside of the one or more contests; and

automatically distribute the awards to individual ones of the participating players in accordance with the performance scores of the individual participating players.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to, responsive to receipt of input from the administrator to initiate the one or more contests, provide a notification in the online game that invites participation to the one or more contests, wherein the notification is provided to one or more players.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the online game is further configured to facilitate interaction of the players with the online game and/or each other by performing operations in the online game to achieve the one or more game objectives.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the performance criteria relate to success with respect to the one or more contests.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the administrator user interface is further configured to receive user input that indicates one or more qualifications for individual players to participate in the one or more contests, wherein the one or more qualifications include merit-based qualifications associated with the online game earned separately from the one or more contests and prior to a contest period that defines one or more durations of availability of the one or more contests, wherein the one or more durations correspond to the one or more contests, and wherein provision of the notification is limited to the players that meet the one or more qualifications.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions such that the notification indicates one or more of the players that are qualified to participate in the one or more contests based on the one or more qualifications.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to automatically and repeatedly initiate additional contests by providing notifications to the players, determining the performance scores, and distributing the awards, wherein initiation of the additional contests is in accordance with one or both of a predetermined schedule and a trigger as indicated by user input received from the administrator.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions such that at least one of the awards is distributed to at least one of the participating players in response to the performance scores of the at least one of the participating players satisfying one or more performance thresholds.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the user inputs received from the administrator further indicate one or more predetermined intervals of the one or more contests, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions such that the awards are distributed to the individual participating players based on the one or more predetermined intervals of the one or more contests.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions such that:

(i) a first award of the awards is distributed during a first predetermined interval of the predetermined intervals to a first participating player of the participating players in response to the performance scores of the first participating player satisfying a first performance threshold during the first predetermined interval,

(ii) a second award of the awards is distributed during a second predetermined interval of the predetermined intervals to the first participating player in response to the performance scores of the first participating player satisfying a second performance threshold during the second predetermined interval, and

(iii) the activities include one or more of resource collection, building possession, rescues, or level progress such that the an individual player'"'"'s resource collection, building possession, recues, or level progress while the individual player is participating in the one or more contests also impacts the individual player'"'"'s achievement of the one or more game objectives of the ongoing gameplay within the online game.

11. A computer-implemented method of facilitating generation and execution of contests for an online game, wherein the generation includes providing an administrator user interface to an administrator of the contests, and wherein the online game facilitates interaction of players with the online game and/or each other in response to commands received from the players, the method being implemented on a computer system that includes one or more physical processors, the method comprising:

providing the administrator user interface for presentation to the administrator, wherein the administrator user interface receives user inputs from the administrator that indicate;

(i) one or more performance criteria to be associated with activities performed by the players in the online game,

(ii) one or more awards to be distributed to the players in association with the one or more contests, wherein the one or more awards include virtual items usable in the online game, and

wherein the players participate in ongoing gameplay within the online game such that the players that participate in the one or more contests continue to participate in the ongoing gameplay during the one or more contests;

determining, based on the performance criteria by the players that participated in the one or more contests, performance scores of the participating players,

wherein the activities associated with the one or more performance criteria can be performed by the players in the online game without regard to their participation in the one or more contests such that the activities are performed during the one or more contests by both the players that participated in the one or more contests and by one or more players that did not participate in the one or more contests,

wherein determining the performance scores of the participating players includes monitoring the activities associated with the one or more performance criteria during the one or more contests by the players that participated in the one or more contests, and

wherein the activities associated with the one or more performance criteria that contribute to the determination of the performance scores of the participating players in the one or more contests are the same activities performed by the players to achieve one or more game objectives of the ongoing gameplay outside of the one or more contests; and

distributing automatically the awards to individual ones of the participating players in accordance with the performance scores of the individual participating players.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

responsive to receipt of user input from the administrator to initiate the one or more contests, providing a notification in the online game that invites participation to the one or more contests, wherein the notification is provided to one or more players.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the interaction of the players with the online game and/or each other includes performing operations in the online game to achieve the one or more game objectives.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the performance criteria relate to success with respect to the one or more contests.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the administrator user interface further receives user input that indicates one or more qualifications for individual players to participate in the one or more contests, wherein the one or more qualifications include merit-based qualifications associated with the online game earned separately from the one or more contests and prior to a contest period that defines one or more durations of availability of the one or more contests, wherein the one or more durations correspond to the one or more contests, and wherein providing the notification is performed such that the notification is limited to the players that meet the one or more qualifications.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the notification indicates one or more of the users that are qualified to participate in the one or more contests based on the one or more qualifications.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

automatically and repeatedly initiating additional contests by providing notifications to the players, determining the performance scores, and distributing the awards, wherein initiation of the additional contests is in accordance with one or both of a predetermined schedule and a trigger as indicated by the user input received from the administrator.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising facilitating automated distribution of at least one of the awards to at least one of the participating players in response to the performance scores of the at least one of the participating players satisfying one or more performance thresholds.

19. The method of claim 11, wherein the user inputs received from the administrator further indicate one or more predetermined intervals of the one or more contests, the method further comprising facilitating, based on the one or more predetermined intervals of the one or more contests, the automated distribution of the awards to the individual participating players.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

facilitating automated distribution of a first award of the awards during a first predetermined interval of the predetermined intervals to a first participating player of the participating players in response to the performance scores of the first participating player satisfying a first performance threshold during the first predetermined interval; and

facilitating automated distribution of a second award of the awards during a second predetermined interval of the predetermined intervals to the first participating player in response to the performance scores of the first participating player satisfying a second performance threshold during the second predetermined interval,

wherein the activities include one or more of resource collection, building possession, rescues, or level progress such that the an individual player'"'"'s resource collection, building possession, recues, or level progress while the individual player is participating in the one or more contests also impacts the individual player'"'"'s achievement of the one or more game objectives of the ongoing gameplay within the online game.