Incentivizing location-based actions by groups

• US 10,417,654 B2
• Filed: 03/07/2017
• Issued: 09/17/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Bethke, Erik Paul, Koenigsberg, Scott, Mahajan, Amitt, Ocko, Matthew Adam
• Primary Examiner(s): Renwick, Reginald A
• Application Number:
  US15/452,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20170178170A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5378 for displaying an additional top view, e.g. radar screens or maps using two or more virtual cameras concurrently A63F13/5252
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• 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 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/609 for unlocking hidden game elements, e.g. features, items, levels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0235 : constrained by time limit or expiration date
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 : Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality
• CPC Class Codes: H04W 4/02 : Services making use of location information

Abstract

A method of incentivizing location-based actions by groups is disclosed. A group of users of a game networking system is notified that an incentive reward is to be provided based on a number of members of the group performing a location-based action transgressing a threshold. The incentive reward is provided based on the number of members of the group performing the location-based action transgressing the threshold.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more computer processors of a game networking system;

one or more memories of the game networking system; and

one or more modules incorporated into the one or more memories of the game networking system, the one or more modules configuring the one or more computer processors of the game networking system to perform operations pertaining to changing a virtual world of a game executing on a device of a user based on a plurality of actions performed by the user at a plurality &

geographical locations, the operations comprising;

based on a communication received from the device of the user, determining that the user is present at a first geographical location of the plurality of geographical locations;

providing the user with an option to perform a first action of the plurality of actions while the user is present at the first geographical location, the performing of the first action resulting in a change to a game state variable associated with the game, the game state variable pertaining to a quantity of a consumable in-game asset associated with the game, wherein the providing the user with the option to perform the first action of the plurality of actions is based on the user consuming one of the quantity of the consumable in-game asset while the user is present at the first geographical location;

based on an additional communication received from the device of the user, determining that the user is present at an additional geographical location;

providing the user with an option to perform a second action of the plurality of actions while the user is present at the second geographical location, the second action involving using at least one of the quantity of the consumable in-game asset associated with the game, the performing of the second action resulting in a change to an additional game state variable associated with the game, the additional game state variable pertaining to an in-game character state; and

communicating the game state data and the additional game state data for presentation in a user interface of the device of the user, the presentation including reflecting the changing of the virtual world of the game.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the consumable in-game asset is selected from a plurality of consumable in-game assets based on an attribute of the first geographical location corresponding to an attribute of the consumable in-game asset.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the providing the user with an option to perform the first action of the plurality of actions is based on the quantity of the consumable in-game asset being zero with respect to an inventory of the user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the providing the user with an option to perform the first action of the plurality of actions is based on the user consuming one of the quantity of the consumable in-game asset while the user is present at the first geographical location.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the consumable in-game asset is selected from a set of assets including limited-edition virtual items and composite virtual items based on at least one of an attribute of the user and an attribute of the first geographical location.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the consumable in-game asset is a virtual food item and the attribute of the geographical location relates to growing of a real food item corresponding to the virtual food item.

7. The system of 2, wherein the consumable in-game asset is a virtual potion and the providing the user with an option to perform the first action of the plurality of actions is based on other users being present at the first location.

8. A method comprising;

based on a communication received from a device of the user, determining that a user is present at a first geographical location of a plurality of geographical locations,

providing the user with an option to perform a first action of a plurality of actions while the user is present at the first geographical location, the performing of the first action resulting in a change to a game state variable associated with the game, the game state variable pertaining to a quantity of a consumable in-game asset associated with the game, wherein the providing the user with the option to perform the first action of the plurality of actions is based on the user consuming one of the quantity of the consumable in-game asset while the user is present at the first geographical location;

based on an additional communication received from the device of the user, determining that the user is present at an additional geographical location;

providing the user with an option to perform a second action of the plurality of actions while the user is present at the second geographical location, the second action involving using at least one of the quantity of the consumable in-game asset associated with the game, the performing of the second action resulting in a change to an additional game state variable associated with the game, the additional game state variable pertaining to an in-game character state, and

communicating the game state data and the additional game state data for presentation in a user interface of the device of the user, the presentation including reflecting the changing of the virtual world of the game, wherein one or more modules incorporated into a game networking system to configure one or more processors of the game networking system to perform the determining that the user is present at the first geographical location, the providing of the user with the option to perform the first action, the determining that the user is present at the second geographical location, the providing of the user with the option to perform the second action, and the communicating of the game state data.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the consumable in-game asset is selected from a plurality of consumable in-game assets based on an attribute of the first geographical location corresponding to an attribute of the consumable in-game asset.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the providing the user with an option to perform the first action of the plurality of actions is based on the quantity of the consumable in-game asset being zero with respect to an inventory of the user.

11. The method of claim 8, wherein the providing the user with an option to perform the first action of the plurality of actions is based on the user consuming one of the quantity of the consumable in-game asset while the user is present at the first geographical location.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the consumable in-game asset is selected from a set of assets including limited-edition virtual items and composite virtual items based on at least one of an attribute of the user and an attribute of the first geographical location.

13. The method of claim 9 wherein the consumable in-game asset is a virtual food item and the attribute of the geographical location relates to growing of a real food item corresponding to the virtual food item.

14. The method of 9, wherein the consumable in-game asset is a virtual potion and the providing the user with an option to perform the first action of the plurality of actions is based on other users being present at the first location.

15. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium embodying instructions that, when executed by one or more processor, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising:

based on a communication received from a device of the user, determining that a user is present at a first geographical location of a plurality of geographical locations;

providing the user with an option to perform a first action of a plurality of actions while the user is present at the first geographical location, the performing of the first action resulting in a change to a game state variable associated with the game, the game state variable pertaining to a quantity of a consumable in-game asset associated with the game wherein the providing the user with the option to perform the first action of the plurality of actions is based on the user consuming one of the quantity of the consumable in-game asset while the user is present at the first geographical location;

based on an additional communication received from the device of the user, determining that the user is present at an additional geographical location;

providing the user with an option to perform a second action of the plurality of actions while the user is present at the second geographical location, the second action involving using at least one of the quantity of the consumable in-game asset associated with the game, the performing of the second action resulting in a change to an additional game state variable associated with the game, the additional game state variable pertaining to an in-game character state; and

communicating the game state data and the additional game state data for presentation in a user interface of the device of the user, the presentation including reflecting the changing of the virtual world of the game, wherein one or more modules incorporated into a game networking system to configure one or more processors of the game networking system to perform the determining that the user is present at the first geographical location, the providing of the user with the option to perform the first action, the determining that the user is present at the second geographical location, the providing of the user with the option to perform the second action, and the communicating of the game state data.

16. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the consumable in-game asset is selected from a plurality of consumable in-game assets based on an attribute of the first geographical location corresponding to an attribute of the consumable in-game asset.

17. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the providing the user with an option to perform the first action of the plurality of actions is based on the quantity of the consumable in-game asset being zero with respect to an inventory of the user.

18. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the providing the user with an option to perform the first action of the plurality of actions is based on the user consuming one of the quantity of the consumable in-game asset while the user is present at the first geographical location.

19. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the consumable in-game asset is selected from a set of assets including limited-edition virtual items and composite virtual items based on at least one of an attribute of the user and an attribute of the first geographical location.

20. The non-transitory machine readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the consumable in-game asset is a virtual food item and the attribute of the geographical location relates to growing of a real food item corresponding to the virtual food item.