Methods and systems for adaptive tuning of game events

• US 10,456,686 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2015
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/05/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Patton, Stan, Luo, Jean, Lim, Jack, LeTourneau, Tim, Chialtas, Alexi, Traverso, Joseph, Chen, Hao
• Primary Examiner(s): McCulloch, Jr., William H
• Application Number:
  US14/849,354
• Publication Number:
  US 20150375120A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,511 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/67 adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use
• 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 13/79 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

Abstract

A system, a machine-readable storage medium storing instructions, and a computer-implemented method are described herein for a System Tuner for defining an in-game event requiring accumulation of a pre-defined set of virtual objects in a virtual game (or online game) prior to termination of the in-game event. The System Tuner determines a head-start subset from the pre-defined set of virtual objects for a target player account based on a difference between a reference player skill level for the virtual game and a player skill level of the target player account. The System Tuner determines, based on the player skill level of the target player account and a pre-defined duration of the in-game event, a drop rate for virtual objects remaining in the pre-defined set of virtual objects. The System Tuner sends the head-start subset and the drop rate to a client device associated with the target player account.

Claims

1. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory device holding an instruction set executable on the processor to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising;

defining an in-game event requiring accumulation of a pre-defined set of virtual object types by a target player account in a virtual game, the set of virtual object types having respective drop rates, each drop rate indicating a rate at which objects of the corresponding type become available for accumulation during the in-game event;

causing presentation on a client device associated with the target player account of the virtual in-game event, each virtual object type in the set becoming available at the corresponding drop rate;

during the in-game event, determining one or more player-specific accumulation parameters based at least in part on a comparison between a reference gameplay metric and a corresponding gameplay metric for the target player account in the virtual game, the one or more player-specific accumulation parameters including a respective modified drop rate for one or more of the object types in the set, each modified drop rate being different from the drop rate previously employed in the in-game event for the corresponding virtual object type; and

thereafter, causing presentation on the client device of the virtual in-game event in accordance with the one or more player-specific accumulation parameters, the one or more virtual object types becoming available for accumulation at the respective modified drop rate.

2. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the pre-defined set of virtual objects comprises a respective target number of objects for each of the different object types in the set.

3. The computer system of claim 1, wherein the gameplay metric comprises a skill level associated with the target player account.

4. The computer system of claim 1, wherein determining the respective drop rates for the one or more types of virtual object comprises:

determining a frequency dining the in-game event at which each respective type of virtual object remaining to be accumulated in the pre-defined set of virtual objects becomes available in the virtual game for acquisition by the target player account.

5. The computer system of claim 4, further comprising:

receiving, from the client device, an indication of acquisition by the target player account of at least one virtual object whose type is included in the pre-defined set of virtual object types; and

calculating, at the server computing device, respective modified drop rates for the corresponding one or more types of virtual object based at least on;

a total number of virtual objects of the respective object type acquired by the target player account; and

a remaining duration until termination of the in-game event; and

sending the modified drop-rate the client device associated with the target player account.

6. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:

defining an in-game event requiring accumulation of a pre-defined set of virtual object types by a target player account in a virtual game, the set of virtual object types having respective drop rates, each drop rate indicating a rate at which objects of the corresponding type become available for accumulation during the in-game event;

causing presentation on a client device associated with the target player account of the virtual in-game event, each virtual object type in the set becoming available at the corresponding drop rate;

during the in-game event, determining one or more player-specific accumulation parameters based at least in part on a comparison between a reference gameplay metric and a corresponding gameplay metric for the target player account in the virtual game, the one or more player-specific accumulation parameters including a respective modified drop rate for one or more of the object types in the set, each modified drop rate being different from the drop rate previously employed in the in-game event for the corresponding virtual object type; and

thereafter, causing presentation on the client device of the virtual in-game event in accordance with the one or more player-specific accumulation parameters, the one or more virtual object types becoming available for accumulation at the respective modified drop rate.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the pre-defined set of virtual objects comprises a respective target number of objects for each of the different object types in the set.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein the gameplay metric comprises a skill level associated with the target player account.

9. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 6, wherein determining the respective drop rates for the one or more types of virtual object comprises:

determining a frequency during the in-game event at which each respective type of virtual object remaining to be accumulated in the pre-defined set of virtual objects becomes available in the virtual game for acquisition by the target player account;

receiving, from the client device, an indication of acquisition by the target player account of at least one virtual object whose type is included in the pre-defined set of virtual object types; and

calculating, at the server computing device, respective modified drop rates for the corresponding one or more types of virtual object based at least on;

a total number of virtual objects of the respective object type acquired by the target player account; and

a remaining duration until termination of the in-game event; and

sending the modified drop-rate to the client device associated with the target player account.

10. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

defining an in-game event requiring accumulation of a pre-defined set of virtual object types by a target player account in a virtual game, the set of virtual object types having respective drop rates, each drop rate indicating a rate at which objects of the corresponding type become available for accumulation during the in-game event;

causing presentation on a client device associated with the target player account of the virtual in-game event, each virtual object type in the set becoming available at the corresponding drop rate;

during the in-game event, determining one or more player-specific accumulation parameters based at least in part on a comparison between a reference gameplay metric and a corresponding gameplay metric for the target player account in the virtual game, the one or more player-specific accumulation parameters including a respective modified drop rate for one or more of the object types in the set, each modified drop rate being different from the drop rate previously employed in the in-game event for the corresponding virtual object type; and

thereafter, causing presentation on the client device of the virtual in-game event in accordance with the one or more player-specific accumulation parameters, the one or more virtual object types becoming available for accumulation at the respective modified drop rate.