Systems and methods for incentivizing participation in gameplay events in an online game

• US 10,463,968 B1
• Filed: 09/24/2014
• Issued: 11/05/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 09/24/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Patenge, Luther, Ortiz, Dylan, Pieron, Luc, Baxter, Thomas, Rull, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Kang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Henry, Thomas H
• Application Number:
  US14/495,880
• Time in Patent Office: 1,868 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• 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 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46

Abstract

Systems and methods for incentivizing user participation in gameplay events that take place in an online game are presented herein. The gameplay events may include one or more time intervals that take place during the duration of the gameplay event. The time intervals may be associated with incentivizing one or more actions and/or activities by the users during the intervals. The users may be distributed awards based on their performance during the intervals. The awards associated with time interval performance may impact awards distributed based on final ranking in the gameplay event.

Claims

1. A system for incentivizing participation in gameplay events that take place in an online game, the system comprising:

one or more physical processors configured by computer-readable instructions to;

execute an instance of an online game and to implement the instance of the online game to facilitate user participation in the online game that takes place in a virtual space, wherein users participate in the online game by controlling game entities in the virtual space, wherein a first user participates in the online game by controlling a first game entity from a first client computing platform, wherein a second user participates in the online game by controlling a second game entity from a second client computing platform, wherein the first client computing platform is associated with the first user, wherein the second client computing platform is associated with the second user;

facilitate gameplay events for the users of the online game, the gameplay events taking place in the virtual space, including facilitating a first gameplay event for the first user and the second user, the first gameplay event taking place within a first event time period, wherein the first event time period has a start event time and an end event time, wherein during the first gameplay event, the first user and second user control the first game entity and the second game entity to interact with each other within the virtual space;

determine values for a first gameplay metric for the first user and the second user during participation by both the first user and the second user in the first gameplay event, the values for the first gameplay metric being based on user-controlled actions of the first game entity and the second game entity in the online game during the first gameplay event by the first user and the second user;

determine a first interval having a start interval time and an end interval time, wherein the first interval takes place within the first event time period and the first interval is less than the first event time period;

determine a first change for the first gameplay metric for the first user, wherein the first change is determined between the start interval time and the end interval time of the first interval;

determine a second change for the first gameplay metric for the second user, wherein the second change is determined between the start time and the end time of the first interval;

determine a third change for the first gameplay metric for the first user, wherein the third change is determined between the start event time and the end event time of the first event time period;

determine a fourth change for the first gameplay metric for the second user, wherein the fourth change is determined between the start event time and the end event time of the first event time period; and

distribute awards to the users based on performance within the first gameplay event, the awards being different from both the first gameplay metric and the values for the first gameplay metric, the awards including;

a first award distributed to either the first user or the second user, wherein distribution of the first award is based on a comparison between the first change and the second change, wherein the first award is different from both the first gameplay metric and the values for the first gameplay metric, and wherein the first award is a multiplier for increasing a second award, and

the second award associated with the third change and the fourth change, wherein the second award is different from both the first gameplay metric and the values for the first gameplay metric, wherein the second award is increased in accordance with the first award responsive to both the first award and the second award being distributed to the same user, and wherein, responsive to the first award and the second award being distributed to different users, the first award is discarded and the second award is not increased.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are configured by computer-readable instructions to:

determine a second interval having a second start interval time and a second end interval time, wherein the second interval takes place within the first event time period and the second interval is less than the first event time period, wherein the second interval occurs temporally after the first interval, and wherein both the end interval time and the second end interval time occur prior to the end event time;

determine a fifth change for the first gameplay metric for the first user, wherein the fifth change is determined between the second start interval time and the second end interval time of the second interval;

determine a sixth change for the first gameplay metric for the second user, wherein the sixth change is determined between the second start time and the second end time of the second interval;

wherein the awards include a third award distributed to either the first user or the second user, wherein distribution of the third award is based on a comparison between the fifth change and the sixth change, wherein the third award is different from both the first gameplay metric and the values for the first gameplay metric, and wherein the third award is a second multiplier for increasing the second award,

wherein the second award is multiplied in accordance with the third award responsive to both the third award and the second award being distributed to the same user.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more physical processors are configured by computer-readable instructions such that the awards include a fourth award associated with the distribution of the first award and third award, such that, in response to the first award and third award being distributed to the first user and not to the second user, the fourth award is determined to be distributed to the first user and not to the second user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are configured by computer-readable instructions to effectuate presentation of a notification to the first user and/or second user of the start interval time and the end interval time of the first interval.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are configured by computer-readable instructions to effectuate presentation of a leaderboard that reflects the distribution of the first award.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are configured by computer-readable instructions to,

in response to the first change being greater than the second change, determine that the first user receives the first award and the second user does not receive the first award;

and

responsive to the third change being greater than the fourth change, distribute the second award to the first user, the second award being multiplied by the first award.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are configured by computer-readable instructions to receive input by the first user, through the first client computing platform, to move the first game entity among locations within the virtual space.

8. A method of incentivizing participation in gameplay events that take place in an online game, the method being implemented in a computer system including one or more physical processors and storage media storing machine-readable instructions, the method comprising:

executing an instance of an online game, and implementing the instance of the online game to facilitate user participation in the online game that takes place in a virtual space, wherein users participate in the online game by controlling game entities in the virtual space, wherein a first user participates in the online game by controlling a first game entity from a first client computing platform, wherein a second user participates in the online game by controlling a second game entity from a second client computing platform, wherein the first client computing platform is associated with the first user, wherein the second client computing platform is associated with the second user;

facilitating gameplay events for the users of the online game, the gameplay events taking place in the virtual space, including facilitating a first gameplay event for the first user and the second user, the first gameplay event taking place within a first event time period, wherein the first event time period has a start event time and an end event time, wherein during the first gameplay event, the first user and second user control the first game entity and the second game entity to interact with each other within the virtual space;

determining values for a first gameplay metric for the first user and the second user during participation by both the first user and the second user in the first gameplay event, the values for the first gameplay metric being based on user-controlled actions of the first game entity and the second game entity in the online game during the first gameplay event by the first user and second user;

determining a first interval having a start interval time and an end interval time, wherein the first interval takes place within the first event time period and the first interval is less than the first event time period;

determining a first change for the first gameplay metric for the first user, wherein the first change is determined between the start interval time and the end interval time of the first interval;

determining a second change for the first gameplay metric for the second user, wherein the second change is determined between the start time and the end time of the first interval;

determining a third change for the first gameplay metric for the first user, wherein the third change is determined between the start event time and the end event time of the first event time period;

determining a fourth change for the first gameplay metric for the second user, wherein the fourth change is determined between the start event time and the end event time of the first event time period; and

distributing awards to the users based on performance within the first gameplay event, the awards being different from both the first gameplay metric and the values for the first gameplay metric, the awards including;

a first award distributed to either the first user or the second user, wherein distribution of the first award is based on a comparison between the first change and the second change, wherein the first award is different from both the first gameplay metric and the values for the first gameplay metric, and wherein the first award is a multiplier for increasing a second award; and

the second award associated with the third change and the fourth change, wherein the second award is different from both the first gameplay metric and the values for the first gameplay metric, wherein the second award is increased in accordance with the first award responsive to both the first award and the second award being distributed to the same user, and wherein, responsive to the first award and the second award being distributed to different users, the first award is discarded and the second award is not increased.

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining a second interval having a second start interval time and a second end interval time, wherein the second interval takes place within the first event time period and the second interval is less than the first event time period, wherein the second interval occurs temporally after the first interval, and wherein both the end interval time and the second end interval time occur prior to the end event time;

determining a fifth change for the first gameplay metric for the first user, wherein the fifth change is determined between the second start interval time and the second end interval time of the second interval;

determining a sixth change for the first gameplay metric for the second user, wherein the sixth change is determined between the second start time and the second end time of the second interval;

wherein the awards include a third award distributed to either the first user or the second user, wherein distribution of the third award is based on a comparison between the fifth change and the sixth change, wherein the third award is different from both the first gameplay metric and the values for the first gameplay metric, and wherein the third award is a second multiplier for increasing the second award,

wherein the second award is multiplied in accordance with the third award responsive to both the third award and the second award being distributed to the same user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the awards include a fourth award based on the performance of the users in the first interval and the second interval, such that, in response to the first award and third award being distributed to the first user and not to the second user, the fourth award is determined to be distributed to the first user and not to the second user.

11. The method of claim 8, additionally comprising effectuating presentation of a notification to the first user and/or second user of the start interval time and the end interval time of the first interval.

12. The method of claim 8, additionally comprising effectuating presentation of a leaderboard that reflects the distribution of the first award.

13. The method of claim 8, wherein, in response to the first change being greater than the second change, determining that the first user receives the first award and the second user does not receive the first award;

and

responsive to the third change being greater than the fourth change, distributing the second award to the first user, the second award being multiplied by the first award.