Automated game modification based on playing style

• US 10,556,182 B2
• Filed: 09/09/2015
• Issued: 02/11/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Ntoulas, Alexandros, Zakrzewski, Jeffrey, Tabay, Oliver Attila, Yamazaki, Yuko, Chong, Paul Yih Yarng
• Primary Examiner(s): Myhr, Justin L
• Application Number:
  US14/849,341
• Publication Number:
  US 20160067612A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/32 using local area network [LAN] connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/33 using wide area network [WAN] connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• 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 13/79 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 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• 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 3/0423 Word games, e.g. scrabble electric A63F3/0421; two-dimensional puzzles with rotating rings or discs A63F9/0811, A63F9/0819

Abstract

A system, a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions, and a computer-implemented method to modify a game based on playing style is provided. Player-specific playing style information that indicates one or more attributes of a playing style of a player is accessed. The playing style information is based on gameplay behavior of the player. Game parameters that defines at least some aspects of a game level forming part of the game is accessed. In an automated operation one or more of the game parameters are modified, thereby a difficulty of the game level for the player based on the one or more playing style attributes is modified. The modified game parameters are caused to be presented on a client device associated with the player of the game level.

Claims

1. A system comprising:

one or more processors and a memory including instructions, which when executed by the one or more processors, cause the one or more processors to perform operations comprising;

accessing player-specific playing style information that defines a playing style of a player of a computer-implemented game in which gameplay comprises word-forming actions, the playing style information being based on gameplay behavior of the player and the playing style comprising one or more identified behavior patterns of the player during gameplay, the one or more identified behavior patterns identifying respective types of words played by the player;

accessing game parameters that defines at least some aspects of a game level forming part of the game;

based at least in part on the playing style information for the player, modifying one or more of the game parameters, thereby to modify a difficulty of the game level for the player based on the playing style; and

causing presentation on a client device associated with the player of the game level in accordance with the one or more modified game parameters.

2. The system of claim 1, further comprising determining the playing style of the player by performing automated analysis of the gameplay behavior of the player.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the determining of the playing style of the player comprises assigning, based on the gameplay behavior, a respective weight to each of the predefined plurality of behavior patterns, thereby to generate a weighted set of behavior patterns that together define the playing style.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the game parameters correspond to the plurality of behavior patterns, the modifying of the one or more game parameters comprising modifying respective weights of the one or more game parameters based on the weighted set of behavior patterns.

5. The system of claim 2, wherein the gameplay behavior comprises historical gameplay behavior pertaining to gameplay actions performed by the player prior to playing the game level.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein the gameplay behavior comprises current gameplay behavior represented by gameplay actions performed by the player during playing of the game level.

7. The system of claim 2, further comprising:

monitoring current performance by the player in the game;

comparing the current performance of the player with a predefined performance target; and

in response to determining a discrepancy between the current performance and the performance target, performing the modifying of the one or more game parameters.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the performance target comprises a target value for a game score corresponding to current progress of the player in the game, the target value is based at least in part on a population of players with playing styles corresponding to the playing style of the player.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the target value comprises a target range for the game score, the discrepancy between the performance target and the current performance comprising that the game score of the player falls outside the target range.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the current performance comprises a failure count indicating a number of times the player has failed to complete the game level or a part of the game level.

11. The system of claim 7, further comprising:

accessing historical performance data in the game level for a population of players of the game; and

determining the performance target based on the historical performance data.

12. The system of claim 1, wherein the modifying of the one or more game parameters is performed live, during playing of the game level, so that portions of the game level played subsequent to the modifying is presented to the player at the modified difficulty.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the modifying of the one or snore game parameters is performed before playing of the game level.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein adjusting the game include changing the board structure and board geometry of the game.

15. A method comprising:

accessing player-specific playing style information that defines a playing style of a player of a computer-implemented game in which gameplay comprises word-forming actions, the playing style information being based on gameplay behavior of the player and the playing style comprising one or more identified behavior patterns of the player during gameplay, the one or more identified behavior patterns identifying respective types of words played by the player;

accessing game parameters that defines at least some aspects of a game level forming part of the game;

in an automated operation that is performed using one or more at least one hardware processor of a machine and that is at least in part on the playing style information for the player, modifying one or more of the game parameters, thereby to modify a difficulty of the game level for the player based on the playing style; and

causing presentation on a client device associated with the player of the game level n accordance with the one or more modified game parameters.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising determining the playing style of the player by performing automated analysis of the gameplay behavior of the player.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

monitoring current performance by the player in the game;

comparing the current performance of the player with a predefined performance target; and

in response to determining a discrepancy between the current performance and the performance target, performing the modifying of the one or more game parameters.

18. The method of claim 16, wherein the determining of the playing style of the player comprises assigning, based on the gameplay behavior, a respective weight to each of the predefined plurality of behavior patterns, thereby to generate a weighted set of behavior patterns that together define the playing style.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the game parameters correspond to the plurality of behavior patterns, the modifying of the one or more game parameters comprising modifying respective weights of the one or more game parameters based on the weighted set of behavior patterns.

20. A non-transitory machine-readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

accessing player-specific playing style information that defines a playing style of a player of a computer-implemented game in which gameplay comprises word-forming actions, the playing style information being based on gameplay behavior of the player and the playing style comprising one or more identified behavior patterns of the player during gameplay, the one or more identified behavior patterns identifying respective types of words played by the player;

accessing game parameters that defines at least some aspects of a game level forming part of the game;

based least in part on the playing style information for the player, modifying one or more of the game parameters, thereby to modify a difficulty of the game level for the player based on the playing style; and

causing presentation on a client device associated with the player of the game level in accordance with the one or more modified game parameters.