CUSTOM REWARD FOR VIRAL HELP IN GAME

• US 20140004955A1
• Filed: 06/29/2012
• Published: 01/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/26/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Nahari, Edan, Guthridge, Ian
• Granted Patent: US 9,533,229 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/533 for prompting the player, e.g. by displaying a game menu
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• 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 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• 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 2300/556 Player lists, e.g. online players, buddy list, black list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/57 details of game services offered to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6009 for importing or creating game content, e.g. authoring tools during game development, adapting content to different platforms, use of a scripting language to create content
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/6018 where the game content is authored by the player, e.g. level editor or by game device at runtime, e.g. level is created from music data on CD
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games

Abstract

Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for executing a game. One method includes an operation for detecting a petition for help from a first player to a second player to obtain a first game asset for the first player. The petition is sent to the second player notifying the second player that a game asset needed by the second player would be awarded to the second player for helping the first player. Further, the method includes operations for detecting that the second player has performed a game operation to help the first player based on the petition, and for determining a second game asset that the second player needs for making progress in the game in response to the game operation to help. After the determination, the second game asset is awarded to the second player.

Claims

1. A processor-implemented method for executing a game, the method comprising:

detecting a petition for help from a first player to a second player to obtain a first game asset for the first player;

sending the petition to the second player notifying the second player that a game asset needed by the second player would be awarded to the second player for helping the first player;

detecting that the second player has performed a game operation to help the first player based on the petition;

determining a second game asset that the second player needs for making progress in the game in response to the game operation to help; and

awarding the second game asset to the second player, wherein operations of the method are executed by a processor.

2. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting the petition further includes:

receiving from the first player a command to send a social network request to one or more friends of the first player in the social network.

3. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein detecting the petition further includes:

receiving from the first player a command to enter a post in a feed of the second player in a social network.

4. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the first asset is different from the second asset.

5. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second game asset is needed by the second player to complete a quest in the game.

6. The method as recited in claim 5, wherein determining the second game asset further includes:

determining one or more incomplete quests assigned to the second player that are incomplete;

determining game assets needed to complete the one or more incomplete quests; and

selecting one of the determined game assets needed.

7. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein the second game asset is needed by the second player to complete a collection in the game.

8. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein determining the second game asset further includes:

selecting a game asset from a wish list of game assets.

9. The method as recited in claim 1, wherein operations of the method are performed by a computer program when executed by one or more processors, the computer program being embedded in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.

10. A system for executing a game, the system comprising:

a processor;

a game wish manager; and

a game manager operable to,

detect a petition for help from a first player to a second player to obtain a first game asset for the first player;

send the petition to the second player notifying the second player that a game asset needed by the second player would be awarded to the second player for helping the first player; and

detect that the second player has performed a game operation to help the first player based on the petition;

wherein the game wish manager is operable to,

select a second game asset from a wish list associated with the second player; and

award the second game asset to the second player.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the wish list includes a plurality of game assets needed by the player to make progress in the game, wherein the wish list is determined by the game wish manager.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein each item in the wish list has an associated data structure stored in memory, the data structure includes one or more of an item identifier, a creation timestamp, a name, a value indicating how many items are needed, a criticality value, a difficulty in obtaining the item, and a cost to obtain the item.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein selecting the second game asset further includes:

applying selection rules to items in the wish list to determine the second game asset.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the selection rules include one or more of amount of time that the item has been needed by the second player, difficulty in obtaining the asset, cost of obtaining the asset, and a degree of randomness.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the petition is sent to a plurality of players.

16. A processor-implemented method for executing a game, the method comprising:

detecting a petition for help from a first player to a second player to obtain a first game asset for the first player;

determining a second game asset that the second player needs for making progress in the game;

sending the petition to the second player notifying the second player that the second game asset would be awarded to the second player for helping the first player;

detecting that the second player has performed a game operation to help the first player based on the petition; and

awarding the second game asset to the second player, wherein operations of the method are executed by a processor.

17. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein detecting the petition further includes:

detecting a post on a feed of the second player in a social network.

18. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein determining the second game asset further includes:

selecting the second game asset from a wish list created by the second player in the game.

19. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein the first asset is different from the second asset.

20. The method as recited in claim 16, wherein operations of the method are performed by a computer program when executed by one or more processors, the computer program being embedded in a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium.