RECOMMENDATION ENGINE FOR ELECTRONIC GAME SHOPPING CHANNEL

• US 20150099589A1
• Filed: 04/07/2014
• Published: 04/09/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc. (Nintendo Company Limited)
• Original Assignee: Nintendo of America, Inc. (Nintendo Company Limited)
• Inventors: SMITH, Darren
• Granted Patent: US 9,352,233 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 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5586 for enforcing rights or rules, e.g. to prevent foul play
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0255 based on user history

Abstract

A recommendation service is provided for recommending computer video game titles to players. The recommendation service offers suggestions for game titles to purchase or rent based on playing usage related parameters for each particular player. A profile is created based on several factors that represents the player'"'"'s affinity to each factor. Communication and use of player usage data may be strictly conditioned on a player'"'"'s knowledge and consent.

Claims

1. In a network of distributed personal video game systems connected to a server via a network, a method for recommending video game related information to a player comprising:

establishing a connection between the player'"'"'s personal video game playing device and a server over a network;

monitoring the player'"'"'s game playing usage;

weighting said player'"'"'s game playing usage by age; and

recommending at least one further video game for the player to download over the network based at least in part on said player'"'"'s playing usage weighted by age.

2. The method of claim 1 further including creating a score for each of a plurality of video games based on at least three of the following:

genre, platform, ESRB, rating and price.

3. The method of claim 1 further including identifying which games the player already owns and basing said recommended at least one further video game at least in part in response to said identified games.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said recommending takes into account games recommended by a friend of said player.

5. The method of claim 1 wherein said recommending takes into account games said player has recommended to a friend.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said recommending includes filtering games the player already owns.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said recommending includes removing games for which the user has previously indicated no interest.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said recommending includes removing games having a negative recommendation score.

9. A network of distributed personal video game systems comprising:

a server;

a network coupled to said server;

a plurality of personal video game playing devices communicating with the server over the network, each personal video game playing device monitoring player game playing usage and reporting said usage to the server after knowledge and consent by the associated user;

said server executing instructions that control said server to weight reported game playing usage by age and recommend at least one further video game based at least in part on said player game playing usage weighted by age.

10. The network of claim 9 wherein said server is configured to ascertain a game player'"'"'s favorite game character and bases a recommendation at least in part on said ascertained favorite character.

11. The network of claim 9 wherein said server is configured to filter recommended games based on parental controls.

12. In a network of distributed personal video game systems connected to a server via a network, a method for recommending video game related information to a player comprising:

monitoring the player'"'"'s game playing usage in a secure device within a personal video game system having a game storage;

determining the amount of game storage remaining to accept a downloaded game;

establishing a connection between the player'"'"'s personal video game playing device and a server over a network;

reporting said monitored game playing usage and said determined amount of game storage remaining to accept a downloaded game; and

recommending at least one further video game to the player based on said player'"'"'s reported playing usage and said reported determined amount of game storage remaining to accept a downloaded game.