System and method for providing a customized user experience based on a spend frequency of a user

• US 9,098,387 B1
• Filed: 02/22/2013
• Issued: 08/04/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/22/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Curtis, Matthew, Koh, James, Pitz, Christopher, Smalley, Kellen Christopher
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US13/774,057
• Time in Patent Office: 893 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 42
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• 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 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• 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: G06Q 30/016 After-sales
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0201 Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/34 Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3225 Data transfer within a gaming system, e.g. data sent between gaming machines and users
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3241 Security aspects of a gaming system, e.g. detecting cheating, device integrity, surveillance computer security G06F21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

One aspect of the disclosure relates to providing a customized user experience based on a spend frequency of a user in an online game. The users may be segmented based on a spend frequency associated with the user. A spend frequency may comprise an amount of purchases made by a user in a predetermined time period. The purchases made by the user in the online game may comprise purchases of virtual items made with virtual currency, purchases of real goods made with virtual currency, purchases of virtual items made with real currency, purchases of real goods made with real currency, a combination thereof, and/or other types of purchases.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing a customized user experience based on a spend frequency of a user in an online game, the method being implemented in a computer system comprising one or more physical processors, the method comprising:

executing, by the one or more processors, an instance of an online game that takes place within a virtual space;

implementing, by the one or more processors, the instance of the online game in the virtual space to facilitate participation by the one or more users in the online game by determining view information from the instance and transmitting the view information to one or more client computing platforms associated with the one or more users that facilitate presentation of views of the online game to the one or more users by the one or more client computing platforms;

implementing, by the one or more processors, in-game actions in the expression of the online game in response to action requests for the in-game actions from the one or more users entered and/or selected by users through the one or more client computing platforms associated with the one or more users, wherein the in-game actions control one or more in-game objects in the online game;

providing, by the one or more processors, offers to the one or more users of the online game for the purchase of virtual items usable by the one or more users in the online game, wherein the use of the virtual items included in the offers is optional;

forming, by the one or more processors, at least a first segment of users and a second segment of users from the one or more users based on a spend frequency of the one or more users on the offers for the purchase of virtual items, a spend frequency representing an amount of transactions, comprising purchases of virtual items, made by a user in a predetermined time period within the virtual space; and

providing, by the one or more processors, a first customer service to the first segment of users and a second customer service different from the first customer service to the second segment of users, wherein the customer services comprise provision of additional game content to the one or more users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein customer services comprises one or more of:

provision of an offer, instantiation of a buff, provision of bonus levels, types of goods available for purchase, or access to one or more locations in the virtual space.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the first customer service comprises provision of a first offer and the second customer service comprises provision of a second offer different from the first offer.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the first customer service comprises providing a virtual item for sale to the first segment of users at a first price and the second customer service comprises providing the virtual item for sale to the second segment of users at a second price different from the first price.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the first segment of users comprises one or more users with a spend frequency above a predetermined threshold.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the first customer service to the first segment of users comprises:

providing the first customer service to one or more cohorts associated with the first segment of users.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein forming at least the first segment of users and the second segment of users from the one or more users comprises:

forming at least the first segment of users and the second segment of users based on the spend frequency of the one or more users and based on a spend velocity of the one or more users, the spend velocity comprising an amount of money spent by a user in the predetermined time period.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

predicting a lifetime revenue of a user of the one or more users based on a spend frequency of the user.

9. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving first feature input regarding a selection of a first feature by which to compare the first segment of users and the second segment of users;

receiving second feature input regarding a selection of a second feature by which to compare the first segment of users and the second segment of users; and

displaying a comparison of the first segment of users and the second segment over users based on the first feature and the second feature.

10. A system configured to facilitate providing a customized user experience based on a spend frequency of a user in an online game, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute compute program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a space module configured to;

execute an instance of a non-wagering online game that takes place within a virtual space,

implement the instance of the online game to facilitate participation by the one or more users in the online game within the virtual space by determining view information from the instance and transmitting the view information to one or more client computing platforms associated with the one or more users that facilitate presentation of views of the online game to the one or more users by the one or more client computing platforms, and,

implement in-game actions in the expression of the game in response to action requests for the in-game actions from the one or more users entered and/or selected by users through the one or more client computing platforms associated with the one or more users, wherein the in-game actions control one or more in-game objects in the online game;

an offer module configured to provide offers to the one or more users of the online game for the purchase of virtual items usable by the one or more users in the online game, wherein the use of the virtual items included in the offers is optional;

a user selection module configured to form at least a first segment of users and a second segment of users from the one or more users based on a spend frequency of the one or more users on offers for the purchase of virtual items, a spend frequency representing an amount of transactions, comprising purchases of virtual items, made by a user in a predetermined time period within the virtual space; and

a customer service module configured to;

provide a first customer service to the first segment of users; and

provide a second customer service different from the first customer service to the second segment of users, wherein the customer services comprise provision of additional game content to the one or more users.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein customer services comprises one or more of:

provision of an offer, instantiation of a buff, provision of bonus levels, types of goods available for purchase, or access to one or more locations in the virtual space.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the first customer service module is configured to:

provide the first customer service to the first segment of users by providing a first offer to the first segment of users; and

provide the second customer service to the second segment of users by providing a second offer different from the first offer.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the first customer service module is configured to:

provide the first customer service to the first segment of users by providing a virtual item for sale to the first segment of users at a first price; and

provide the second customer service to the second segment of users by providing the virtual item for sale to the second segment of users at a second price different from the first price.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the user selection module is configured to:

form the first segment of users based on a spend frequency of the one or more users, wherein the spend frequency of the one or more users of the first segment is above a predetermined threshold.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein the first customer service module is configured to:

provide the first customer service to the first segment of users by providing the first customer service to one or more cohorts associated with the first segment of users.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the user selection module is configured to:

form at least the first segment of users and the second segment of users based on the spend frequency of the one or more users and based on a spend velocity of the one or more users, the spend velocity comprising an amount of money spent by a user in the predetermined time period.

17. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a prediction module configured to predict a lifetime revenue of a user of the one or more users based on a spend frequency of the user.

18. The system of claim 10, further comprising:

a comparison module configured to;

receive first feature input regarding a selection of a first feature by which to compare the first segment of users and the second segment of users;

receive second feature input regarding a selection of a second feature by which to compare the first segment of users and the second segment of users; and

display a comparison of the first segment of users and the second segment over users based on the first feature and the second feature.

19. A non-transitory electronic storage media storing information related to providing a customized user experience based on a spend frequency of a user in an online game, the stored information comprising:

a memory configured to store information related to the one or more users of an online game; and

instructions configured to cause a client computing platform to;

execute an instance of a non-wagering online game that takes place within a virtual space;

implement the instance of the online game to facilitate participation by the one or more users in the online game within the virtual space by determining view information from the instance and transmitting the view information to one or more client computing platforms associated with the one or more users that facilitate presentation of views of the online game to the one or more users by the one or more client computing platforms;

implement in-game actions in the expression of the online game in response to action requests for the in-game actions from the one or more users entered and/or selected by users through the one or more client computing platforms associated with the one or more users, wherein the in-game actions control one or more in-game objects in the online game;

provide offers to the one or more users of the online game for the purchase of virtual items usable by the one or more users in the online game, wherein the use of the virtual items included in the offers is optional;

form at least a first segment of users and a second segment of users from the one or more users based on a spend frequency of the one or more users on the offers for the purchase of virtual items, a spend frequency representing an amount of transactions, comprising purchases of virtual items, made by a user in a predetermined time period within the virtual space; and

provide a first customer service to the first segment of users and a second customer service different from the first customer service to the second segment of users, wherein the customer services comprise provision of additional game content to the one or more users.