Customizing offers for sales of combinations of virtual items

• US 9,257,007 B2
• Filed: 07/16/2014
• Issued: 02/09/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 07/30/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Santini, Fabio, Lai, Peter Pao
• Primary Examiner(s): Ahmed, Masud
• Application Number:
  US14/332,828
• Publication Number:
  US 20140329585A1
• Time in Patent Office: 573 Days
• Field of Search: 463 31- 43, 705/51
• US Class Current: 1/1
• 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 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• 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 17/3281 wherein game attributes are transferred between players, e.g. points, weapons, avatars

Abstract

A method of customizing offers for sales of combinations of virtual items at discounted prices is disclosed. A combination of virtual items of a computer-implemented game is selected such that the sum of the values of each of the combination of virtual items has a proportion to an amount of currency in an account of a user of the computer-implemented game, the selecting being performed by a processor. An offer for a sale of the combination of the virtual items at a discounted price is generated for the user of the computer-implemented game. The offer for the sale of the combination of virtual items at the discounted price is presented to the user.

Claims

1. A method of customizing a user interface generated at a game networking server system for communication to a client device system of a user of the game networking server system, the game networking server system being separate from the client device system, the user interface pertaining to an offer for a sale of a combination of virtual items to the user, the method comprising:

selecting the combination of the virtual items from a set of virtual items maintained as game state data in a data store at the game networking server system, the selecting based on correspondences between the user and the set of virtual items, the correspondences derived at least in part from an analysis of a history of actions of the user on the game networking server system that relate to the set of virtual items;

generating the offer for the sale of the combination of virtual items to the user, the offer including a discounted price for the combination of virtual items;

communicating the offer to the client device system of the user; and

providing the combination of the virtual items to the user based on a detection of an acceptance of the offer by the user, the providing including updating the game state data, the selecting, generating, communicating, and providing being performed by at least one processor of the game networking server system.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining a probability that the user will purchase the combination of virtual items at the discounted price; and

selecting the offer based on the probability.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising calculating the probability based on an analysis of an aggregation of purchase histories of additional users of the game networking system.

4. The method of claim 3, further comprising selecting the additional users based on a similarity between a game account of the user and game accounts of each of the additional users.

5. The method of claim 4, further comprising selecting the additional users based on strengths of relationship between the user and the additional users.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the similarity pertains to activity levels of the user and the additional users with respect to a particular game executing on the game networking system in which the combination of virtual items is usable.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

determining rarities of the virtual items with respect to the game networking system; and

selecting the discounted price based on the rarities of the virtual items.

8. A system comprising:

one or more modules implemented by one or more processors, the one or more modules configured to;

select a combination of virtual items from a set of virtual items maintained as game state data in a data store at a game networking server system, the selecting based on correspondences between a user and the set of virtual items, the correspondences derived at least in part from an analysis of a history of actions of the user on the game networking server system that relate to the set of virtual items;

generate an offer for a sale of the combination of the virtual items at a discounted price to the user, the offer including a discounted price for the combination of virtual items;

communicate the offer to the client device system of the user; and

,

provide the combination of the virtual items to the user based on a detection of an acceptance of the offer by the user, the providing including updating the game state data.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more modules are further configured to:

determine a probability that the user will purchase the combination of virtual items at the discounted price; and

select the offer is based on the probability.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more modules are further configured to calculate the probability based on an analysis of an aggregation of purchase histories of additional users of the game networking system.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein the one or more modules are further configured to select the additional users based on a similarity between a game account of the user and game accounts of each of the additional users.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more modules are further configured to select the additional users based on strengths of relationship between the user and the additional users.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the similarity pertains to activity levels of the user and the additional users with respect to a particular game executing on the game networking system in which the combination of virtual items is usable.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the one or more modules are further configured to:

determine rarities of the virtual items with respect to the game networking system; and

select the discounted price based on the rarities of the virtual items.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising a set of instructions that, when executed by at least one processor, causes the at least one processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

selecting a combination of virtual items from a set of virtual items maintained as game state data in a data store at a game networking server system, the selecting based on correspondences between a user and the set of virtual items, the correspondences derived at least in part from an analysis of a history of actions of the user on the game networking server system that relate to the set of virtual items;

generating an offer for a sale of the combination of the virtual items at a discounted price to the user, the offer including a discounted price for the combination of virtual items; and

communicating the offer to the client system of the user; and

providing the combination of the virtual items to the user based on a detection of an acceptance of the offer by the user, the providing including updating the game state data.

16. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising:

determining a probability that the user will purchase the combination of virtual items at the discounted price; and

selecting the offer is based on the probability.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 16, further comprising calculating the probability based on an analysis of an aggregation of purchase histories of additional users of the game networking system.

18. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising selecting the additional users based on a similarity between a game account of the user and game accounts of each of the additional users.

19. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 18, further comprising selecting the additional users based on strengths of relationship between the user and the additional users.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19, wherein the similarity pertains to activity levels of the user and the additional users with respect to a particular game executing on the game networking system in which the combination of virtual items is usable.