Method and system for temporarily incentivizing user participation in a game space

• US 9,463,376 B1
• Filed: 06/14/2013
• Issued: 10/11/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, John, Ambrosini, Jay, Jodway, Jay, Glover, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): GALKA, LAWRENCE STEFAN
• Application Number:
  US13/918,580
• Time in Patent Office: 1,215 Days
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for temporarily altering the determination of gameplay metric values in a game space, and distributing awards based on the relative change in gameplay metric values during the temporary time.

Claims

1. A system for providing offers in a game space, the system comprising:

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

a game module configured to execute an instance of a game space, and to implement the instance to facilitate the presentation of views of the game space to users, wherein the game space is configured to facilitate interaction of the users with the game space and/or each other by performing operations in the game space in response to commands received from the users;

a scoring module configured to determine gameplay metric values of a gameplay metric for users, wherein the gameplay metric values quantify achievement within the game space such that a first gameplay metric value determined for a first user quantifies achievement of the first user in the game space;

an event scoring module configured to alter determinations of the gameplay metric values by the scoring module during an event time period, wherein the event scoring module is configured such that, during the event time period, the determination of the gameplay metric values is altered to magnify the impact of achievement in the game space; and

an event evaluation module configured to determine, based on the relative increases in the gameplay metric values of the users during the event time period, awards to be provided to the individual users, wherein the awards include virtual items to be distributed for use in the game space,

wherein the event evaluation module is further configured to determine an award for each of multiple categories of gameplay metric values to be distributed to the users with the greatest relative increase in each of the multiple categories of gameplay metric values.

2. A system of claim 1, wherein the event scoring module is further configured such that the determination of the gameplay metric is reverted to its unaltered state after the event period.

3. A system of claim 1, wherein the event scoring module is further configured such that, during the event period, the determination of the gameplay metric values for a first user is altered to magnify the impact of achievement such that the gameplay metric values are different than if achievement occurred outside the event period.

4. A system of claim 1, wherein the event scoring module is further configured such that, during the event period, the determination of the gameplay metric values associated with achievements for a first user are altered to magnify the impact of the achievements such that the gameplay metric values are different than if the achievements occurred outside the event period.

5. A system of claim 1, wherein the event evaluation module is further configured to determine multiple awards for a single category of gameplay metric values, and multiple users are provided awards based on their ranking of relative increase in the single category of gameplay metric values.

6. A system of claim 1,

wherein the event scoring module is further configured to differentially alter the determination of the gameplay metric values of a first user responsive to the first user purchasing an in-game benefit.

7. A system of claim 1, further comprising an award distribution module configured to distribute at least an award.