Communicating messages within network games

• US 9,662,589 B2
• Filed: 04/01/2016
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 03/21/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: de Jesus, Tiago Amaral Penteado
• Primary Examiner(s): CUFF, MICHAEL A
• Application Number:
  US15/088,793
• Publication Number:
  US 20160214021A1
• Time in Patent Office: 424 Days
• Field of Search: 463 9, 463 42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• 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 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

Systems and methods for communicating messages within online games are described. One of the methods includes receiving a message post from a first user. The message post is displayed on an in-game object that is configured for sharing message posts between the first user and other users. The method further includes detecting an interfacing action by a second user with the in-game object. The interfacing action is an input that is responsive to request content that is part of the message post. The method further includes validating the interfacing action to meet a threshold. If the threshold is met, the virtual game object is credited to the game space of the first user. The method includes generating a reward to the second user when the interfacing action is validated. The reward is credited to a game space of the second user.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

initiating a gaming session of a game upon receiving a request from a web account of a real user via a computer network;

during the gaming session, generating a game environment including a view item;

receiving via the computer network a message associated with the view item, the message indicating that a virtual user associated with the real user lacks a virtual item;

initiating an additional gaming session of the game upon receiving an additional request via an additional web account of an additional real user;

during the additional gaming session, generating an additional game environment, the additional game environment including an additional virtual user;

receiving via the computer network an indication of an interaction with the view item by the additional virtual user;

allowing the additional virtual user to asynchronously view the message in the view item in response to receiving the interaction with the view item, wherein said allowing the additional virtual user to asynchronously view the message in the view item is performed after an end of the gaming session associated with the web account of the real user;

analyzing the view item for the additional web account to determine whether the additional web account has the virtual item for providing to the virtual user upon allowing the additional virtual user to asynchronously view the message in the view item; and

sending via the computer network a query requesting the virtual item from one or more social network friends of the additional real user after determining that the additional web account of the additional real user lacks the virtual item.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

generating a list of the one or more social network friends associated with the additional web account and an option to send the query to the social network friends for providing via the computer network to a client device upon determining that the additional web account does not have the virtual item, the client device for accessing the additional web account, the query being whether the one or more social network friends have the virtual item;

receiving via the computer network and the additional web account an indication of a selection indicating that the query is to be sent to the one or more social network friends,

wherein sending the query is performed upon receiving the indication of the selection that the query is to be sent to the one or more social network friends.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the game environment includes a count of the virtual item, and the count is different from an additional count of the virtual item within the additional game environment, wherein the count is an amount of the virtual item that is stored within the web account, wherein the additional count is another amount of the virtual item that is stored within the additional web account, wherein the virtual item is a virtual object.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the view item is a virtual newsstand, wherein the virtual newsstand is used to publish messages to be displayed to virtual users that visit the game environment.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving during the gaming session via the computer network an indication of an interaction with the view item, wherein the message is received after the interaction with the view item during the gaming session, wherein the interaction with the view item received during the gaming session is a selection of the view item via an input device.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving a request from the additional virtual user to visit the game environment, wherein the request from the additional virtual user to visit the game environment is generated when a selection of an identification of the web account is received via the computer network, wherein the identification of the web account is displayed within the additional game environment; and

granting the request to visit the game environment, wherein the indication of the interaction with the view item by the additional virtual user is received after granting the request.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the interaction with the view item by the additional virtual user is a view of the view item by the additional virtual user when the additional virtual user approaches the view item.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the one or more social network friends are assigned one or more web accounts, wherein the one or more web accounts of the one or more social network friends and the additional web account of the additional real user are linked within a social network of the computer network.

9. A server comprising:

a processor configured to;

initiate a gaming session of a game upon receiving a request from a web account of a real user via a computer network;

during the gaming session, generate a game environment including a view item;

receive via the computer network a message associated with the view item, the message indicating that a virtual user associated with the real user lacks a virtual item;

initiate an additional gaming session of the game upon receiving an additional request via an additional web account of an additional real user;

during the additional gaming session, generate an additional game environment, the additional game environment including an additional virtual user;

receive via the computer network an indication of an interaction with the view item by the additional virtual user;

allow the additional virtual user to asynchronously view the message in the view item in response to receiving the interaction with the view item, wherein the additional virtual user is allowed to asynchronously view the message in the view item after an end of the gaming session associated with the web account of the real user;

analyze the view item for the additional web account to determine whether the additional web account has the virtual item for providing to the virtual user upon allowing the additional virtual user to asynchronously view the message in the view item; and

send via the computer network a query requesting the virtual item from one or more social network friends of the additional real user after determining that the additional web account of the additional real user lacks the virtual item; and

a memory device coupled to the processor, the memory device configured to store the web account of the real user and the additional web account of the additional real user.

10. The server of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to:

generate a list of the one or more social network friends associated with the additional web account and an option to send the query to the social network friends for providing via the computer network to a client device upon determining that the additional web account does not have the virtual item, the client device for accessing the additional web account, the query being whether the one or more social network friends have the virtual item;

receive via the computer network and the additional web account an indication of a selection indicating that the query is to be sent to the one or more social network friends,

wherein the processor is configured to send the query upon receiving the indication of the selection that the query is to be sent to the one or more social network friends.

11. The server of claim 9, wherein the game environment includes a count of the virtual item, and the count is different from an additional count of the virtual item within the additional game environment, wherein the count is an amount of the virtual item that is stored within the web account, wherein the additional count is another amount of the virtual item that is stored within the additional web account, wherein the virtual item is a virtual object.

12. The server of claim 9, wherein the view item is a virtual newsstand, wherein the virtual newsstand is used to publish messages to be displayed to virtual users that visit the game environment.

13. The server of claim 9, wherein the processor is configured to receive during the gaming session via the computer network an indication of an interaction with the view item, wherein the message is received after the interaction with the view item during the gaming session, wherein the interaction with the view item received during the gaming session is a selection of the view item via an input device.

14. The server of claim 9, wherein the processor is further configured to:

receive a request from the additional virtual user to visit the game environment, wherein the request from the additional virtual user to visit the game environment is generated when a selection of an identification of the web account is received via the computer network, wherein the identification of the web account is displayed within the additional game environment; and

grant the request to visit the game environment, wherein the indication of the interaction with the view item by the additional virtual user is received after granting the request.

15. The server of claim 9, wherein the interaction with the view item by the additional virtual user is a view of the view item by the additional virtual user when the additional virtual user approaches the view item.

16. The server of claim 9, wherein the one or more social network friends are assigned one or more web accounts, wherein the one or more web accounts of the one or more social network friends and the additional web account of the additional real user are linked within a social network of the computer network.

17. A non-transitory computer readable medium containing program instructions, wherein execution of the program instructions by one or more processors of a computer system causes the one or more processors to carry out a plurality of operations comprising:

initiating a gaming session of a game upon receiving a request from a web account of a real user via a computer network;

during the gaming session, generating a game environment including a view item;

receiving via the computer network a message associated with the view item, the message indicating that a virtual user associated with the real user lacks a virtual item;

initiating an additional gaming session of the game upon receiving an additional request via an additional web account of an additional real user;

during the additional gaming session, generating an additional game environment, the additional game environment including an additional virtual user;

receiving via the computer network an indication of an interaction with the view item by the additional virtual user;

allowing the additional virtual user to asynchronously view the message in the view item in response to receiving the interaction with the view item, wherein said allowing the additional virtual user to asynchronously view the message in the view item is performed after an end of the gaming session associated with the web account of the real user;

analyzing the view item for the additional web account to determine whether the additional web account has the virtual item for providing to the virtual user upon allowing the additional virtual user to asynchronously view the message in the view item; and

sending via the computer network a query requesting the virtual item from one or more social network friends of the additional real user after determining that the additional web account of the additional real user lacks the virtual item.

18. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the plurality of operations further comprise:

generating a list of the one or more social network friends associated with the additional web account and an option to send the query to the social network friends for providing via the computer network to a client device upon determining that the additional web account does not have the virtual item, the client device for accessing the additional web account, the query being whether the one or more social network friends have the virtual item;

receiving via the computer network and the additional web account an indication of a selection indicating that the query is to be sent to the one or more social network friends,

wherein sending the query is performed upon receiving the indication of the selection that the query is to be sent to the one or more social network friends.

19. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the game environment includes a count of the virtual item, and the count is different from an additional count of the virtual item within the additional game environment, wherein the count is an amount of the virtual item that is stored within the web account, wherein the additional count is another amount of the virtual item that is stored within the additional web account, wherein the virtual item is a virtual object.

20. The non-transitory computer readable medium of claim 17, wherein the view item is a virtual newsstand, wherein the virtual newsstand is used to publish messages to be displayed to virtual users that visit the game environment.