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

• US 9,682,314 B2
• Filed: 11/04/2015
• Issued: 06/20/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 06/14/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aftershock Services, Inc. (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Kim, John, Ambrosini, Jay, Jodway, Jay, Glover, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): GALKA, LAWRENCE STEFAN
• Application Number:
  US14/932,886
• Publication Number:
  US 20160121219A1
• Time in Patent Office: 594 Days
• 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 by machine-readable instructions to;

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

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

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

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 shared game space such that a first award is determined to be provided to a first user based on a comparison of an increase in the game play metric value of the first user during the event time period in with increases in the game play metric values of the other users during the event time period.

2. A system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions 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 one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions 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 one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions 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 one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions 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 one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions 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, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to distribute at least an award.

8. A computer implemented method for providing offers in a shared game space, the method being implemented in a computer system that includes one or more processors configured by machine-readable instructions, the method comprising:

executing an instance of a shared game space that is common to users, and implementing the instance to facilitate the presentation of views of the shared game space to the users, wherein the shared game space facilitates interaction of the users with the shared game space and each other by performing operations in the shared game space in response to commands received from the users;

determining gameplay metric values of a gameplay metric for users, wherein the gameplay metric values quantify achievement within the shared game space such that a first gameplay metric value determined for a first user quantifies achievement of the first user in the shared game space;

altering determinations of the gameplay metric values during an event time period, wherein the determination of the gameplay metric values is altered to magnify the impact of achievement in the shared game space; and

determining, 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 shared game space such that a first award is determined to be provided to a first user based on a comparison of an increase in the game play metric value of the first user during the event time period in with increases in the game play metric values of the other users during the event time period.

9. A method of claim 8, wherein the determination of the gameplay metric is reverted to its unaltered state after the event period.

10. A method of claim 8, wherein 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.

11. A method of claim 8, wherein 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.

12. A method of claim 8, wherein multiple awards are determined 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.

13. A method of claim 8, wherein the determination of the gameplay metric values of a first user are differentially altered responsive to the first user purchasing an in-game benefit.

14. A method of claim 8, further comprising distributing at least an award.