Systems and methods for incentivizing user log-in to a user account associated with an online game

• US 9,782,677 B1
• Filed: 04/02/2015
• Issued: 10/10/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aftershock Services, Inc. (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Topkins, Benjamin, Zheng, Gaoqi, Nambiar, Devin
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Jason
• Application Number:
  US14/677,949
• Time in Patent Office: 922 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/493 Resuming a game, e.g. after pausing, malfunction or power failure
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/825 Fostering virtual characters
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2250/22 with advertising
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/305 for providing a graphical or textual hint to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5546 using player registration data, e.g. identification, account, preferences, game history
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/63 for controlling the execution of the game in time
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/636 involving process of starting or resuming a game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 : Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 : Game play aspects of gaming systems
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 : Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played

Abstract

User log-in to a user account of an online game may be incentivized by providing awards to the users for logging in. Reengagement time periods for individual ones of the user accounts may be determined. The reengagement time periods may be determined to expire at times when a user may be logged out and/or may be expected to be logged out. By way of non-limiting example, the reengagement time periods may expire during wait periods for ongoing in-game tasks. The awards may be provided based on the expiration of the reengagement time periods and the user accounts conveying satisfaction of award redemption criteria.

Claims

1. A system for incentivizing user log-in to a user account associated with an online game, the system comprising:

one or more physical processors configured by computer-readable instructions to;

manage user accounts associated with the users of an online game, the user accounts reflecting log-in histories of the user accounts, the user accounts including a first user account associated with a first user;

execute an instance of the online game and implement the instance of the online game to facilitate user participation in the online game that takes place in a virtual space, user participation including effectuating one or more timed in-game tasks associated with wait periods, wherein initiation of a first timed in-game task in response to user input associated with a first user account begins a first wait period associated with the first timed in-game task, wherein the first timed in-game task is completed at the end of the first wait period without further user input associated with the first user account;

determine reengagement time periods for individual ones of the user accounts, the reengagement time periods being determined to expire at times other than the expirations of wait periods for ongoing in-game tasks associated with the individual user accounts, such that a first reengagement time period is determined for the first user account based on one or more present wait periods for one or more ongoing in-game tasks associated with the first user account;

associate one or more awards with the expirations of the reengagement time periods, including associating a first award with the expiration of the first reengagement time period; and

provide the one or more awards to the user accounts based on the expiration of the reengagement time periods and the user accounts conveying satisfaction of award redemption criteria, such that the first award is provided to the first user account based on the expiration of the first reengagement time period and a determination that the first user account conveys satisfaction of first redemption criteria.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions such that the reengagement time periods are determined to expire during the wait periods and before the expirations of the wait periods, the first reengagement time period is determined to expire during the first wait period and before an expiration of the first wait period.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions to determine, from a first log-in history reflected by the first user account, one or more times that the first users is not logged into the first user account, and wherein the reengagement time periods are determined to expire during at least one of the determined times.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions such that the first redemption criteria corresponds to logging in to the online game, such that the determination that the first user account conveys satisfaction of the first redemption criteria is based on the first user account conveying that the first user is logged in to the online game.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions such that the first redemption criteria corresponds to user entry and/or selection of in-game virtual objects after the expiration of the reengagement time periods, such that the determination that the first user account conveys satisfaction of the first redemption criteria is based on the first user account conveying that the first user entered and/or selected an first in-game virtual object after the expiration of the first reengagement time period.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions such that the entry and/or selection of in-game virtual objects is facilitated by touch-responsive displays of computing platforms associated with the user accounts and used to present the instance of the online game including the in-game virtual objects.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions such that the in-game virtual objects includes countdown timers associated with the expiration of the corresponding timed in-game tasks.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions to:

determine one or more awards to associate with the expirations of the reengagement time periods, the determination based on log-in histories of the users, the first award determined for the first user account based on the first user account conveying a first frequency of log-in to the first user account.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions such that determining one or more awards comprises determining awards within a first value range for user accounts that convey a frequency of log-in that is above a first threshold level, and determining awards within a second value range for user accounts that convey a frequency of log-in that is below the first threshold level.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer-readable instructions such that the first value range is lower than the second value range.

11. A method of incentivizing user log-in to a user account associated with an online game, the method being implemented in a computer system including one or more physical processors and storage media storing machine-readable instructions, the method comprising:

managing user accounts associated with the users of an online game, the user accounts reflecting log-in histories of the user accounts, including managing a first user account associated with a first user;

executing an instance of the online game and implementing the instance of the online game to facilitate user participation in the online game that takes place in a virtual space, user participation including effectuating one or more timed in-game tasks associated with wait periods, wherein initiation of a first timed in-game task in response to user input associated with a first user account begins a first wait period associated with the first timed in-game task, wherein the first timed in-game task is completed at the end of the first wait period without further user input associated with the first user account;

determining reengagement time periods for individual ones of the user accounts, the reengagement time periods being determined to expire at times other than the expirations of wait periods for ongoing in-game tasks associated with the individual user accounts, including determining a first reengagement time period for the first user account based on one or more present wait periods for one or more ongoing in-game tasks associated with the first user account;

associating one or more awards with the expirations of the reengagement time periods, including associating a first award with the expiration of the first reengagement time period; and

providing the one or more awards to the user accounts based on the expiration of the reengagement time periods and the user accounts conveying satisfaction of award redemption criteria, including providing the first award to the first user account based on the expiration of the first reengagement time period and a determination that the first user account conveys satisfaction of first redemption criteria.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the reengagement time periods are determined to expire during the wait periods and before the expirations of the wait periods, the first reengagement time period is determined to expire during the first wait period and before an expiration of the first wait period.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising determining, from a first log-in history reflected by the first user account, one or more times that the first users is not logged into the first user account, and wherein the reengagement time periods are determined to expire during at least one of the determined times.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the first redemption criteria corresponds to logging in to the online game, such that the determination that the first user account conveys satisfaction of the first redemption criteria is based on the first user account conveying that the first user is logged in to the online game.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein the first redemption criteria corresponds to user entry and/or selection of in-game virtual objects after the expiration of the reengagement time periods, such that the determination that the first user account conveys satisfaction of the first redemption criteria is based on the first user account conveying that the first user entered and/or selected an first in-game virtual object after the expiration of the first reengagement time period.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the entry and/or selection of in-game virtual objects is facilitated by touch-responsive displays of computing platforms associated with the user accounts and used to present the instance of the online game including the in-game virtual objects.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the in-game virtual objects includes countdown timers associated with the expiration of the corresponding timed in-game tasks.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

determining one or more awards to associate with the expirations of the reengagement time periods, the determination based on log-in histories of the users, including determining the first award for the first user account based on the first user account conveying a first frequency of log-in to the first user account.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein determining one or more awards comprises determining awards within a first value range for user accounts that convey a frequency of log-in that is above a first threshold level, and determining awards within a second value range for user accounts that convey a frequency of log-in that is below the first threshold level.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the first value range is lower than the second value range.