System and method for adjusting the user cost associated with purchasable virtual items

• US 9,799,059 B1
• Filed: 09/09/2013
• Issued: 10/24/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/09/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aftershock Services, Inc. (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Curtis, Matthew, Smalley, Kellen Christopher, Pitz, Christopher, Caldarone, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Civan, Ethan D
• Application Number:
  US14/022,118
• Time in Patent Office: 1,506 Days
• Field of Search: 705 261- 272
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0283 Price estimation or determination

Abstract

A virtual space is provided to users via client computing devices where the user cost associated with purchasable virtual items may be adjusted. A game shop interface may be presented to users, comprising offers to purchase sets of one or more virtual items to the user. The associated user cost for the one or more sets of virtual items may be adjusted based upon a determination that the rate of purchase of and/or the revenue generated from the virtual items is more than a specified threshold from the average rate of purchase and/or average revenue generation rate.

Claims

1. A system for adjusting the user cost associated with purchasable virtual items, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured by machine-readable instructions to;

execute an instance of a virtual space wherein the virtual space is a visual virtual space presented on client computing platforms associated with users via an interface, and using the instance of the virtual space to generate state information that is transmitted to the client computing platforms associated with the users over a network, the state information facilitating presentation of a view of the virtual space to the users via the client computing platforms, and to facilitate interaction of the users with the virtual space by executing actions in the instance of the virtual space in response to receiving action requests over the network from the client computing platforms associated with the users;

facilitate presentation of a shop interface, wherein the shop interface includes a graphical user interface presented on the client computing platforms that presents offers to purchase sets of one or more virtual items to the user where individual ones of the sets of one or more virtual items has associated user costs, such that a first offer for a first set of one or more virtual items has a first associated user cost;

obtain an average rate of purchase of individual ones of the sets of one or more virtual items by the users, wherein the average rate of purchase represents an average rate for a time period and individual rates of purchase represent rates for individual intervals of time within the time period that are shorter in duration than the time period, and wherein a first average rate of purchase by the users is obtained for the first set of one or more virtual items;

dynamically determine whether the rate of purchase is more than a specified threshold from the average rate of purchase of individual ones of the one or more sets of virtual items;

adjust the user cost associated with individual ones of the one or more sets of virtual items in response to a determination that the rate of purchase is more than a specified threshold from the average rate of purchase of individual ones of the one or more sets of virtual items, such that the first offer for the first set of one or more virtual items has an adjusted user cost associated in response to a determination that the rate of purchase for the first set of one or more virtual items is more than a specified threshold from the first average rate of purchase for the first set of one or more virtual items; and

present, via the shop interface, the adjusted user cost for the first offer for the first set of the one or more sets of virtual items such that the shop interface presents the adjusted user cost in accordance with dynamic determinations of whether the rate of purchase is more than a specified threshold from the average rate of purchase of individual ones of the one or more sets of virtual items made by the one or more processors.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to monitor the rate of purchase of sets of one or more virtual items during defined periodic time intervals, such that the rate of purchase of the first set of one or more virtual items is monitored during a first periodic time interval, and wherein the user cost associated with the first offer for the set first of one or more virtual items is adjusted responsive to a determination that the rate of purchase during the first periodic time interval is more than a specified threshold from the first average rate of purchase for the first set of one or more virtual items.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to:

obtain an average revenue generation rate for individual ones of the sets of one or more virtual items, such that a first average revenue generation rate is obtained for the first set of one or more virtual items;

to determine a revenue generation rate from purchases of individual ones of the sets of one or more virtual items over a second period of time in response to an adjustment of the associated user cost for the individual ones of the sets of one or more virtual items, such that a second revenue generation rate is determined for the first set of one or more virtual items over the second period of time; and

, compare the second revenue generation rate with the first average revenue generate rate for individual ones of the sets of one or more virtual items, such that the second revenue generation rate is compared with the first average revenue generation rate for the first set of one or more virtual items.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to adjust the first user cost associated with the first set of one or more virtual items in response to a determination that the first revenue generation rate for the first set of one or more virtual items is more than a specified threshold from the first average revenue generation rate for the first set of one or more virtual items.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to reduce the first user cost associated with the first set of one or more virtual items, in response to a determination that the second revenue generation rate for the first set of one or more virtual items is less than the first average revenue generate rate for the first set of one or more virtual items, and to maintain the first user cost associated with the first set of one or more virtual items, in response to a determination that the second revenue generation rate for the first set of one or more virtual items is greater than or the same as the first average revenue generate rate for the first set of one or more virtual items.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the specified threshold from the first average rate of purchase for the first set of one or more virtual items is two standard deviations from the average, such that in response to determining that the second rate of purchase for the first set of one or more virtual items is two standard deviations above the first average rate of purchase for the first set of one or more virtual items, the associated first user cost for the first set of one or more virtual items is increased, and in response to determining that the second rate of purchase for the first set of one or more virtual items is two standard deviations below the first average rate of purchase for the first set of one or more virtual items, the associated first user cost for the first set of one or more virtual items is decreased.

7. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to obtain an average revenue generation rate for the first set of one or more virtual items, purchased by a first set of users comprising users having one or more like parameters, and the first user cost associated with the first set of one or more virtual items for the first set of users is adjusted in response to determining the revenue generation rate for the first set of one or more virtual items purchased by the first set of users.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to facilitate entry and/or selection by administrators of one or more rules for determining the average purchase rate of individual ones of the one or more sets of one or more virtual items.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to facilitate entry and/or selection by administrators of an adjustment to the adjusted first associated user cost for the first set of one or more virtual items.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to facilitate entry and/or selection of a maximum associated user cost for the sets of one or more virtual items.

11. A method for adjusting the user cost associated with purchasable virtual items, the method implemented on a computer system that includes one or more processors, the method comprising:

executing an instance of a virtual space, wherein the virtual space is a visual virtual space presented on client computing platforms associated with users via an interface;

generating state information using the instance of the virtual space, wherein the state information that is transmitted to the client computing platforms associated with the users over a network the state information facilitating presentation of a view of the virtual space to users;

facilitating interaction of the users with the virtual space by executing actions in the instance of the virtual space in response to receiving action requests over the network from the client computing platforms associated with the users;

facilitating presentation of a shop interface, wherein the shop interface includes a graphical user interface presented on the client computing platforms that presents offers to purchase sets of one or more virtual items to the user where individual ones of the sets of one or more virtual items has associated user costs, such that a first offer for a first set of one or more virtual items has a first associated user cost;

obtaining an average rate of purchase of individual ones of the sets of one or more virtual items by the users, wherein the average rate of purchase represents an average rate for a time period and individual rates of purchase represent rates for individual intervals of time within the time period that are shorter in duration than the time period, and wherein a first average rate of purchase by the users is obtained for the first set of one or more virtual items;

dynamically determining whether the rate of purchase is more than a specified threshold from the average rate of purchase of individual ones of the one or more sets of virtual items;

adjusting the user cost associated with individual ones of the one or more sets of virtual items in response to a determination that the rate of purchase is more than a specified threshold from the average rate of purchase of individual ones of the one or more sets of virtual items, such that the first offer for the first set of one or more virtual items has an adjusted user cost associated in response to a determination that the rate of purchase for the first set of one or more virtual items is more than a specified threshold from the first average rate of purchase for the first set of one or more virtual items; and

presenting, via the shop interface, the adjusted user cost for the first offer for the first set of the one or more sets of virtual items such that the shop interface presents the adjusted user cost in accordance with dynamic determinations of whether the rate of purchase is more than a specified threshold from the average rate of purchase of individual ones of the one or more sets of virtual items made by the one or more processors.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

monitoring the rate of purchase of sets of one or more virtual items during defined periodic time intervals, such that the rate of purchase of the first set of one or more virtual items is monitored during a first periodic time interval; and

adjusting the user cost associated with the first offer for the set first of one or more virtual items upon a determination that the rate of purchase during the first periodic time interval is more than a specified threshold from the first average rate of purchase for the first set of one or more virtual items.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

obtaining an average revenue generation rate for individual ones of the sets of one or more virtual items, such that a first average revenue generation rate is obtained for the first set of one or more virtual items;

determining a revenue generation rate from purchases of individual ones of the sets of one or more virtual items over a second period of time in response to an adjustment of the associated user cost for the individual ones of the sets of one or more virtual items, such that a second revenue generation rate is determined for the first set of one or more virtual items over the second period of time; and

,

comparing the second revenue generation rate with the first average revenue generate rate for individual ones of the sets of one or more virtual items, such that the second revenue generation rate is compared with the first average revenue generation rate for the first set of one or more virtual items.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising adjusting the first user cost associated with the first set of one or more virtual items in response to a determination that the first revenue generation rate for the first set of one or more virtual items is more than a specified threshold from the first average revenue generation rate for the first set of one or more virtual items.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising reducing the first user cost associated with the first set of one or more virtual items, in response to a determination that the second revenue generation rate for the first set of one or more virtual items is less than the first average revenue generate rate for the first set of one or more virtual items, and maintaining the first user cost associated with the first set of one or more virtual items, in response to a determination that the second revenue generation rate for the first set of one or more virtual items is greater than or the same as the first average revenue generate rate for the first set of one or more virtual items.

16. The method of claim 11, wherein the specified threshold from the first average rate of purchase for the first set of one or more virtual items is two standard deviations from the average, such that in response to determining that the second rate of purchase for the first set of one or more virtual items is two standard deviations above the first average rate of purchase for the first set of one or more virtual items, the associated first user cost for the first set of one or more virtual items is increased, and in response to determining that the second rate of purchase for the first set of one or more virtual items is two standard deviations below the first average rate of purchase for the first set of one or more virtual items, the associated first user cost for the first set of one or more virtual items is decreased.

17. The method of claim 13, further comprising obtaining an average revenue generation rate for the first set of one or more virtual items, purchased by a first set of users comprising users having one or more like parameters, and adjusting the first user cost associated with the first set of one or more virtual items for the first set of users in response to determining the revenue generation rate for the first set of one or more virtual items purchased by the first set of users.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising facilitating entry and/or selection by administrators of one or more rules for determining the average purchase rate of individual ones of the one or more sets of one or more virtual items.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising facilitating entry and/or selection by administrators of an adjustment to the adjusted first associated user cost for the first set of one or more virtual items.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising facilitating entry and/or selection of a maximum associated user cost for the sets of one or more virtual items.