Dynamically adjusting virtual item bundles available for purchase based on user gameplay information

• US 9,808,708 B1
• Filed: 04/25/2013
• Issued: 11/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 04/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Wakeford, Kent, Harrington, Clifford J., Curtis, Matthew, Koh, James, Smalley, Kellen Christopher, Caldarone, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carter, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US13/870,793
• Time in Patent Office: 1,657 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 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions

Abstract

This disclosure relates to adjusting virtual item bundles made available to users of on online game based on user gameplay information. In implementations, information relating to prospective usage of the online game is used to classify users according by user type. Responsive to the determined user type of a user, customizations of item bundles in the online game made available to individual users for purchase within the online game may be determined.

Claims

1. A system for adjusting item bundles made available to users of an online game, the system comprising:

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

execute an instance of the online game, and to use the instance to generate state information that is transmitted over a network to client computing platforms, wherein the transmission of the state information over the network facilitates presentation of views of the online game to the users on client computing platforms associated with the users causing the client computing platforms to display the views of the game space, and to implement in-game actions in the instance of the online game in response to action requests for the in-game actions received over the network from the client computing platforms associated with the users, wherein the users include a first user;

obtain user gameplay information related to prospective usage of the online game by the users, wherein the user gameplay information includes a first set of user gameplay information related to prospective usage of the online game by the first user, and a second set of user gameplay information related to prospective usage of the online game by a second user;

determine user types of users based on obtained user gameplay information such that a first user type is determined for the first user based on the first set of user gameplay information and a second user type is determined for the second user based on the second set of user gameplay information, wherein the first user type is different than the second user type, and wherein at least one of the first user type and/or the second user type are selected from a) a collection and harvesting type preferring at least one of resource collection, resource cultivation and resource manufacturing, b) a player versus player type, preferring competing with other users within the online game, or c) a player versus environment type preferring completing quests;

provide offers to purchase item bundles by users in the online game, the item bundles comprising multiple virtual items useable by the users in the online game, wherein use by a user of individual ones of the multiple virtual items from the item bundles has an impact on the gameplay of the user; and

determine customizations of the item bundles in the online game made available to individual users for purchase within the online game based on the user types, wherein determining customizations of the item bundles includes determining sets of virtual item to include in the item bundles based on the determined user types and impacts of individual ones of the virtual items on the gameplay of the users, the customizations including a first customization of item bundles made available to the first user, the first customization being determined based on determination of the first user type for the first user, wherein the first customization of item bundles includes a first set of virtual items in a first item bundle and a second set of virtual items in a second virtual item bundle such that separate offers to purchase the first item bundle and the second item bundle are provided to the first user, wherein individual ones of the virtual items in the first set of virtual items and the second set of virtual items are configured to impact the gameplay of the first user when used by the first user in the online game, the determined customizations further including a second customization of item bundles made available to the second user that are different than the item bundles made available to the first user as part of the first customization, the second customization being determined based on determination of the second user type for the second user, wherein the second customization of item bundles includes a third set of virtual items in a third item bundle and a fourth set of virtual items in a fourth virtual item bundle such that separate offers to purchase the third item bundle and the fourth item bundle are provided to the second user, wherein individual ones of the virtual items in the third set of virtual items and the fourth set of virtual items are configured to impact the gameplay of the second user when used by the second user in the online game;

wherein the customizations determined for the individual users are implemented such that the first customization is implemented in the instance of the online game for the first user and the second customization is implemented in the instance of the online game for the second user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to monitor the users'"'"' usage of the online game.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the first set of user gameplay information comprises online game usage information associated with other users associated with the first user.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first set of user gameplay information comprises at least one of the first user'"'"'s usage of other online games and other users'"'"' usage of the online game, wherein the other users are associated with the user.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first set of user gameplay information comprises at least one of specific in-game actions and in-game action types performed most frequently by the first user within the instance of the online game.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the customizations of item bundles in the online game made available to the individual users affect the determination of the sets of virtual items that are grouped together into bundles and prices of the item bundles.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the customizations of item bundles further includes effecting the cost of the item bundles to users for purchasing items associated with user types other than the users'"'"' own.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein facilitating presentation of the online game to users includes facilitating presentation of the online game through graphical devices associated with the users and wherein the customizations of item bundles in the online game made available to the individual users comprises at least one of re-ordering where pre-existing item bundles appear to users in an in-game store presented to the user on the graphical device associated with the user, filling open slots in pre-formed item bundles with one or more virtual items of the determined sets of virtual items, such that the item bundle with the filled slots is presented to the user on the graphical device associated with the user, and creating new item bundles by selecting all items included therein and presenting the new item bundles to the user on the graphical device associated with the user.

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

provide selected item bundles to users in response to acceptance of an offer to purchase an item bundle by the users;

impact gameplay of users in response to use by users of individual ones of the virtual items included in the provided item bundles, causing the first item bundle including the first set of virtual items to be provided to the first user and causing the gameplay of the first user to be impacted in response to use by the first user of individual ones of the virtual items of the first set of virtual items.

9. A computer-implemented method for adjusting item bundles made available to users of an online game, the method being implemented in a computer system that includes one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions, the method comprising:

executing, by the one or more physical processors, an instance of the online game, and to use the instance to generate state information that is transmitted over a network to client computing platforms, wherein the transmission of the state information over the network facilitates presentation of views of the online game to the users on client computing platforms associated with the users causing the client computing platforms to display the views of the game space, wherein the users include a first user;

implementing, by the one or more physical processors, in-game actions in the instance of the online game in response to action requests for the in-game actions received over the network from the client computing platforms associated with the users;

obtaining, by the one or more physical processors, user gameplay information related to prospective usage of the online game by the users, wherein the user gameplay information includes a first set of user gameplay information related to prospective usage of the online game by the first user, and a second set of user gameplay information related to prospective usage of the online game by a second user;

determining, by the one or more physical processors, user types of users based on obtained user gameplay information, comprising determining a first user type for the first user based on the first set of user gameplay information and determining a second user type for the second user based on the second set of user gameplay information, wherein the first user type is different than the second user type, and wherein at least one of the first user type and/or the second user type are selected from a) a collection and harvesting type preferring at least one of resource collection, resource cultivation and resource manufacturing, b) a player versus player type, preferring competing with other users within the online game, or c) a player versus environment type preferring completing quests;

providing, by the one or more physical processors, offers to purchase item bundles by users in the online game, the item bundles comprising multiple virtual items useable by the users in the online game, wherein use by a user of an individual virtual item from an item bundle has an impact on the gameplay of the user;

determining, by the one or more physical processors, customizations of the item bundles in the online game made available to individual users for purchase within the online game based on the user types, wherein determining customizations of the item bundles includes determining sets of virtual items to include in the item bundles based on the determined user types and impacts of individual ones of the virtual items on the gameplay of the users, the customizations including a first customization of item bundles made available to the first user, the first customization being determined based on determination of the first user type for the first user, wherein the first customization of item bundles includes a first set of virtual items in a first item bundle and a second set of virtual items in a second virtual item bundle such that separate offers to purchase the first item bundle and the second item bundle are provided to the first user, wherein individual ones of the virtual items in the first set of virtual items and the second set of virtual items are configured to impact the gameplay of the first user when used by the first user in the online game, the determined customizations further including a second customization of item bundles made available to the second user that are different than the item bundles made available to the first user as part of the first customization, the second customization being determined based on determination of the second user type for the second user, wherein the second customization of item bundles includes a third set of virtual items in a third item bundle and a fourth set of virtual items in a fourth virtual item bundle such that separate offers to purchase the third item bundle and the fourth item bundle are provided to the second user, wherein individual ones of the virtual items in the third set of virtual items and the fourth set of virtual items are configured to impact the gameplay of the second user when used by the second user in the online game; and

implementing, by the one or more physical processors, the customizations determined for the individual users such that the first customization is implemented in the instance of the online game for the first user and the second customization is implemented in the instance of the online game for the second user.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising monitoring the users'"'"' usage of the online game.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first set of user gameplay information comprises online game usage information associated with other users associated with the first user.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein the first set of user gameplay information comprises at least one of the first user'"'"'s usage of other online games and other users'"'"' usage of the online game, wherein the other users are associated with the user.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein the first set of user gameplay information comprises at least one of specific in-game actions and in-game action types performed most frequently by the first user within the instance of the online game.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the customizations of item bundles in the online game made available to the individual users affect the determination of sets of virtual items that are grouped together into bundles and prices of the item bundles.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the customizations of item bundles further includes effecting the cost of the item bundles to users for purchasing items associated with user types other than the users'"'"' own.

16. The method of claim 9, wherein facilitating presentation of the online game to users includes facilitating presentation of the online game through graphical devices associated with the users and wherein the implementing the customizations of item bundles in the online game made available to the individual users comprises at least one of re-ordering where pre-existing item bundles appear to users in an in-game store presented to the user on the graphical device associated with the user, filling open slots in pre-formed item bundles with one or more virtual items of the determined sets of virtual items, such that the item bundle with the filled slots is presented to the user on the graphical device associated with the user, and creating new item bundles by selecting all items included therein the new item bundles being presented to the user on the graphical device associated with the user.

18. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

providing selected item bundles to users in response to acceptance of an offer to purchase an item bundle by the users;

impacting gameplay of users in response to use by users of individual ones of the virtual items included in the provided item bundles, causing the first item bundle including the first set of virtual items to be provided to the first user and causing the gameplay of the first user to be impacted in response to use by the first user of individual ones of the virtual items of the first set of virtual items.