Dynamically variable advertising incentive rewards in online games

• US 9,846,992 B2
• Filed: 06/16/2016
• Issued: 12/19/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 05/30/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Burgin, Joshua Marc, Gupta, Diwakar, Asselin, Simon
• Primary Examiner(s): Lewis, David L
• Assistant Examiner(s): HALL, SHAUNA-KAY N
• Application Number:
  US15/184,461
• Publication Number:
  US 20160300446A1
• Time in Patent Office: 551 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/01 Social networking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3239 Tracking of individual players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A system and method for managing a computer-implemented online game provides dynamically variable rewards to incentivize player interaction with sponsored content presented within the game. The particular reward offered to incentivize player interaction with particular sponsored content (e.g., a particular advertisement) can be dynamically variable based on the attributes of the player, thus providing user-specific custom rewards for interaction with sponsored content. Properties of incentive rewards that may be dynamically variable can include a custom type of in-game asset or resource, and/or a custom amount of a particular in-game asset or resource.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

identifying sponsored content for in-game presentation to a player of a computer-implemented game;

identifying an attribute of the player;

in an automated operation based at least in part on the attribute and performed using one or more processors, determining a custom reward property of an in-game reward associated with the sponsored content; and

offering to the player the in-game reward as incentive for interaction with the sponsored content, the offered in-game reward having the custom reward property.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the custom reward property comprises a customized quantum of an in-game benefit available to the player for interaction with the sponsored content.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the determining of the custom reward property comprises:

calculating an interaction probability for the player based at least in part on the attribute of the player; and

calculating or selecting the custom reward property based on the calculated interaction probability for the player.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the determining of the custom reward property comprises determining a customized quantum for the in-game reward by adjusting a base value based on the calculated interaction probability, such that lower values for the calculated interaction probability result in higher values for the customized quantum.

5. The method of claim 3, wherein the calculating of the interaction probability comprises statistical correlation of the attribute of the player to historical interaction data that indicate historical behavior of multiple players with respect to sponsored content.

6. The method of claim 3, wherein the calculating of the interaction probability comprises:

identifying a set of attributes of the player; and

performing statistical analysis of historical interaction data for multiple players based on the set of attributes of the player, to estimate a historical rate of interaction with sponsored content by players having a respective set of attributes substantially corresponding to the set of attributes of the player.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

identifying respective sets of player attributes for multiple players of the computer-implemented game;

monitoring in-game behavior of the multiple players with respect to historically presented sponsored content within the game; and

compiling historical interaction data that indicates respective outcomes of sponsored content presentation to the multiple players, the respective outcomes being linked to the corresponding sets of player attributes.

8. The method of claim 3, wherein the custom reward property comprises a custom benefit type available to the player for interaction with the sponsored content, the determining of the custom reward property comprising selecting the custom benefit type for the in-game reward from a predetermined plurality of benefit types.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein the selecting of the custom benefit type is such that there is an inverse relationship between an in-game value of the custom benefit type and the calculated interaction probability.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the attribute of the player comprises historical behavior of the player.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the historical behavior comprises historical gameplay behavior of the player.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the historical behavior comprises historical interaction behavior of the player with respect to historical sponsored content.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the historical interaction behavior comprises a level of completion of activities associated with the historical sponsored content.

14. A system comprising:

a sponsored content module configured to identify sponsored content for in-game presentation to a player of a computer-implemented game;

a player attribute module configured to identify an attribute of the player; and

a reward module configured to;

determine a custom reward property of an in-game reward associated with the sponsored content; and

offer to the player the in-game reward as incentive for interaction with the sponsored content, the offered in-game reward having the custom reward property.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the custom reward property comprises a customized quantum of an in-game benefit available to the player for interaction with the sponsored content.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the reward module is configured to determine custom reward property by, at least:

calculating an interaction probability for the player based at least in part on the attribute of the player; and

calculating or selecting the custom reward property based on the calculated interaction probability for the player.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the reward module is configured to determine the custom reward property by operations that comprise determining a customized quantum for the in-game reward by adjusting a base value based on the calculated interaction probability, such that lower values for the calculated interaction probability result in higher values for the customized quantum.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the reward module is configured to calculate the interaction probability based at least in part on statistical correlation of the attribute of the player to historical interaction data that indicate historical behavior of multiple players with respect to sponsored content.

19. The system of claim 16, wherein the custom reward property comprises a custom benefit type available to the player for interaction with the sponsored content, the reward module being configured to determine the custom reward property based at least in part on selecting the custom benefit type for the in-game reward from a predetermined plurality of benefit types.

20. A non-transitory computer readable storage medium including instructions for causing a machine, when the instructions are executed by the machine, to perform operations comprising:

identifying sponsored content for in-game presentation to a player of a computer-implemented game;

identifying an attribute of the player;

in an automated operation based at least in part on the attribute and performed using one or more processors, determining a custom reward property of an in-game reward associated with the sponsored content; and

offering to the player the in-game reward as incentive for interaction with the sponsored content, the offered in-game reward having the custom reward property.