System and method for providing in-game timed offers

• US 9,975,052 B1
• Filed: 09/12/2014
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Curtis, Matthew, Smalley, Kellen Christopher, Pitz, Christopher, Caldarone, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Myhr, Justin
• Application Number:
  US14/485,135
• Time in Patent Office: 1,348 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between 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 13/61 using advertising information
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0241 Advertisements

Abstract

A system and method are disclosed for providing an in-game offer to one or more players of an online game. The offer is provided to players that have newly joined the game and/or to players that have not yet made a purchase. In some implementations, the offer may be meant to incentivize purchase upon entry into the game. The in-game offer may comprise an offer to one or more items and a bonus comprising one or more bonus items provided to the player responsive to the offered items being purchased. The in-game offer may only be made available to a qualifying player for a certain amount of time.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method of providing an in-game offer to users of a virtual space, the method being implemented in a computer system comprising one or more physical processors, the method comprising:

executing an instance of the virtual space;

implementing the instance of the virtual space to effectuate presentation of views of the virtual space to the users by one or more client computing platforms;

managing user accounts for the users, wherein individual user accounts include information about individual users, wherein the information about an individual user includes user-specific registration information regarding a moment the individual user registered to join the virtual space, wherein the users include a first user, a second user, and a third user;

differentiating between users that are new to the virtual space, users that are not new to the virtual space and have not engaged in purchases in the virtual space, and users that are not new to the virtual space and have engaged in purchases in the virtual space, wherein differentiation whether the individual user is new to the virtual space is based on a determination whether the individual user registered to join the virtual space within a predetermined period ago, wherein the determination whether the individual user registered to join the virtual space is based on the user-specific registration information, and wherein differentiation of the first user, the second user, and the third user is performed such that;

the first user is identified as new to the virtual space,

the second user is identified as not new to the virtual space and having not engaged in purchases in the virtual space, and

the third user is identified as not new to the virtual space and having engaged in purchases in the virtual space;

selecting one or more offers from multiple offers as the in-game offers to provide to the users;

selecting one or more bonuses from multiple bonuses to provide along with the selected one or more offers; and

providing the same one or more offers and the same one or more bonuses to individual ones of the users responsive to any of the individual ones of the users being either new to the virtual space or not new to the virtual space and having not engaged in any purchases in the virtual space so that individual users are excluded from receiving the same one or more offers and the same one or more bonuses responsive to the individual users being not new to the virtual space and having engaged in any purchases in the virtual space, such that the same one or more offers are provided to the first user and the second user and are not provided to the third user, the one or more offers including a first offer provided to the first user and a second offer provided to the second user, wherein the first offer and the second offer are the same, and

wherein the one or more provided offers comprise an opportunity to purchase a first item and wherein the one or more provided bonuses comprise at least one first bonus item provided to the individual ones of the users responsive to the one or more provided offers being accepted by the individual ones of the users.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the same one or more offers to the individual ones of the users comprises:

providing the same one or more offers to the individual ones of the users during a first time period.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein the first time period is a predetermined time period.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein the first time period is based on one or more characteristics of the individual ones of the users.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein, responsive to a particular user from the individual ones of the users not accepting the provided offer:

selecting an alternative offer from the multiple offers;

selecting an alternative bonus from the multiple bonuses; and

providing the alternative offer and the alternative bonus to the particular user, wherein the alternative offer comprises an opportunity to purchase a second item and wherein the alternative bonus comprises at least one second bonus item provided to the particular user responsive to the alternative offer being accepted by the particular user.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein providing the alternative offer comprises providing the alternative offer for a second obtained time period.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein responsive to the individual ones of the users not accepting the provided offer and not accepting the alternative offer, the method further comprises making available the multiple offers to the third user.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein responsive to the individual ones of the users not accepting the provided offers, the method further comprises making available the multiple offers to the third user.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein selecting the one or more offers comprises:

obtaining values of respective user parameters for the users, the respective user parameters comprising at least a first parameter;

forming at least a first segment of users from the users based on a value of the first parameter; and

generating at least the multiple offers and the multiple bonuses for the first segment, the multiple offers including at least the first offer and a third offer, the multiple bonuses including at least the first bonus and a second bonus, wherein the third offer comprises the opportunity to purchase a second item that is different from the first item; and

wherein the second bonus comprises at least one second bonus item provided to the user responsive to the third offer being accepted.

10. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

tracking responses of the users of the first segment to an individual offer and bonus provided, the tracking including, responsive to the provision of the first offer and the first bonus to a first subset of users of the first segment and the provision of the first offer and the second bonus to a second subset of users of the first segment, tracking the responses of one or more users of the first subset to the first offer and the first bonus and tracking the responses of one or more users of the second subset to the first offer and the second bonus; and

assessing a relative effectiveness of offers and bonuses transmitted to the first segment based on the responses of the users of the first segment, the assessing including determining whether the provision of the first offer and the first bonus or the provision of the first offer and the second bonus is more effective for the first segment of users.

11. The method of claim 9, further comprising:

tracking responses of the users of the first segment to the individual offer and bonus provided, the tracking including, responsive to the provision of the first offer and the first bonus to a first subset of users of the first segment and the provision of the third offer and the second bonus to a second subset of users of the first segment, tracking the responses of one or more users of the first subset to the first offer and the first bonus and tracking the responses of one or more users of the second subset to the third offer and the second bonus; and

assessing a relative effectiveness of offers and bonuses transmitted to the first segment based on the responses of the users of the first segment, the assessing including determining whether the provision of the first offer and the first bonus or the provision of the third offer and the second bonus is more effective for the first segment of users.

12. A system configured to facilitate providing an in-game offer to users of a virtual space, the system comprising:

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

execute an instance of the virtual space, and to implement the instance of the virtual space to effectuate presentation of views of the virtual space to the users by one or more client computing platforms;

manage user accounts for the users, wherein individual user accounts include information about individual users, wherein the information about an individual user includes user-specific registration information regarding a moment the individual user registered to join the virtual space, wherein the users include a first user, a second user, and a third user;

differentiate between users that are new to the virtual space, users that are not new to the virtual space and have not engaged in purchases in the virtual space, and users that are not new to the virtual space and have engaged in purchases in the virtual space, wherein differentiation whether the individual user is new to the virtual space is based on a determination whether the individual user registered to join the virtual space within a predetermined period ago, wherein the determination whether the individual user registered to join the virtual space is based on the user-specific registration information, and wherein differentiation of the first user, the second user, and the third user is performed such that;

the first user is identified as new to the virtual space,

the second user is identified as not new to the virtual space and having not engaged in purchases in the virtual space, and

the third user is identified as not new to the virtual space and having engaged in purchases in the virtual space;

select one or more offers from multiple offers as the in-game offers to provide to the users;

select one or more bonuses from multiple bonuses to provide along with the selected one or more offers; and

provide the same one or more offers and the same one or more bonuses to individual ones of the users responsive to any of the individual ones of the users being determined to be new to the virtual space or not new to the virtual space and having not engaged in any purchases in the virtual space so that individual users are excluded from receiving the same one or more offers and the same one or more bonuses responsive to the individual users being not new to the virtual space and having engaged in any purchases in the virtual space, such that the same one or more offers are provided to the first user and the second user, the one or more offers including a first offer provided to the first user and a second offer provided to the second user, wherein the first offer and the second offer are the same and no offer that is the same as the first offer and the second offer is provided to the third user, and

wherein the one or more provided offers comprises an opportunity to purchase a first item and wherein the one or more provided bonuses comprise at least one first bonus item provided to the individual ones of the users responsive to the provided offer being accepted by the individual ones of the users.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to provide the same one or more offers to the individual ones of the users for a first time period.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the first time period is a predetermined time period.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the first time period is based on one or more characteristics of the individual ones of the users.

16. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to

select, responsive to a particular user from the individual ones of the users not accepting the offer, an alternative offer from the multiple offers and select an alternative bonus from the multiple bonuses;

and

provide the alternative offer and the alternative bonus to the particular user, wherein the alternative offer comprises an opportunity to purchase a second item and wherein the alternative bonus comprises at least one alternative bonus item provided to the particular user responsive to the alternative offer being accepted by the particular user.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to provide the alternative offer and the alternative bonus for a second time period, the second time period beginning after the first time period.

18. The system of claim 17, wherein responsive to the individual ones of the users not accepting the provided offer and not accepting the alternative offer, the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to make available the multiple offers to the third user.

19. The system of claim 12, wherein responsive to the individual ones of the users not accepting the provided offer, the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to make available the multiple offers to the third user.

20. The system of claim 12, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to:

obtain values of respective user parameters for the users, the respective user parameters comprising at least a first parameter;

form at least a first segment of users from the users based on a value of the first parameter; and

generate at least the multiple offers and the multiple bonuses for the first segment, the multiple offers including at least the first offer and a third offer, the multiple bonuses including at least the first bonus and a second bonus, wherein the third offer comprises the opportunity to purchase a second item that is different from the first item; and

wherein the second bonus comprises at least one second bonus item provided to the user responsive to the third offer being accepted.

21. The system of claim 20, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to:

track responses of the users of the first segment to an individual offer and bonus provided, the tracking including, responsive to the provision of the first offer and the first bonus to a first subset of users of the first segment and the provision of the first offer and the second bonus to a second subset of users of the first segment, tracking the responses of one or more users of the first subset to the first offer and the first bonus and tracking the responses of one or more users of the second subset to the first offer and the second bonus; and

assess a relative effectiveness of offers and bonuses transmitted to the first segment based on the responses of the users of the first segment, the assessing including determining whether the provision of the first offer and the first bonus or the provision of the first offer and the second bonus is more effective for the first segment of users.

22. The system of claim 20, wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to:

track responses of the users of the first segment to the individual offer and bonus provided, the tracking including, responsive to the provision of the first offer and the first bonus to a first subset of users of the first segment and the provision of the third offer and the second bonus to a second subset of users of the first segment, tracking the responses of one or more users of the first subset to the first offer and the first bonus and tracking the responses of one or more users of the second subset to the third offer and the second bonus; and

assess a relative effectiveness of offers and bonuses transmitted to the first segment based on the responses of the users of the first segment, the assessing including determining whether the provision of the first offer and the first bonus or the provision of the second offer and the second bonus is more effective for the first segment of users.