System and method for optimizing virtual games

• US 10,500,498 B2
• Filed: 05/05/2017
• Issued: 12/10/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 11/29/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Lowery, Parker E., Widmer, Christian K., Feldstein, Brian S., Lang, Stephen A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yoo, Jasson H
• Application Number:
  US15/588,000
• Publication Number:
  US 20180147491A1
• Time in Patent Office: 949 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/67 adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions

Abstract

The present specification describes an assistive tool that facilitates the design of video games to achieve a true randomized, non-biased and neutral gaming environment that is bounded so that extremes of disincentives and excess incentives are avoided. In one embodiment, the tool allows for simulation of game environment and generates variables that enable reward acquisition by players. In one embodiment, the tool allows the game systems to be defined in such a way that an agent, such as an artificial player implemented by a computer program, can interact with the game environment. In one embodiment, the present tool uses generative models driven by data from previous versions of a game to define the behavior of such agents in simulated games.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for awarding virtual game items to a plurality of virtual players in a multi-player video game, said method being implemented in a computer having a processor and a random access memory, wherein said processor is in data communication with a display and with a storage unit, the method comprising:

generating a graphical user interface through which a user may input a plurality of parameters governing an execution of the multi-player video game, wherein the plurality of parameters includes a number of the plurality of virtual players and a type of one or more of the plurality of virtual players;

forming a pool of virtual game items in the computer, wherein the virtual game items comprise at least one of weapons, tools, cosmetic consumables, calling cards, emblems, or gear and wherein each of said virtual game items belongs to a category;

executing the multi-player video game with the plurality of virtual players based on the plurality of parameters and using the virtual game items;

establishing, in the computer, a lower boundary condition and an upper boundary condition for each category of said virtual game items;

for each of said plurality of virtual players and during the multi-player video game session, randomly selecting a value between said lower boundary condition and upper boundary condition for a given category of said virtual game items and associating said value to said category of said virtual game items;

for each of said plurality of virtual players and during the multi-player video game session, modifying each of the selected values associated with each category of said virtual game items to yield, for each category, a modified value associated with each category of said virtual game items;

for each of said plurality of virtual players and during the multi-player video game session, determining, for each category, if the modified value meets the lower boundary condition or the upper boundary condition;

for each of said plurality of virtual players and during the multi-player video game session, if the modified value meets the lower boundary condition or the upper boundary condition for one category, awarding a virtual game item from said one category; and

for each of said plurality of virtual players and during the multi-player video game session, if, for any of the categories, none of the modified values meet the lower boundary condition or upper boundary condition, allocating an alternative award.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the multi-player video game session is a simulated multi-player video game session, said simulated multi-player video game session using historical player data to determine actions of each of said plurality of virtual players.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 further comprising generating a graphical user interface output of said simulated multi-player video game session, said graphical user interface output comprising

at least one of 1) a plot representing an average number of categories of items purchased or awarded as a function of a game number, 2) a histogram showing a distribution of when an average of said plurality of virtual players obtained a first game item in the simulated multi-player video game session, 3) data representative of an accumulation of virtual game currency, 4) data representative of an acquisition of a number of each type of virtual game item, 5) data representative of a degree of rarity or commonness of virtual game items obtained, 6) data representative of a number of reward packs obtained by said plurality of virtual players as a function of a number of simulated multi-player video game sessions played, or 7) data representative of a rarity or commonness of a number of reward packs obtained by said plurality of virtual players as a function of a number of simulated multi-player video game sessions played.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 3 further establishing modifying at least one of the lower boundary condition and the upper boundary condition for at least one category of said virtual game items based upon said graphical user interface output of said simulated multi-player video game session.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said pool of virtual game items is formed based upon at least one of three value types.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein a first of said three value types is a value received by a virtual player based upon a function of how long said virtual player played a multi-player video game or a function of whether said virtual player won or lost the multi-player video game.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein a second of said three value types is a value received by a virtual player for completing a mission, a challenge, or other discrete objective or goal in a game.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein a third of said three value types is a value randomly received by a virtual player.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 5 wherein a third of said three value types is a value purchased by a virtual player.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising, for each of said plurality of virtual players, if, for more than one category, more than one of the values meets or is greater than the lower boundary condition, awarding a virtual game item from a category associated with one value of said more than one of the values that is most greater than its lower boundary condition.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising, for each of said plurality of virtual players and during the multi-player video game session, after awarding a virtual game item from said one category, randomly selecting a new value between said lower boundary condition and upper boundary condition for said one category of said virtual game items and associating said new value to said one category of said virtual game items.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said modifying each value is performed by decrementing said value by a predefined amount and wherein determining, for each category, if the modified value meets the lower boundary condition is performed by determining if the decremented value meets or is greater than the lower boundary condition.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein said modifying each value is performed by incrementing said value by a predefined amount and wherein determining, for each category, if the modified value meets the upper boundary condition is performed by determining if the incremented value meets or is greater than the upper boundary condition.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 wherein the alternative award is virtual currency.