SYSTEM AND METHODS FOR DYNAMICALLY ADJUSTING GAME COMPONENTS BASED ON A USER'S PROFILE

• US 20140179408A1
• Filed: 12/20/2012
• Published: 06/26/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/20/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Palo Alto Research Center, Inc. (Xerox Holdings Corp.)
• Inventors: Ducheneaut, Nicolas B., Yee, Nicholas K.
• Granted Patent: US 8,956,218 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/23
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 24/00 Electric or electronic controls for exercising apparatus of preceding groups; Controlling or monitoring of exercises, sportive games, training or athletic performances
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• 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: G07F 17/3237 about the players, e.g. profiling, responsible gaming, strategy/behavior of players, location of players
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems

Abstract

One embodiment of the present invention provides a system for adjusting a number of game mechanics associated with a game system. During operation, the system obtains a psychosocial profile associated with a user, adjusts the game mechanics based on the obtained psychosocial profile, and updates the game system based on the adjusted game mechanics.

Claims

1. A computer-executable method for adjusting a number of game mechanics associated with a game system, the method comprising:

obtaining a psychosocial profile associated with a user;

adjusting the game mechanics based on the obtained psychosocial profile;

determining whether the adjusted game mechanics have motivated the user to perform a task; and

responsive to determining that the adjusted game mechanics have not motivated the user, re-adjusting the game mechanics.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

observing the user'"'"'s behavior while the user is using the game system; and

re-adjusting the game mechanics based on the observed user behavior.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising:

updating the psychosocial profile associated with the user based on the observed user behavior.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the psychosocial profile includes at least one of:

Big Five personality traits; and

a number of socio-demographic variables.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the socio-demographic variables include one or more of:

age;

gender;

ethnicity; and

body mass index (BMI).

6. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the game mechanics involves at least one of:

activating a first game mechanic; and

deactivating a second game mechanic.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein adjusting the game mechanics includes at least one of:

activating game mechanics that leverages one or more of points, goals, levels, progress bars, and leader boards to motivate the user to achieve a task;

activating one of game mechanics that leverages competition and gifting to motivate the user to socialize; and

activating one of game mechanics that leverages one or more of an avatar, a narrative, music, visual realism, and pacing to motivate the user through immersion.

8. A non-transitory, computer-readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer cause the computer to perform a method for adjusting a number of game mechanics associated with a game system, the method comprising:

obtaining a psychosocial profile associated with a user;

adjusting the game mechanics based on the obtained psychosocial profile;

determining whether the adjusted game mechanics have motivated the user to perform a task; and

responsive to determining that the adjusted game mechanics have not motivated the user, re-adjusting the game mechanics.

9. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the method further comprises:

observing the user'"'"'s behavior while the user is using the game system; and

re-adjusting the game mechanics based on the observed user behavior.

10. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 9, wherein the method further comprises:

updating the psychosocial profile associated with the user based on the observed user behavior.

11. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein the psychosocial profile includes at least one of:

Big Five personality traits; and

a number of socio-demographic variables.

12. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 11, wherein the socio-demographic variables include one or more of:

age;

gender;

ethnicity; and

body mass index (BMI).

13. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein adjusting the game mechanics involves at least one of:

activating a first game mechanic; and

deactivating a second game mechanic.

14. The computer-readable storage medium of claim 8, wherein adjusting the game mechanics includes at least one of:

activating game mechanics that leverages one or more of points, goals, levels, progress bars, and leader boards to motivate the user to achieve a task;

activating one of game mechanics that leverages competition and gifting to motivate the user to socialize; and

activating one of game mechanics that leverages one or more of an avatar, a narrative, music, visual realism, and pacing to motivate the user through immersion.

15. A game system, comprising:

one or more processors;

a memory;

a user-profile-obtaining mechanism configured to obtain a psychosocial profile associated with a user;

an adjusting mechanism configured to adjust the game mechanics based on the obtained psychosocial profile;

a feedback mechanism configured to determine whether the adjusted game mechanics have motivated the user to perform a task; and

the adjusting mechanism configured to re-adjust the game mechanics responsive to determining that the adjusted game mechanics have not motivated the user.

16. The game system of claim 15, further comprising:

an observing mechanism configured to observe the user'"'"'s behavior while the user is using the game system; and

wherein the adjusting mechanism is further configured to re-adjust the game mechanics based on the observed user behavior.

17. The game system of claim 16, further comprising a profile-updating mechanism configured to update the psychosocial profile associated with the user based on the observed user behavior.

18. The game system of claim 15, wherein the psychosocial profile includes at least one of:

Big Five personality traits; and

a number of socio-demographic variables.

19. The game system of claim 18, wherein the socio-demographic variables include one or more of:

age;

gender;

ethnicity; and

body mass index (BMI).

20. The game system of claim 15, wherein adjusting the game mechanics involves at least one of:

activating a first game mechanic; and

deactivating a second game mechanic.

21. The game system of claim 15, wherein adjusting the game mechanics includes at least one of:

activating game mechanics that leverages points, goals, levels, progress bars, and leader boards to motivate the user to achieve a task;

activating one of game mechanics that leverages competition and gifting to motivate the user to socialize; and

activating one of game mechanics that leverages one or more of an avatar, a narrative, music, visual realism, and pacing to motivate the user through immersion.