Systems and methods for determining game level attributes based on player skill level prior to game play in the level

• US 9,675,889 B2
• Filed: 11/18/2014
• Issued: 06/13/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 09/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Lai, Peter Pao, Bai, Sora, Baack, David, Lee, Katherine
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau, Ronald
• Application Number:
  US14/546,865
• Publication Number:
  US 20160067615A1
• Time in Patent Office: 938 Days
• Field of Search: 463 16- 25
• 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 13/32 using local area network [LAN] connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/327 using wireless networks, e.g. Wi-Fi® or piconet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/33 using wide area network [WAN] connections
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/332 using wireless networks, e.g. cellular phone networks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• 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 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/837 Shooting of targets
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 3/0423 Word games, e.g. scrabble electric A63F3/0421; two-dimensional puzzles with rotating rings or discs A63F9/0811, A63F9/0819

Abstract

A system, a machine-readable storage medium storing instructions, and a computer-implemented method are described herein for a System Tuner for customizing a player'"'"'s experience. The System Tuner calculates a player skill level for a player. The System Tuner modifies at least one attribute of a second game level based on the player skill level prior to game play of the player in the second game level. The System Tuner detects game play of the player in the second game level. The System Tuner identifies a difference between a current rate of progression of the player and a reference rate of progression. The System Tuner triggers the modified attribute of the second game according to an extent of the difference between the current rate of progression and the reference rate of progression.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

calculating, via at least one hardware processor, a player skill level for a player based at least on a plurality of game moves in a first game level completed by the player;

prior to detecting game play of the player in the second game level, modifying, based on the player skill level, a first attribute and a second attribute of a second game level, the first attribute comprising a number of instances of a particular type of a virtual object available for presentation to the player during game play in the second game level, the second attribute comprising a rate of appearance of the particular type of the virtual object;

detecting game play of the player in the second game level;

identifying a difference between a current rate of progression of the player through the second game level and a reference rate of progression for the second game level; and

due to the difference, causing display during game play of the player in the second game level of at least one of the number of instances of the particular type of the virtual object according to the rate of appearance.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, comprising:

calculating the reference rate of progression based at least on one or more game moves of a plurality of players in the second game level, wherein the reference rate of progression comprises a threshold range of a desirable rate of progression towards at least one of;

a conclusion of the second game level and a second game level purchase decision.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein modifying the second attribute of the second game level further comprises:

modifying a rate of appearance that a barrel-type virtual object appears, wherein the receipt of a differing type of a virtual object by the barrel-type object eliminates all instances of the differing type of the virtual object from a game state of the second game level.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein calculating a player skill level for a player based at least on a plurality of game moves in a first game level completed by the player comprises:

calculating the player skill level based on at least one of;

(1) an extent of a difference between the player'"'"'s number of attempts for a game goal and a reference number of attempts for the game goal, (2) an extent of a difference between a pattern of virtual objects selected by the player and a reference pattern of virtual objects and (3) an extent of a difference between an amount of in-game points earned by the player and a reference amount of in-game points.

5. A non-transitory computer-readable medium storing executable instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations including:

calculating a player skill level for a player based at least on a plurality of game moves in a first game level completed by the player;

prior to detecting game play of the player in the second game level, modifying, based on the player skill level, a first attribute and a second attribute of a second game level, the first attribute comprising a number of instances of a particular type of a virtual object available for presentation to the player during game play in the second game level, the second attribute comprising a rate of appearance of the particular type of the virtual object;

detecting game play of the player in the second game level;

identifying a difference between a current rate of progression of the player through the second game level and a reference rate of progression for the second game level; and

due to the difference, causing display during game play of the player in the second game level of at least one of the number of instances of the particular type of the virtual object according to the rate of appearance.

6. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein the operations further include:

calculating the reference rate of progression based at least on one or more game moves of a plurality of players in the second game level, wherein the reference rate of progression comprises a threshold range of a desirable rate of progression towards at least one of;

a conclusion of the second game level and a second game level purchase decision.

7. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein modifying the second attribute of the second game level further comprises:

modifying a rate of appearance that a barrel-type virtual object appears, wherein the receipt of a differing type of a virtual object by the barrel-type object eliminates all instances of the differing type of the virtual object from a game state of the second game level.

8. The non-transitory computer-readable medium of claim 5, wherein calculating a player skill level for a player based at least on a plurality of game moves in a first game level completed by the player comprises:

calculating the player skill level based on at least one of;

(1) an extent of a difference between the player'"'"'s number of attempts for a game goal and a reference number of attempts for the game goal, (2) an extent of a difference between a pattern of virtual objects selected by the player and a reference pattern of virtual objects and (3) an extent of a difference between an amount of in-game points earned by the player and a reference amount of in-game points.

9. A computer system comprising:

a processor;

a memory device holding an instruction set executable on the processor to cause the computer system to perform operations comprising;

calculating a player skill level for a player based at least on a plurality of game moves in a first game level completed by the player;

modifying at least one attribute of a second game level based on the player skill level prior to game play of the player in the second game level;

prior to detecting game play of the player in the second game level, modifying, based on the player skill level, a first attribute and a second attribute of a second game level, the first attribute comprising a number of instances of a particular type of a virtual object available for presentation to the player during game play in the second game level, the second attribute comprising a rate of appearance of the particular type of the virtual object;

detecting game play of the player in the second game level;

identifying a difference between a current rate of progression of the player through the second game level and a reference rate of progression for the second game level; and

due to the difference, causing display during game play of the player in the second game level of at least one of the number of instances of the particular type of the virtual object according to the rate of appearance.

10. The computer system of claim 9, wherein the operations further comprise:

calculating the reference rate of progression based at least on one or more game moves of a plurality of players in the second game level, wherein the reference rate of progression comprises a threshold range of a desirable rate of progression towards at least one of;

a conclusion of the second game level and a second game level purchase decision.

11. The computer system of claim 9, wherein modifying the second attribute of the second game level further comprises:

modifying a rate of appearance that a barrel-type virtual object appears, wherein the receipt of a differing type of a virtual object by the barrel-type object eliminates all instances of the differing type of the virtual object from a game state of the second game level.

12. The computer system of claim 9, wherein modifying at least one attribute of a second game level based on the player skill level prior to game play of the player in the second game level comprises:

prior to any game play of the player in the second game level, modifying a rate of appearance of a elimination attribute appears, wherein the elimination attribute triggers removal of a plurality of virtual objects of a same type from a game state of the second game level.

13. The computer system of claim 9, wherein modifying at least one attribute of a second game level based on the player skill level prior to game play of the player in the second game level comprises:

prior to any game play of the player in the second game level, modifying, based on the player skill level a rate of appearance of an option for a type of an in-game purchase transaction.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein calculating a player skill level for a player based at least on a plurality of game moves in a first game level completed by the player comprises:

calculating the player skill level based at least one an extent of a difference between a pattern of use by the player of virtual objects that provide bonus points and a reference pattern of use of bonus virtual objects.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 9, wherein calculating a player skill level for a player based at least on a plurality of game moves in a first game level completed by the player comprises:

calculating the player skill level based on at least one of;

(1) an extent of a difference between the player'"'"'s number of attempts for a game goal and a reference number of attempts for the game goal, (2) an extent of a difference between a pattern of virtual objects selected by the player and a reference pattern of virtual objects and (3) an extent of a difference between an amount of in-game points earned by the player and a reference amount of in-game points.

16. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

generating, at one or more server computing devices, at least a portion of a trigger module to cause a client computing device to display a first modified attribute of a second game level according a second modified attribute of the second game level in response to a difference between a current rate of progression and a reference rate of progression;

calculating, at the one or more server computing devices, a player skill level for a first player based at least on a plurality of game moves in a first game level completed by the first player, wherein the first game level occurs before the second game level;

calculating, at the one or more server computing devices, the reference rate of progression through the second game level, the reference rate of progression based on a plurality of game moves in the second game level of a plurality of players;

modifying, at the one or more server computing devices prior to game play of the first player in the second game level, the first and the second modified attributes of the second game level based on a player skill level, the first modified attribute comprising a number of instances of a particular type of a virtual object available for presentation to the player during game play in the second game level, the second modified attribute comprising a rate of appearance of the particular type of the virtual object;

sending, to the client computing device, the trigger module and the first and the second modified modified attributes of the second game level;

receiving, from a client computing device, data indicative of one or more game moves of the first player in the second game level;

calculating, at the one or more server computing devices, the current rate of progression through the second game level of the first player based at least on the data indicative of one or more game moves of the first player;

identifying, at the one or more server computing devices, a difference between a current rate of progression of the first player through the second game level and a reference rate of progression for the second game level;

sending, to the trigger module of the client computing device, the difference between the current rate of progression and the reference rate of progression.