Zynga Patent Grants

Providing virtual items based on location-based actions

Granted: October 18, 2022
Patent Number: 11471759
A method of providing virtual items based on location-based action is disclosed. An indication is received of a performance of a location-based action by a player of a computer-implemented game. A virtual item is provided based on the receiving of the indication of the performance of the location-based action by the player of the computer-implemented game. The virtual item may be usable within the computer-implemented game.

Game definition file

Granted: October 11, 2022
Patent Number: 11465052
A client device receives compiled software for a game engine. The game engine is for playing a designated game. The client device receives a game definition file for the designated game. The game definition file stores rules for the designated game. The game definition file defines the rules using non-compiled machine-readable code. The client device executes the game engine at the client device to enable playing of the designated game via the client device. Executing the game engine…

Operator interface for automated game content generation

Granted: May 3, 2022
Patent Number: 11318386
A game management system provides a generator interface that enables an operator to trigger automated generation by a content generator of a game event based on operator input values. These values include respective target values for a target metric (e.g., a difficulty level) for each of a plurality of game levels that are together to form the game event. In addition, the generator interface in some examples enables the operator to selectively vary the particular number of game levels…

Collaborative diplomacy mechanics

Granted: April 5, 2022
Patent Number: 11291918
A collaborative diplomacy mechanics system for an online game is described. A player selects an ally to be engaged in a combat mode of an online social game against an enemy. The profile of the selected ally is retrieved. An ally power up weapon is generated based on the profile of the selected ally. The ally power up weapon is applied against a combat unit of an enemy of a player in the combat mode. The ally power up weapon can also be applied on a combat unit of the player in the…

Automated prediction of user response states based on traversal behavior

Granted: April 5, 2022
Patent Number: 11291915
A game management system is configured for automated analysis of player behavior regarding traversal of different screens and options in a game application (as opposed to exclusively gameplay behavior) and to generate an automated estimation or inference about one or more psychological aspects of player behavior, such as motivation for game engagement and/or emotional states at different stages of interaction. The results of such analysis are automatically parametrized and included in a…

GPU authentication

Granted: March 29, 2022
Patent Number: 11285395
In example embodiments, a method of limiting access to a gaming system is disclosed. Encoded content is embedded into an image presented by an application executing on a client device. The image is captured into an image buffer. The encoded content is retrieved from the image. A login request is sent to the gaming system. The login request includes the encoded content. A login response is received from the gaming system. The login response includes a success status. The success status is…

Method to detect and score churn in online social games

Granted: March 22, 2022
Patent Number: 11278805
A method and a system for predicting churn of a player of an online game is described. Online engagements of a group of players of the online game are monitored during a churn prediction model training period. Online engagement scores for the group of players are computed within a periodic number of days within the churn model training period. A weighted exponential moving average of the online engagement scores of the group of players of the online game is computed during the churn…

Systems and methods to control movement based on a race event

Granted: February 8, 2022
Patent Number: 11241626
A system, a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions, and a computer-implemented method to control movement of a non-player character is provided. Actions of a player character in a race event of a multiplayer game are detected. A player character movement model based on the actions of the player character is generated. A set of non-player actions is generated in a non-player character movement model based on the player character movement model. A movement of a…

Socially-based dynamic rewards in multiuser online games

Granted: January 25, 2022
Patent Number: 11232671
The present disclosure relates to games and applications in general and in particular to computer-implemented online games, such as online role-playing games, playable by more than one person from more than one location. The game engine can dynamically determine the type of in-game asset to award to a first player and the types of in-game obstacles to present to the first player by referencing the in-game assets available to other players in the first player's social network and by…

Display screen or portion thereof with graphical user interface

Granted: December 14, 2021
Patent Number: D938484

Systems and methods of automatic game creation

Granted: December 7, 2021
Patent Number: 11192023
A system, machine-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for automatic game creation are presented. An access module can access player information for a receiver and an originator. Additionally, a matching module can determine that the receiver and the originator have a connection based on the player information. Furthermore, a game invitation module can detect that a recipient game is installed on an originator device of the originator…

Managing computer-implemented game economies

Granted: November 23, 2021
Patent Number: 11183022
A game server is configured to implement a multiplayer online computer-implemented game that provides an inflationary economy system which allows for growth in a player's in-game virtual currency with an increase in game level or experience, while attenuating the in-game purchasing power by concomitantly inflating virtual currency value of predefined inflationary features. The inflationary features include rewards or winnings available by the player pursuant to gameplay success. Players…

Automated game modification based on playing style

Granted: October 19, 2021
Patent Number: 11148057
A system, a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions, and a computer-implemented method to modify a game based on playing style is provided. Player-specific playing style information that indicates one or more attributes of a playing style of a player is accessed. The playing style information is based on gameplay behavior of the player. Game parameters that defines at least some aspects of a game level forming part of the game is accessed. In an automated…

Method and system for matchmaking connections within a gaming social network

Granted: September 21, 2021
Patent Number: 11123643
Techniques for recommending and establishing connections between users within a gaming social network, designed for connecting users having common gaming interests or characteristics. Embodiments include methods for recommending connections from members of an out-of-game social network, the gaming social network, and gaming activity participants; evaluating user profile information and user characteristics in a gaming social network and gaming activity in a game networking system to…

Methods and systems for assembly of crews for facilitating execution of social game activity

Granted: August 24, 2021
Patent Number: 11097190
Methods and systems are provided for enabling a user of an online game to assemble a crew of additional crew members for accessing a content item after completing a goal with the crew. One example method includes sending, from the one or more servers to a client of a user, data for displaying a crew assembly dialog that includes a graphical user interface (GUI). The crew assembly dialog allowing the user to select crew members for assembling the crew for the online game. Sending, from…

Adjusting object adaptive modification or game level difficulty and physical gestures through level definition files

Granted: August 10, 2021
Patent Number: 11083969
A system, a non-transitory machine-readable storage medium storing instructions, and a computer-implemented method to adjust twitch response and collision determination to a player's skill level is provided. Gameplay information of a computer-implemented game is accessed. The gameplay information including input information indicating one or more attributes of gameplay input provided by the player. A gameplay skill level of the player of the player is estimated based on the one or more…

Actionable push notifications for computer-implemented games

Granted: August 10, 2021
Patent Number: 11083958
A online gaming system provides for presentation on a user device of actionable game-related push notifications. The push notification is presented outside of a game interface and includes both contextual information about a particular game event and one or more action elements. Responsive to selection of a particular action element, a corresponding game-related action is performed with launching or switching to a game application for the game on the user device. Thus, the push…

Touchscreen game user interface

Granted: July 27, 2021
Patent Number: 11071906
A swipe input mechanism for a computer-implemented game presented on a touchscreen allows for user-selection of different menu options by swipe gestures in different directions via a swipe menu dedicated to receiving such swipe input. In a third person shooter game or a first-person shooter game user-selection of different character abilities are enabled via the swipe menu. The swipe menu is a floating user interface element that auto-adjusts its on-screen position to register with the…

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

Granted: April 27, 2021
Patent Number: 10987589
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…

Experimentation and optimization service

Granted: March 9, 2021
Patent Number: 10940392
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 creates an optimal game model based on game-related data of a plurality of players. The optimal game model corresponds to a player segment in the plurality of players. The System Tuner generates one or more rules for building a game variant based on the optimal game model. The System Tuner…