Real-time data services API
Granted: September 2, 2014
Patent Number:
8821294
A system and computer-implemented method for promoting an electronic game of a plurality of electronic games is provided. A storage module may store a user attribute relating to a first electronic game. An aggregator module is configured to aggregate a user attribute from each of a plurality of electronic games including the first electronic game. A transmitter module may transmit the user attribute relating to the first electronic game to the aggregator module upon the user attribute…
Online game rewards for web-based purchases
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8818845
Example systems and methods related to providing rewards for an online game in response to web-based purchases are presented. In an example, an online catalog webpage including information describing a product available for purchase is generated. The online catalog webpage includes code instructing a device receiving the online catalog webpage to issue a request to an online gaming system to determine an in-game reward for a user based on the product. The online catalog webpage is…
Cross-promotion API
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8814703
A system and computer-implemented method for promoting an electronic game of electronic games is provided. A user interface module is configured to receive an input from a user relating to playing a first and second electronic game. A processor-implemented association engine, operatively coupled to the user interface, is configured to associate user attributes of the first and second electronic games to the user based on the input. An application programming interface (API) is configured…
Graphical user interfaces in computer-implemented multiplayer games
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8814698
This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods to provide graphical user interfaces in computer-implemented multiplayer games. The graphical user interface includes a friends panel that is operable between a collapsed condition and an expanded condition. The friends panel provides friends information display functionality, social network management functionality, and/or messaging functionality both in the collapsed condition and in the expanded condition. In the collapsed…
System and method for providing branded virtual objects in a virtual environment
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8814696
A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for providing branded virtual objects in a virtual environment are presented. A game instance of a computer-implemented multiplayer online game is generated, where the game instance is associated with a virtual environment of a player. A graphical user interface to the player is provided, where the graphical user interface displays at least one branded virtual object for selection…
Method of operating an online game using terraformed game spaces
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8814675
The present invention provides methods for modifying the topography of a game space to produce in-game benefits. In a preferred embodiment, a player may raise the topography to create hills and mountains, or lower the topography to create ponds, rivers, and lakes, with each such modification resulting in additional in-game benefits.
Value icon to award virtual currency in a virtual game
Granted: August 26, 2014
Patent Number:
8814662
A computer-implemented method and system are described to provide virtual currency in a virtual game. The method may record a purchase value of a value icon in a virtual game. The value icon may then be deployed in the virtual environment of the virtual game. For each of a plurality of reference time periods, interaction of a player of the virtual game with the value icon may be monitored, and a virtual currency amount may be awarded to the player in the event of the player interacting…
Voting with your feet
Granted: August 19, 2014
Patent Number:
8812356
A method of voting with your feet is disclosed. A performance of a location-based action by a player of a computer-implemented game is associated with a vote on a matter. The performance of the location-based action by the player is detected. A count of votes corresponding to the vote on the matter is incremented based on the detecting of the performance of the location-based action by the player.
Methods and systems for state synchronization over a non-reliable network using signature processing
Granted: August 19, 2014
Patent Number:
8812856
Systems and methods for facilitating confirmation of completion of a transaction(s) for state synchronization over a non reliable network using signature processing are described. One of the methods includes receiving a read request from a first client, sending a last known signature with a context object to the first client in response to receiving the read request, and receiving an appended signature from the first client with a context object for a transaction at the first client. The…
Sending out-of-band instant messages from a game networking system
Granted: August 19, 2014
Patent Number:
8812600
In a method and system of sending an out-of-band instant message from a game networking system, an instant messaging system is accessed from the game networking system to send the out-of-band instant message to a friend of the user on behalf of the user, with the out-of-band instant message pertaining to the game networking system.
Asynchronous social events in computer-implemented games
Granted: August 19, 2014
Patent Number:
8808093
This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods to provide an asynchronous social event in a computer-implemented game. The social event may for example be a virtual party that is staged in a game instance of a host player and may comprise automated attendance of player characters associated with one or more guest players. An event invitation may be sent to the guest players, with the player characters of guest players who accept the invitation being displayed as automatically…
Gaming platform providing a game action sweep mechanic
Granted: August 5, 2014
Patent Number:
8795080
A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for providing a game action sweep mechanic are presented. A virtual game environment that includes a first virtual object and a second virtual object may be generated for a user. User interactions involving a game pointer and a selection input are then monitored. In response to detecting the selection input being activated while the game pointer is located proximate to the first…
Collaborative diplomacy mechanics
Granted: July 29, 2014
Patent Number:
8790182
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…
Method to detect and score churn in online social games
Granted: July 29, 2014
Patent Number:
8790168
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…
Feed surfacing
Granted: July 22, 2014
Patent Number:
8784204
A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method are provided for displaying feed-based information in an online game. Player feeds are received in a game networking system. A specification for displaying information from the player feeds in the game networking system is accessed. A first player profile is accessed for a first player in an online game, the first player profile identifying one or more characteristics of the first…
Providing offers for sales of combinations of virtual items at discounted prices
Granted: July 15, 2014
Patent Number:
8777754
A method of providing offers for sales of combinations of virtual items at discounted prices is disclosed. An offer is generated for a sale of a combination of virtual items at a discounted price. The offer for the sale of the combination of virtual items at the discounted price is presented to a user. The presenting suggests to the user that the combination of virtual items is randomly selected from a set of virtual items and the discounted price is randomly selected from a set of…
Semi-synchronous multi-participant application updates
Granted: July 15, 2014
Patent Number:
8777751
Individual participants in a multi-participant collaborative computing application may be sent intermittent updates of actions taken by other participants. These updates need not be sent to a participant's device until the participant has interacted with a specified object in the application. The participant's device may then be sent an update including object interactions of the other participants occurring since the participant's previous object interaction. The update may be used to…
Apparatuses, methods and systems for a live online game tester
Granted: July 8, 2014
Patent Number:
8771062
A method for testing a set of new game features for an online gaming application is provided. The method initiates with selecting a new game feature for testing from the set of new game features. Users are assigned to a test group or control group. Each of the test group users is provided a gaming application including the selected new game feature enabled. Each of the control group users is provided the gaming application without the selected new game feature enabled. Evaluation scores…
Socially-mediated flash sales
Granted: July 8, 2014
Patent Number:
8771080
A flash sale mechanic of a virtual game may perform a flash sale transaction based on transaction details for the flash sale transaction. These transaction details may indicate an item for sale, invitation requirements applicable to a player of the virtual game, and transaction requirements applicable to participants of the flash sale transaction. The flash sale mechanic may selectively provide an invitation request to a first player of the virtual game based on the invitation…
Method and system to match users of a social gaming platform
Granted: July 8, 2014
Patent Number:
8771079
An introduction mechanic of a computer-implemented online game introduces a user of the online game to other players of the online game that are experiencing a common game objective. The introduction mechanic may determine another player to introduce to the user based on the other player not being directly associated, as reflected within relationship data, with the user. Also, if the user and the other player are opted into the introduction mechanic, the introduction mechanic may…
