Game-based incentives for location-based actions
Granted: January 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8348768
Systems and methods for providing game-based incentives to users of online games as a reward for performing actions at physical locations are provided.
Social network application programming interface
Granted: January 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8352969
Disclosed in one example is a method for interfacing with multiple social networks. The method includes receiving a call from a social networking service agnostic social networking application for one of a plurality of social networking functions in a first format, translating the call in the first format to a call in a second format, the second format being one of a plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats, and passing the call in…
Social network application programming interface
Granted: January 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8352970
Disclosed in one example is a method for interfacing with multiple social networks. The method includes receiving a call from a social networking service agnostic social networking application for one of a plurality of social networking functions in a first format, translating the call in the first format to a call in a second format, the second format being one of a plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats, and passing the call in…
Dynamic asset and obstacle generation in online games
Granted: January 8, 2013
Patent Number:
8348767
Example systems and methods related to dynamic generation of in-game assets and in-game obstacles of an online game are presented. In an example, information describing a social network of a first player of an online game is accessed, the information identifying other players of the online game. Game account information of the other players is then accessed. The game account information of the other players identifies in-game assets of the other players. At least one of an in-game asset…
Online asynchronous game with player-matching mechanic based on chat characteristics
Granted: January 1, 2013
Patent Number:
8342967
A player-matching mechanic selects users for an online asynchronous game where players specify moves at different times. Values from instances of the game are used to determine characteristics of the users including at least one of gameplay characteristics or chat characteristics. Users can be chosen for instances of the game by comparing values corresponding to these characteristics.
Social network application programming interface
Granted: January 1, 2013
Patent Number:
8347322
Disclosed in one example is a method for interfacing with multiple social networks. The method includes receiving a call from a social networking service agnostic social networking application for one of a plurality of social networking functions in a first format, translating the call in the first format to a call in a second format, the second format being one of a plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats, and passing the call in…
Apparatuses, methods and systems for a live online game tester
Granted: December 18, 2012
Patent Number:
8333659
The APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR AN ONLINE BEHAVIOR MONITOR (“OBM”) transform user social-gaming behavioral pattern data via various OBM components into online social-gaming experience customizations. In one embodiment, the OBM may provide, in response to a gaming app request from a user, a gaming app including a test game feature for the user. The OBM may obtain user social graph data identifying co-users of the user. The OBM may also obtain: online gaming pattern data for…
Multi-level cache with synch
Granted: December 11, 2012
Patent Number:
8332488
Disclosed in one example is a data access method in which a request for application data from a first application is received. The application data is searched for in a first cache and responsive to a miss from the first cache, a second cache is contacted over a network and searched. Responsive to a miss from the second cache, a third cache is contacted over a network and searched. The third cache being specific to one of a plurality of geographical areas, the third cache storing data…
Asynchronous challenge gaming
Granted: December 11, 2012
Patent Number:
8328644
Systems and methods to provide asynchronous challenge gaming are described. In some embodiments, a method presents multiple character actions to a first user and a second user of a game, where each of the character actions defines a game action to be performed by a character in the game. The method receives a selection from the first user and the second user that identify multiple character actions. Additionally, the method receives sequence assignments from the first user and the second…
Crew creation for quest progression
Granted: December 11, 2012
Patent Number:
8328643
Methods, systems, and computer programs for creating a crew to participate in a mission challenge in an online game are provided. The method identifies quests to complete the mission challenge. Each quest includes a plurality of tasks and each task includes a plurality of subtasks. A request feed is sent to members of a social graph requesting the members to join the crew and to participate in the completion of the subtasks of the mission challenge. The members in the social graph have a…
Game based incentives for commerce
Granted: December 11, 2012
Patent Number:
8328642
The present disclosure generally relates to systems and methods directed to generating game-based incentives for users of online games to purchase goods in an electronic commerce system.
Apparatuses,methods and systems for a trackable virtual currencies platform
Granted: December 4, 2012
Patent Number:
8326751
The APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR A TRACKABLE VIRTUAL CURRENCIES PLATFORM (“TVC”) transform user transaction request input via various TVC components into transaction result output. In one embodiment, information regarding a virtual currency transaction including a user identifier of a user associated with the virtual currency transaction may be received. A potential fraud event threshold score for the user may be calculated by analyzing past fraud data associated with the…
Apparatuses, methods and systems for a live online game tester
Granted: November 27, 2012
Patent Number:
8317610
A method for testing a new feature of an online gaming application is provided. The method initiates with assigning each of a plurality of users to one of a test group and a control group. Each of the test group users is provided a gaming application including a new game feature enabled, and each of the control group users is provided the gaming application without the new game feature enabled. Gaming activity and social network activity of the test group users is evaluated to generate…
Asynchronous interactive game play
Granted: November 20, 2012
Patent Number:
8313364
This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for executing asynchronous game play by a plurality of players in one or more game instances.
Apparatuses, methods and systems for a trackable virtual currencies platform
Granted: November 20, 2012
Patent Number:
8315944
Methods for detecting fraud using virtual currency transaction include receiving information regarding a virtual currency transaction from a user. The information is analyzed to determine whether the transaction involves a user that is being tracked, wherein the user being tracked is associated with an elevated level of risk of fraud. When a user associated with the transaction is being tracked, the virtual currency transaction is monitored using tracked virtual currency. The virtual…
Finding friends for multiuser online games
Granted: November 6, 2012
Patent Number:
8303415
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 search a player's social network to find friends to play with. These social networks can be constructed implicitly by analyzing a player's game play information and other information.
Online asynchronous game with player-matching mechanic based on gameplay characteristics
Granted: November 6, 2012
Patent Number:
8303416
A player-matching mechanic selects users for an online asynchronous game where players specify moves at different times. Values from instances of the game are used to determine characteristics of the users including at least one of gameplay characteristics or chat characteristics. Users can be chosen for instances of the game by comparing values corresponding to these characteristics.
Asynchronous interactive game play
Granted: October 23, 2012
Patent Number:
8292713
This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for executing asynchronous game play by a plurality of players in one or more game instances.
Changing virtual items based on location-based actions
Granted: October 23, 2012
Patent Number:
8292743
A method of changing virtual items based on location-based actions is disclosed. It is detected that a player of a computer-implemented game has performed a location-based action. An attribute of a virtual item of the player of the computer-implemented game is changed based on the detecting that the player of the computer-implemented game has performed the location-based action.
Social network application programming interface
Granted: October 23, 2012
Patent Number:
8296784
Disclosed in one example is a method for interfacing with multiple social networks. The method includes receiving a call from a social networking service agnostic social networking application for one of a plurality of social networking functions in a first format, translating the call in the first format to a call in a second format, the second format being one of a plurality of heterogeneous social networking service application programming interface formats, and passing the call in…
