Zynga Patent Grants

Changing a virtual world based on real-world locations of players

Granted: July 14, 2020
Patent Number: 10709984
A method of changing a virtual world of a computer-implemented game based on real-world locations of players of the computer-implemented game is disclosed. A presence of a player of the computer-implemented game is detected at a physical location. A presence of an additional player of the computer-implemented game is detected at the physical location based on a communication received from the player of the computer-implemented game. An aspect of the virtual world of the…

Systems and methods of automatic game creation

Granted: June 16, 2020
Patent Number: 10682571
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…

Friend recommendation system

Granted: June 9, 2020
Patent Number: 10675534
An optimized friend recommendation system is described. An active social network (ASN) of a player of an online game is determined based on a frequency of reciprocated communications between the player and friends of the player. The ASN of the player has friends of the player with a minimum number of closed-loop communications with the player within a predetermined duration. The social network of non-ASN friends outside the ASN of the player is identified. One or more non-ASN friends…

Collaborative diplomacy mechanics

Granted: June 2, 2020
Patent Number: 10668388
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…

Finding friends for multiuser online games

Granted: May 12, 2020
Patent Number: 10646785
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.

System and method for resource object creation in virtual game environment

Granted: March 24, 2020
Patent Number: 10596469
A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for creating and representing a resource object in a virtual environment are presented. To begin, a graphical user interface may be provided to a player. The graphical user interface may display a virtual environment that includes the resource object and a game object. A resource object can be created by a player through selection of an area within the virtual environment.…

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

Granted: February 18, 2020
Patent Number: 10561944
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…

Automated game modification based on playing style

Granted: February 11, 2020
Patent Number: 10556182
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…

Providing rewards to players based on activity of associated players

Granted: February 11, 2020
Patent Number: 10556173
A computer-implemented method and system are described for providing rewards, awards, and other incentives to players based on the activities of associated players is described. In some examples, the technology determines an activity level for players associated with a distinguished player, such as friends and other players within a social or game network, and rewards the distinguished player based on their activity levels.

Leveraging social graphs with game play auto-neighboring

Granted: February 4, 2020
Patent Number: 10552446
Techniques for automatically establishing connections between users within a gaming social network, designed for connecting users having common gaming interests, social connections, or characteristics. Embodiments include methods for automatically establishing 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…

Swipe-direction gesture control for video games using glass input devices

Granted: February 4, 2020
Patent Number: 10549180
Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for handling a touch input to a game executed on a device. The method includes the operation of rendering the game on the device. The device includes a touch screen for receiving touch input from a user. The game renders a game object that is moveable in one or more directions within a scene of the game. A touch input is detected from the touch screen when the game object is selected for movement. The touch input is analyzed to…

Sequential selection of multiple objects

Granted: January 21, 2020
Patent Number: 10540060
A device may be configured to provide a user interface that supports sequential selection of objects displayed on a screen. As configured, the device may display a presentation of multiple objects, and the device may receive a user input that defines a path within the presentation of displayed objects. The device may then determine the sequential order of a selected subset of the displayed objects. Based on this sequential order, the device may select, initiate, and perform an action…

Active social network

Granted: January 7, 2020
Patent Number: 10525339
A communication analysis system for an online game is described. A communication history among players of the online game is retrieved. Communication tracking metrics are generated based on the communication history of the players of the online game. A retention analysis is performed with the communication tracking metrics to determine retention of players of the online game. A retention recommendation is generated based on the retention analysis.

Method to detect and score churn in online social games

Granted: December 31, 2019
Patent Number: 10518167
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…

Multi-stage progressive risk mini game

Granted: December 17, 2019
Patent Number: 10507380
A method of rewarding players for performing actions with respect to computer-implemented games is disclosed. An action by a user with respect to a computer game is detected. It is identified that the performing of the action by the user qualifies the user to participate in a mini game, the mini game having a plurality of stages. A reward to associate with a winning by the user of a stage of the plurality of stages is determined. The winning by the user of the stage of the plurality of…

Detached economy in online game

Granted: November 19, 2019
Patent Number: 10482486
Methods, systems, and computer programs for generating revenue in an online game are presented. One method includes an operation for executing a first video game having a first currency enabling a user to achieve advancement in the first video game. The method also includes an operation for executing a second video game that is an autonomous game module within the first video game, the second video game enables the user to select one or more assets from the first video game for use in…

Method to detect and score users who are likely to make payments in online social games

Granted: November 19, 2019
Patent Number: 10482100
A method and a system for identifying players likely to spend in an online game are described. Indicators corresponding to activities of the player and in-game friends of the player in an online game and in other online games are determined. A prediction model of the player's likelihood to spend in the online game is computed based on the indicators. The prediction model is used to identify players of the online game that are likely to spend in the online game.

Enhancing a user interface of a computer-implemented game to generate slot-machine-style pay lines

Granted: November 12, 2019
Patent Number: 10475288
In example embodiments, one or more user-interface-enhancement modules are incorporated into one or more memories of one or more computer servers, the one or more user-interface-enhancement modules configuring one or more computer processors of the one or more computer servers to perform operations for generating, selecting, and communicating game boards from which slot-machine-like payout lines can be generated. Additionally, one or more additional user-interface-enhancement modules are…

Method and system for matchmaking connections within a gaming social network

Granted: November 5, 2019
Patent Number: 10463972
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 adaptive tuning of game events

Granted: October 29, 2019
Patent Number: 10456686
A system, a machine-readable storage medium storing instructions, and a computer-implemented method are described herein for a System Tuner for defining an in-game event requiring accumulation of a pre-defined set of virtual objects in a virtual game (or online game) prior to termination of the in-game event. The System Tuner determines a head-start subset from the pre-defined set of virtual objects for a target player account based on a difference between a reference player skill level…