JP6345734B2 - Server daemon based gameplay management - Google Patents

Description

This application claims the benefit and priority of US Provisional Application No. 62 / 192,498, filed July 14, 2015 and entitled “Virtual Gaming Environment-Based Commerce”. The entirety of which is hereby incorporated by reference, including all references and appendices listed therein.

  The present technology relates generally to virtual gaming, and more specifically, but not exclusively, to server-based daemon control and management of experiences during virtual game play based on triggers and conditions monitored during game play. .

  In accordance with some embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to a system that includes: (a) a server that provides a virtual gaming environment; and (b) a daemon that provides (i) offers within the virtual gaming environment. Establishing one or more triggers that define when active, the triggers are associated with game related events, one or more conditions under which the offer is triggered, and items provided in the offer, (ii) ) Monitoring game play in the gaming environment, (iii) determining at least one of one or more triggers satisfied during game play in the virtual gaming environment, and (iv) use in game play. Providing items for.

  In accordance with some embodiments, the present disclosure is directed to a system that includes: (a) a server that provides a virtual gaming environment; and (b) a client coupled to the server, where game play occurs at the client and the client Includes daemons that establish (i) one or more triggers that define when the offer is active in the virtual gaming environment, where the trigger triggers the game-related event and the offer 1 One or more conditions associated with the one or more conditions and the item provided in the offer, and (iii) monitor game play in the gaming environment and (iii) be satisfied during game play in the virtual gaming environment Determine at least one of the triggers and (iv) provide an item for use within game play.

Particular embodiments of the technology are illustrated by the accompanying drawings. It will be understood that the drawings are not necessarily to scale and details that are not necessary for an understanding of the present technology or that make it difficult to perceive other details may be omitted. It will be understood that the technology is not necessarily limited to the specific embodiments illustrated herein.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example computing architecture that may be used to practice aspects of the technology. FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram of an example computing architecture that may be used to practice aspects of the technology. 2 is a flowchart of an exemplary method performed by the system of the present disclosure. 6 is a flowchart of an exemplary method for establishing and using timing parameters. 2 is a flowchart of an exemplary method for segmenting and targeting players alone or in groups (cohorts). 6 illustrates an exemplary GUI of an offer popup screen. 1 illustrates an example computing system that may be used to implement embodiments in accordance with the present technology.

  Although the technology has room for implementation in many different forms, some specific embodiments are to be considered as illustrative of the principles of the technology and the present disclosure is illustrative of the technology. With the understanding that they are not intended to be limiting, they are shown in the drawings and described in detail herein.

  The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the technology. As used herein, the singular forms “a, an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. . Further, the terms “including” and / or “including”, as used herein, specify the presence of the indicated feature, integer, step, action, element, and / or component, but It will be understood that it does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

  It will be understood that like or similar elements and / or components referred to herein may be identified with like reference characters throughout the drawings. Further, it will be appreciated that some of the figures are merely schematic representations of the technology. As such, some of the components may be distorted from their actual scale for pictorial clarity.

  FIG. 1A illustrates one exemplary architecture for practicing aspects of the technology. The architecture includes a server system configured to provide various functionality, hereinafter “system 105”, which functionality will be described in more detail throughout this document. In general, system 105 is configured to communicate with a client device, such as client 115. Client 115 may include, for example, a smartphone, laptop, computer, or other similar computing device. An example of a computing device that can be utilized in accordance with the present technology is described in further detail with respect to FIG.

  System 105 can be communicatively coupled to client 115 via a public or private network, such as network 120. Suitable networks include, for example, a local intranet, PAN (personal area network), LAN (local area network), WAN (wide area network), MAN (metropolitan area network), virtual private network (VPN), storage area network (SAN ), Frame relay connection, advanced intelligent network (AIN) connection, synchronous optical network (SONET) connection, digital T1, T3, E1, or E3 line, digital data service (DDS) connection, DSL (digital subscriber line) connection Ethernet connection, ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network) line, dial-up port, e.g. 90, V.I. 34, or V.I. Any one or more of 34bis analog modem connections, or FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) or CDDI (Copper Distributed Data Interface) connections may be included or interfaced with any one or more. Further, communication is performed by WAP (Wireless Application Protocol), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), GSM (Registered Trademark) (Global System for Mobile Communication), CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) or TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access), cellular. Various, including phone networks, GPS (Global Positioning System), CDPD (Cellular Digital Packet Data), RIM (Research In Motion) duplex paging network, Bluetooth® radio, or IEEE 802.11-based radio frequency network A link to any of the wireless networks may further be included. The network 120 further includes RS-232 serial connection, IEEE-1394 (Firewire) connection, Fiber Channel connection, IrDA (infrared) port, SCSI (small computer system interface) connection, USB (universal serial bus) connection, or other Any one or more of: a wired or wireless, digital or analog interface or connection, mesh, or Digi® networking, or can interface with any one or more.

  System 105 generally includes a processor 130, a network interface 135, and a memory 140. In accordance with some embodiments, the memory 140 includes logic (eg, instructions) 145 that can be executed by the processor 130 to perform various methods. For example, the logic may include a user interface module 125, a video game client application (hereinafter “gaming application 150”) and a game offer application (“offer application 155”), which are Configured to provide the functionality further described in the specification. The commercial application 155 may further be embodied as a server daemon running on the system 105.

  It will be appreciated that the functionality described herein attributed to system 105 and application 150/155 may be further executed within client 115. That is, the client 115 can be programmed to perform the functionality described herein. In another example, system 105 and client 115 may cooperate to provide the functionality described herein, and thus client 115 is a client / server relationship between system 105 and client 115. A client-side application that interacts with the system 105 is provided. Complex computing functions can be performed by the server 105, while simple operations that require less computing resources can be performed by the client 115, eg, data collection and data display, etc. It is.

  In general, user interface module 125 may be executed by system 105 to provide a variety of graphical user interfaces (GUIs) that allow a user to interact with system 105. In some examples, the GUI is generated by execution of application 150/155. A user can interact with the system 105 using, for example, a client 115. The system 105 can generate a web-based interface for the client.

  Application 150/155 may be executed locally on a user device (eg, client 115), such as a smartphone or tablet device. Alternatively, the application can be accessed by the user equipment over the network. Thus, the application 150/155 can be executed on the server and accessed by the user device using a browser application. The server will supply the GUI of the application 150/155 as a web page of a standard or mobile website.

  In some embodiments, the gaming application 150 is configured to provide a user with a gaming experience, such as a virtual gaming environment where the user participates in game play. Examples of virtual gaming environments include, but are not limited to, role playing games, first person shooter games, multiplayer games, sporting games, and the like.

  Some gaming environments include various screens, locations, venues, missions, or other aspects that are part of game play. The technology allows commercial applications 155 to create offers based on game play or other activities within a virtual gaming environment. The created offer can be inserted into game play based on various aspects of game play, as described below.

  In some embodiments, the commercial application 155 can include a configuration (JSON) file that includes a list of “offers”, which can potentially be presented to a player.

  In some embodiments, the offer can include one or more of the following features. One feature includes a trigger, which specifies where in the gaming environment an offer can be active. For example, a trigger may include a player accessing a particular screen, starting a mission, or completing. That is, each of the one or more triggers specifies a location, event, or achievement in the game play that activates the item offer.

  For purposes of definition, as used herein, a “mission” is broadly defined as a unit of activity performed or performed within a virtual gaming environment. Examples of missions include, but are not limited to, levels, quests, achievements, achievements, etc.

  Another feature includes a condition that controls whether an offer can be triggered. For example, the conditions can include the amount of currency that the player has, whether the player was successful in the mission, or whether the player was converted in other offers. Other examples include encouraging players to purchase through failures during game play or expected failures. For example, the commercial application 155 may determine that the player is under-equipped for a mission or activity. In another example, a player underperforms in a mission, resulting in a mission completion failure. The commercial application 155 can determine one or more appropriate offers to provide to the player based on the failure or weakness. Such failures or weaknesses are further referred to as player shortcomings.

  In some embodiments, triggers and conditions associated with game play can control the selection of items for an offer presented to a player. Thus, the item describes at least part of the content of the offer. For example, the offer may include a discount for a particular weapon, a power-up bundle, a discount for in-app-purchases, or even a hint to the user for use within game play. In one embodiment, if the system 105 determines that the player has consistently failed to accomplish a particular task within game play, the commercial application 155 may provide the player with a hint that can be purchased. The hint can tell the player how to allow the player to complete the task.

  In some embodiments, the commercial application 155 can implement a timing parameter that determines whether the offer is a “push” (immediate), a timed offer, or a recurring offer. To control. The commercial application 155 can selectively change the timing parameter using the player behavior data when the current timing parameter is not sufficiently sold. An example where a player responds to an offer and purchases an item is referred to as a successful offer event. If a player does not respond to an offer by purchasing an item, this is referred to as an unsuccessful offer event.

  The server can maintain performance thresholds or quotas for sales and offers. When a sales or successful offer event does not meet or exceed the expected threshold, the server can adjust the parameters of the offer to increase the successful offer event. For example, the server can adjust the price of the offer or the frequency of the offer to reach interest.

  In operation, when a player performs an action in the gaming environment, the game client code (application 150/155) checks the offer list and associated conditions to determine whether the offer should be activated.

  Upon activation, offers are displayed to the user in the form of pop-ups (in some embodiments), and various parts of the game UI (eg, based on per-offer configuration parameters, eg, triggers, conditions, etc.) , Pop up special screen or header ad space. For purposes of definition, a “special” screen may include, for example, an in-game store screen that includes the content of the offer and any conditions or information associated with the offer.

  Depending on the item type, the player can choose to accept the offer (usually by converting in the offered purchase) or decline the offer by rejecting the UI.

  In the case of a timed offer, the offer persists and can be re-accessed through a UI such as a special screen at the in-game store.

  The system 105 determines certain trigger conditions for the offer, such as whether it was pre-activated, but if it would otherwise allow the player to be authorized for that activation, etc. Validate.

  The system 105 verifies any discounts or modifications applied by the offer in some embodiments.

  In a further embodiment, the system 105 is server-based and can be configured to create triggers that are driven by game play analysis and subtleties of in-game user behavior.

  In some embodiments, the server daemon automatically segments players based on predetermined consumption and play characteristics along with conversion rates for offers. The server daemon can either under- or over-performing (relative to a successful vs. unsuccessful offer event) based on revenue, holdings, or conversion thresholds. Flag user segments or cross-segments that are

  In accordance with some embodiments, for offers below expectations, the server daemon can flag them to be re-addressed. For offers that exceed expectations, the server daemon can flag these to be followed up with further offers to optimize sales opportunities.

  In some embodiments, the system 105 includes additional triggers, conditions, and item types, and flexible timing parameters. Further embodiments include a user friendly UI that allows for concise construction and deployment of offers.

  The system 105 can create an offer that allows arbitrary graphics and UI elements to be added instead of a fixed set of semi-configurable offer items contemplated in some embodiments.

  In some embodiments, the system 105 can provide a near-live analysis for the expanded offer displayed in the dashboard view.

  In accordance with the present technology, the server daemon can utilize a predetermined configuration, and in another embodiment, the server daemon can adapt and learn what offers and offer combinations and timings work. Can be adapted to. The server daemon can selectively adjust the above parameters automatically within a given safe value range to increase commercialization. Exemplary embodiments include, for example, play time, currency balance, real world money consumed so far, mission, level, time since last purchase, average or typical consumed in the game Includes configurations involving values or value ranges for things such as real-world money.

  The above processing can occur without additional input from the system administrator unless definitions and offers are edited or added. System daemons can target both groups (cohorts) and individuals. For example, a group may include players who tend to purchase high dollar items, players who purchase after failure during game play, players who frequently visit a virtual shop in a virtual environment, and so on.

  The system administrator can create new definitions for the cohort, and even craft new offers for the system to consider both for the cohort and for individual users. System daemons can better move individuals into and out of various user cohorts based on user behavior and defined cohorts to target groups or “user types” Can be. The system can track successful and unsuccessful sales offers, adjust for each user by the server itself, and tailor the offer for each individual in detail.

  Thus, the server daemon selects a player from the first partition of the partition to the second partition of the partition based on at least one change in user behavior indicating that the player should be regrouped Can be regrouped automatically. For example, if a player is initially classified as a large buyer who always accepts offers, and the server daemon determines from the data collected during game play that the player does not purchase items as often, the server daemon Can regroup the players into different sections. The server daemon can place the player in a segment that is targeted using lower-priced items, or in a segment that is targeted less frequently so as to avoid overly exposing the player to the offer.

  As mentioned above, some embodiments allow provisioning and execution of virtual game environments and commercial offers on the server, which pushes the same to the client. The system 105 can implement changes to either the gaming environment or the commercial offer algorithm in a rapid manner without requiring the client to update or install them as new features are created. Some difficulties for server-only implementation of application 150/155 may include a slow gaming experience due to network latency. Thus, by way of example only, any latency in the network coupling system 105 and client may result in a poor user experience due to slow UI response and slow game play.

  In another embodiment (see FIG. 1B), UI module 125 and applications 150 and / or 155 reside on client 115 and can be executed on client 115. The above embodiments allow for high speed and reduced latency performance for both UI module 125 and gaming application 150 due to the lack of reliance on the network to deliver content from system 105 to client 115. To. An offer application 155 exists on the system 105 and can facilitate the introduction of offers to the game play provided by the gaming application 150 on a need basis. Further components of client 115 are described in further detail above as part of system 105 with reference to FIG. 1A. Although not shown, the system 105 will further include any required components for computation, storage, and networking.

  In another embodiment, both UI module 125 and application 150/155 may reside on client 115. Offer application 155 can cooperate with system 105 to complete an order for an offer accepted by client 115.

  FIG. 2 shows a flowchart of an exemplary method performed by the system of the present disclosure. The method includes providing 202 a virtual gaming environment. Virtual environments can include any video-based or virtual environment, such as a video game.

  The method includes establishing 204 one or more triggers that define when the offer is active in the virtual gaming environment. For example, the system can establish a time or place within the video game where an offer should be provided to a player. The exact details of the offer can depend on various conditions. Thus, a trigger is associated with a game related event and one or more conditions for the offer to be triggered. In some examples, the item selected for the offer can be further selected by the system. One exemplary condition may be the current amount of inventory or virtual money owned by the player, or the skill level of the player.

  The items selected for offer are based on various permutations of conditions and triggers.

  The method then includes a step 206 of monitoring game play in the gaming environment. By way of example, monitoring may include tracking data such as game play time, player habits and behavior, location within the game environment, and other game related data.

  The method then includes determining 208 at least one of the one or more triggers satisfied during game play in the virtual gaming environment. For example, the system may determine that a player has accessed a specific location or a specific level (trigger) in the game. In order to succeed in the above level of game play, the system determines that the player needs to upgrade its equipment. An offer is formed based on the conditions. For example, the system determines that the player has $ 1000 in its virtual account and frequently purchases highly priced items. With the above knowledge, the system can craft an offer that includes items priced according to the player's property and nature of purchase.

  If the item is purchased, the method includes a step 210 of providing the item for use within game play.

  FIG. 3 is a flowchart of an exemplary method for establishing and using timing parameters. The method includes a step 302 of establishing timing parameters by a daemon. Again, the timing parameters establish when and where the offer is presented and how long the offer lasts.

  In some embodiments, the method includes a step 304 of selectively adjusting timing parameters by a daemon. In one embodiment, the process comprises analyzing step 306 player behavior data obtained during game play monitoring to detect successful offer events and unsuccessful offer events in the monitored game play. Including. The method further includes comparing 308 successful offer events to a threshold, such as a performance threshold that sets a minimum sales quota for offers offered to one or more players, for example. .

  In one or more embodiments, the method includes selectively adjusting 310 an offer if a successful offer event does not meet or exceed a threshold.

  FIG. 4 is a flowchart of an exemplary method for segmenting and aiming players alone or in groups (cohorts). The method includes a step 402 of automatically segmenting players based on predefined criteria, which include, for example, current goods, purchase patterns, game play frequency, need for assistance during game play. Etc.

  In one embodiment, the method flags 404 a section that is below expectations or a cross section based on a performance threshold, and provides a further offer to flag a section below expectations. Or replacing 406 the current offer provided for the crossing section. For example, it is determined that the offer has a lower conversion rate than is acceptable compared to the threshold. The system can automatically adjust the price of the offer and reassess whether the offer is working at or above a threshold after a certain period of time.

  In some embodiments, the system disclosed herein can periodically re-evaluate the player segmentation to ensure that the aim of the offer is likely to generate the best profit. In one embodiment, the method can change a player from a first section of the section to a second section of the section based on at least one change in user behavior indicating that the player should be regrouped. Selectively regrouping 408.

  FIG. 5 shows an exemplary GUI of the offer popup screen 500. This pop-up screen includes an offer for the player to purchase weapons (items) for an upcoming mission based on a previous event (trigger) being completed by the player. The offer includes special prices for items based on conditions, such as whether the player can afford the item and the completion of previous and imminent missions. The example code 505 illustrates one example methodology / algorithm used to provide an offer on the screen 500.

  FIG. 6 is a schematic representation of an exemplary machine in the form of a computer system 1 that executes a set of instructions that cause the machine to execute any one or more of the methodologies discussed herein. Can be done. In various exemplary embodiments, the machine may operate as a stand-alone device or may be connected (eg, networked) to other machines. In a networked deployment, a machine can operate as a server or client machine in a server client network environment, or as a peer machine in a peer-to-peer (or distributed) network environment. The machine is a portable hardware such as a personal computer (PC), a tablet PC, a set top box (STB), a personal digital assistant (PDA), a cellular phone, or a portable music player (for example, MP3 (Moving Picture Experts Group Audio Layer 3) player). Drive audio device), web appliance, network router, switch, or bridge, or any machine capable of executing a set of instructions (sequential or otherwise) that specify actions to be performed by the machine . Furthermore, although only a single machine is illustrated, the term “machine” further refers to the methodology discussed herein with a set (or sets) of instructions executed individually or jointly. It should be considered to include any set of machines that perform any one or more of them.

  The exemplary computer system 1 includes one processor or multiple processors 5 (eg, a central processing unit (CPU), a graphics processing unit (GPU), or both), a main memory 10 and a static memory 15; These communicate with each other via the bus 20. The computer system 1 may further include a video display 35 (eg, a liquid crystal display (LCD)). The computer system 1 includes an alphanumeric input device 30 (eg, a keyboard), a cursor control device (eg, a mouse), a voice recognition or biometric verification unit (not shown), a drive unit 37 (also referred to as a disk drive unit). , A signal generation device 40 (for example, a speaker), and a network interface device 45. The computer system 1 may further include a data encryption module (not shown) that encrypts the data.

  The disk drive unit 37 includes a computer or machine readable medium 50 on which one or more instruction sets that implement or utilize one or more of the methodologies or functions described herein. And a data structure (eg, instruction 55) is stored. The instructions 55 may further be wholly or at least partially in the main memory 10 and / or in the processor 5 during execution of the instructions 55 by the computer system 1. Main memory 10 and processor 5 may also constitute machine-readable media.

  The instruction 55 is further connected to a network (eg, network 105B or network 520, respectively) via a network interface device 45 that utilizes any of a plurality of well-known transfer protocols (eg, hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP)). , See FIG. 1 and FIG. 5). Although the machine-readable medium 50 is illustrated as being a single medium in an exemplary embodiment, the term “computer-readable medium” refers to a single medium or a plurality of instructions that store one or more instruction sets. Media (eg, centralized or distributed databases and / or associated caches and servers) should be considered. The term “computer-readable medium” may further store, encode or carry a set of instructions for execution by a machine, causing a machine to execute any one or more of the methodologies of the present application, or It should be considered to include any medium that can store, encode, or carry data structures utilized by or associated with the above instruction set. The term “computer-readable medium” should therefore be considered to include, but is not limited to, solid state memory, optical and magnetic media, and carrier wave signals. Such media may further include, without limitation, hard disks, floppy disks, flash memory cards, digital video disks, random access memory (RAM), read only memory (ROM), and the like. The exemplary embodiments described herein may be implemented in an operating environment that includes software installed on a computer, in hardware, or in a combination of software and hardware.

  An internet service may be configured to provide internet access to one or more computing devices coupled to the internet service, the computing device comprising one or more processors, buses, memory devices, Those skilled in the art will recognize that display devices, input / output devices, and the like may be included. Further, it is understood that Internet services can be coupled to one or more databases, repositories, servers, etc. that can be utilized to implement any of the disclosed embodiments as described herein. The merchant can fully understand.

  The corresponding structure, material, motion, and equivalent of all means or step plus function elements in the claims below perform its function in combination with other claimed elements as specifically claimed. It is intended to include any structure, material, or motion that does. The description of the technology is presented for purposes of illustration and description, but is not intended to be exhaustive or limited to the technology in the form disclosed. Many modifications and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art without departing from the scope and spirit of the technology. The exemplary embodiments best describe the principles of the technology and its practical application, and those skilled in the art for various embodiments having various modifications as appropriate for the specific use contemplated. Has been chosen and explained to enable understanding of this technology.

  Aspects of the technology have been described above with reference to flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams of methods, apparatus (systems) and computer program products according to embodiments of the technology. It will be understood that each block of the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, and combinations of blocks in the flowchart illustrations and / or block diagrams, can be implemented by computer program instructions. The computer program instructions may be provided to a general purpose computer, special purpose computer, or other programmable data processing device processor to produce a machine, and thus a computer or other programmable data processing device processor. The instructions executed via create a means for performing the functions / movements specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

  The computer program instructions may further be stored on a computer readable medium capable of directing a computer, other programmable data processing apparatus, or other device to function in a particular manner, and thus the computer The instructions stored on the readable medium result in an article of manufacture that includes instructions that perform the functions / movements specified in one or more blocks of the flowchart and / or block diagram.

  The computer program instructions are further loaded onto a computer, other programmable data processing device, or other device to cause a series of operational steps to be performed on the computer, other programmable data processing device, or other device. Can cause a computer-implemented process, and thus instructions executed on a computer or other programmable device can be a function / specified in one or more blocks of the flowcharts and / or block diagrams. Provide a process for performing the movement.

  The flowcharts and block diagrams in the Figures illustrate the architecture, functionality, and operation of possible implementations of systems, methods and computer program products according to various embodiments of the present technology. In this regard, each block in the flowchart or block diagram may represent a module, segment, or portion of code that includes one or more executable instructions that perform a specified logical function. Furthermore, it should be noted that in some alternative implementations, the functions noted in the blocks may occur out of the order noted in the figures. For example, two blocks shown in succession may in fact be executed substantially simultaneously, or the two blocks are sometimes executed in reverse order, depending on the functionality involved. Also good. Further, each block in the block diagram and / or flowchart illustration, and a combination of a plurality of blocks in the block diagram and / or flowchart illustration, may be a special purpose hardware-based system or a special purpose that performs a specified function or action. Note that it may be implemented by a combination of hardware and computer instructions.

  In the following description, for purposes of explanation and not limitation, specific details are set forth such as specific embodiments, procedures, techniques, etc., so as to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced in other embodiments that depart from the specific details.

  Throughout this specification, references to “one embodiment” or “one embodiment” refer to at least one specific feature, structure, or characteristic described in connection with the embodiment. It is meant to be included in the embodiment. Thus, the expressions “in one embodiment” or “in one embodiment” or “in accordance with one embodiment” (or other expressions having similar meaning) in various places throughout this specification. All appearances do not necessarily refer to the same embodiment. Furthermore, the particular features, structures, or characteristics may be combined in any suitable manner in one or more embodiments. Further, depending on the context of the discussion herein, singular terms may include the plural and plural terms may include the singular. Similarly, a hyphenated term (eg, “on-demand”) may be used interchangeably with its non-hyphenated version (eg, “on demand”), in capital letters. (Eg, “Software”) may be used interchangeably with its non-capitalized version (eg, “software”), and plural terms may or may not be apostrophes (eg, PE ′ s or PEs), and the italicized term (eg, “N + 1”) is used interchangeably with its non-italicized version (eg, “N + 1”) Sometimes. These interchangeable uses should not be considered contradictory to each other.

  Further, some embodiments may be described in terms of “means for” performing a task or set of tasks. It will be understood that "means for" may be expressed herein in terms of structure, such as a processor, memory, I / O device, such as a camera, or combinations thereof. Alternatively, “means for” may include an algorithm describing a function or method step, and in yet another embodiment, “means for” is from a mathematical formula, prose perspective, or a flowchart. Or it is expressed as a signal diagram.

  The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the technology. As used herein, the singular forms “a, an” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. . Further, the terms “including” and / or “including”, as used herein, specify the presence of the indicated feature, integer, step, action, element, and / or component, but It will be understood that it does not exclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

  Initially, the terms “coupled”, “connected”, “connected”, “electrically connected”, etc. generally refer to the electrical / electronically connected conditions herein. It is noted that they are used interchangeably. Similarly, the first entity may send an information signal (whether it contains or does not contain data information or non-data / control information) to the second entity regardless of the signal type (analog or digital) ( A first entity is considered “in communication” with a second entity (or entities) when electrically sent and / or received (whether through wired or wireless means). Furthermore, it is noted that the various figures (including component diagrams) shown and discussed herein are for illustrative purposes only and are not drawn to scale.

  While specific embodiments and examples for the system have been described above for purposes of illustration, various equivalent modifications are possible within the scope of the system, as will be appreciated by those skilled in the art. For example, although processes or steps are presented in a given order, another embodiment may execute a routine having steps in a different order, some processes or steps being deleted and moved, It may be added, split, combined and / or modified to provide alternatives or sub-combinations. Each of the above processes or steps may be implemented in a variety of different ways. Further, although processes or steps are sometimes shown as being performed sequentially, these processes or steps may alternatively be performed in parallel or may be performed at different times.

While various embodiments have been described above, it should be understood that these have been presented by way of example only and not limitation. The above description is not intended to limit the scope of the invention to the specific form specified herein. On the contrary, this description is defined by the following claims and, as otherwise well understood by those of ordinary skill in the art, is intended to include the above alternatives, modifications, and equivalents as may be included within the spirit and scope of the invention. It is intended to cover things. Accordingly, the breadth and scope of the preferred embodiments should not be limited by any of the above-described exemplary embodiments.

Claims (20)

A server that provides a virtual gaming environment;
A daemon,
Including
The daemon is
Establishing one or more triggers that define when an offer is active in the virtual gaming environment, the trigger including a game related event, one or more conditions under which the offer is triggered, and in the offer Associated with the offered item,
Monitor game play in the virtual gaming environment;
Determining at least one of the one or more triggers satisfied during game play in the virtual gaming environment;
Provide items for use in the in-game play,
Items included in the offer are controlled through timing parameters established by the daemon,
system.   The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual gaming environment includes any of a role playing game, a single player shooter game, a multiplayer game, a sports game, and any combination thereof.   The system of claim 1, wherein the item has a usage associated with any of the at least one trigger, the condition, and the game play aspect.   The system of claim 1, wherein the daemon maintains a configuration file that includes a list of offers on a player-by-player basis, wherein the list of offers includes the item.   The system of claim 1, wherein each of the one or more triggers specifies a location, event, mission, or outcome in the game play that activates the offer for the item.   The system of claim 5, wherein the mission includes a unit of activity performed or performed within the virtual gaming environment.   The system of claim 5, wherein the condition controls whether the offer can be triggered by any of the one or more triggers. The daemon monitors game play in the virtual gaming environment,
The player's failure to complete the mission or achievement;
A player shortcoming indicating the player's inability to complete the mission or achievement;
The system of claim 5, wherein any one of is determined.   The system of claim 8, wherein an item associated with the offer is tailored to remedy the player shortcomings. The timing parameter is:
Analyzing player behavior data obtained during monitoring of the game play to detect successful and unsuccessful offer events in the monitored game play;
Comparing the successful offer event to a threshold;
Selectively adjusting the offer if the successful offer event does not meet or exceed the threshold;
The system of claim 1 , wherein the system is selectively coordinated by the daemon.   The system of claim 1, wherein the item is provided in a pop-up graphical user interface during game play. The daemon is further
Automatically segment players based on predefined criteria,
Flag sections that are below expectations or cross sections based on performance thresholds,
Providing further offers to replace the current offer provided in the above flagged or crossing section below expectations;
The system of claim 1. The daemon further moves the player from a first segment of the segment to a second of the segment based on at least one change in user behavior indicating that the player should be regrouped. The system of claim 12 , wherein the system is selectively regrouped into partitions.   The system of claim 1, wherein the daemon resides on a client communicatively coupled to the server.   The system of claim 1, wherein the daemon resides on the server. A server that provides a virtual gaming environment;
A client coupled to the server;
Including
Game play occurs at the client, the client includes a daemon,
Establishing one or more triggers that define when an offer is active in the virtual gaming environment, the trigger including a game related event, one or more conditions under which the offer is triggered, and in the offer Associated with the offered item,
Monitor game play in the virtual gaming environment;
Determining at least one of the one or more triggers satisfied during game play in the virtual gaming environment;
Provide items for use in the in-game play,
Automatically segment players based on predefined criteria,
Flag sections that are below expectations or cross sections based on performance thresholds,
Providing further offers to replace the current offer provided in the above flagged or crossing section below expectations;
system. The daemon monitors game play in the virtual gaming environment,
A player's failure to complete a mission or outcome;
A player shortcoming indicating the player's inability to complete the mission or achievement;
The system of claim 16 , wherein any one of is determined. The system of claim 17 , wherein items associated with an offer are tailored to remedy the player shortcomings. The daemon is
Based on at least one change in the user behavior shown a flop Reya should be re-grouped, selectively the player from the first section of the segment to a second segment of said section Regroup,
The system of claim 18 . A method executed by a daemon on a computer, wherein the daemon resides on a server providing a virtual gaming environment or on a client communicatively coupled to the server, the method comprising:
Establishing one or more triggers that define when an offer is active in the virtual gaming environment, the trigger comprising a game related event and one or more conditions under which the offer is triggered; Associated with an item provided in the offer;
Monitoring game play in the virtual gaming environment;
Determining at least one of the one or more triggers satisfied during game play within the virtual gaming environment;
Providing an item for use within the gameplay;
Including
Items included in the offer are controlled through timing parameters established by the daemon,
Method.

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