# US 10,482,100 B1 · Method to detect and score users who are likely to make payments in online social games

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- Number: US 10,482,100 B1
- Document ID: US10482100B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 13/748,205
- Filed: 2013-01-23
- Granted: 2019-11-19
- Earliest claimed: 2012-01-25
- Assignees: Zynga Inc.
- Applicants: Zynga Inc.
- Inventors: Girish Keswani; Jim Baer; Kenneth Rudin
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10482100B1

## CPC

- G06F 16/285: {Clustering or classification}
- A63F 13/79: involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
- G06F 16/27: Replication, distribution or synchronisation of data between databases or within a distributed database system; Distributed database system architectures therefor
- G06Q 10/48: using social graphs
- G06Q 30/0201: Market modelling; Market analysis; Collecting market data
- G06Q 30/0202: Market predictions or forecasting for commercial activities
- G06Q 50/34: Betting or bookmaking, e.g. Internet betting
- G07F 17/3234: {about the performance of a gaming system, e.g. revenue, diagnosis of the gaming system}
- A63F 13/30: Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
- A63F 13/35: Details of game servers
- A63F 13/358: Adapting the game course according to the network or server load, e.g. for reducing latency due to different connection speeds between clients
- A63F 13/70: Game security or game management aspects
- A63F 13/77: involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
- G06F: ELECTRIC DIGITAL DATA PROCESSING (computer systems based on specific computational models G06N)
- A63F: CARD, BOARD, OR ROULETTE GAMES; INDOOR GAMES USING SMALL MOVING PLAYING BODIES; VIDEO GAMES; GAMES NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G06Q: INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY [ICT] SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES; SYSTEMS OR METHODS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR ADMINISTRATIVE, COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, MANAGERIAL OR SUPERVISORY PURPOSES, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
- G07F: COIN-FREED OR LIKE APPARATUS (coin sorting G07D3/00; coin testing G07D5/00; {handling coins or paper currencies apart from payment activated apparatus G07D; payment architectures, schemes or protocols G06Q20/00})

## Abstract

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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A computer-implemented method comprising:
with respect to each of a plurality of players of a computer-implemented online game, computing a plurality of indicators that includes in-game activities of in-game friends of the player as a distinct subset of all players of the online game;
generating for each of the plurality of players, using at least one processor device configured therefor, a prediction model of the player's likelihood to spend in the online game generally within a predefined time window, the prediction model being based at least in part on the in-game activities of the in-game friends of the player;
in an automated identification operation based at least in part on the respective prediction models and performed by one or more computer processors configured therefor, identifying players of the online game that are likely to spend in the online game;
automatically assigning premium tiered servers to service the identified players, the premium tiered servers forming part of a server farm that comprises a plurality of tiered servers, the premium tiered servers having a higher performance than other tiered servers; and
thereafter serving gameplay by the identified players using the assigned premium tiered servers.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising, for each of the plurality of players:
generating an in-game player engagement indicator of the player in the online game;
determining an in-game payment history of the player in the online game;
generating an in-game friends engagement indicator of the in-game friends of the player of the online game;
determining an in-game friends payment history of the in-game friends of the player of the online game;
determining a number of other online games played by the player of the online game; and
determining an in-game payment history in the other online games played by the player,
wherein the plurality of indicators comprises the in-game player engagement indicator of the player in the online game, the in-game payment history of the player in the online game, the in-game friends engagement indicator of the in-game friends of the player of the online game, the in-game friends payment history of the in-game friends of the player of the online game, the number of other online games played by the player of the online game, and the in-game payment history in the other online games played by the user.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the in-game player engagement indicator of the player in the online game corresponds to a measure of a user online in-game engagement using an exponential moving average of days played by the user during a last predetermined number of weeks.

### Claim 4 (depends on 2)

The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the in-game payment history of the player in the online game corresponds to a measure of the player's purchase activities in the online game.

### Claim 5 (depends on 2)

The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the in-game friends engagement indicator of the in-game friends of the player of the online game corresponds to an average player engagement for in-game friends of the player.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the in-game friends payment history of the in-game friends of the player of the online game correspond to an average of a payment history of the in-game friends of the player.

### Claim 7 (depends on 2)

The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the number of other online games played by the player of the online game corresponds to the number of other games played by the player during a last predetermined number of months.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The computer-implemented method of claim 2, wherein the in-game payment history in the other online games played by the player corresponds to a measure of the player's purchase activities in the other online games.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:
assigning a premium tiered customer support service to service the identified players, the premium tiered customer support service having a prioritized customer support service over other tiered customer support services.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the in-game activities of the in-game friends of the player comprises payment history of the friends in the game.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, further comprising:
automatically generating a recommendation to the players identified by use of the prediction model as being likely to spend in the online game.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the recommendation comprises a targeted email campaign to the identified players.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the recommendation comprises in-game offers.

### Claim 14 (depends on 11)

The computer-implemented method of claim 11, wherein the recommendation comprises in-game social coupons.

### Claim 15 (depends on 11)

The computer-implemented method of claim 11, further comprising, for each of the plurality of players:
determining an average spending power of the player based on the prediction model; and
generating a customized bundle offer based on the average spending power of the player.

### Claim 16

A system comprising:
an analysis module comprising one or more processor devices configured to compute, with respect to each of a plurality of players of a computer-implemented online game, a plurality of indicators that includes in-game activities of in-game friends of the player as a distinct subset of all players of the online game;
a prediction module comprising at least one computer processor configured to generate, for each of the plurality of players, a prediction model of the player's likelihood to spend in the online game generally within a predefined time window, the prediction model being based at least in part on the in-game activities of the in-game friends of the player; and
a premium tiered server module comprising one or more computer device configured to automatically assign premium tiered servers to service the identified players, the premium tiered servers forming part of a server farm that comprises a plurality of tiered servers, the premium tiered servers having a higher performance than other tiered servers, gameplay by the identified players subsequent to the assignment being served using the assigned premium tiered servers.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the plurality of indicators comprises an in-game player engagement indicator of the player in the online game, an in-game payment history of the player in the online game, an in-game friends engagement indicator of the in-game friends of the player of the online game, an in-game friends payment history of the in-game friends of the player of the online game, a number of other online games played by the player of the online game, and an in-game payment history in other games played by the user.

### Claim 18 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, wherein the in-game activities of the in-game friends of the player comprises payment history of the friends in the game.

### Claim 19 (depends on 16)

The system of claim 16, further comprising:
a recommendation module comprising one or more computer processor devices configured to automatically generate a recommendation to the players identified by use of the prediction model as being likely to spend in the online game.

### Claim 20 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the recommendation comprises a targeted email campaign to the identified players.

### Claim 21 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the recommendation comprises in-game offers.

### Claim 22 (depends on 19)

The system of claim 19, wherein the recommendation comprises in-game social coupons.

### Claim 23

A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, comprising:
with respect to each of a plurality of players of a computer-implemented online game, computing a plurality of indicators that includes in-game activities of in-game friends of the player as a distinct subset of all players of the online game;
generating for each of the plurality of players, a prediction model of the player's likelihood to spend in the online game generally within a predefined time window, the prediction model being based at least in part on the in-game activities of the in-game friends of the player;
based at least in part on the respective prediction models, identifying players of the online game that are likely to spend in the online game;
automatically assigning premium tiered servers to service the identified players, the premium tiered servers forming part of a server farm that comprises a plurality of tiered servers, the premium tiered servers having a higher performance than other tiered servers; and
thereafter serving gameplay by the identified players using the assigned premium tiered servers.

### Claim 24 (depends on 23)

The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 23, wherein the plurality of indicators comprises an in-game player engagement indicator of the player in the online game, an in-game payment history of the player in the online game, an in-game friends engagement indicator of the in-game friends of the player of the online game, an in-game friends payment history of the in-game friends of the player of the online game, a number of other online games played by the player of the online game, and an in-game payment history in other games played by the user.