U.S. Patent No. 10,974,150: Methods and systems for improved content customization in multiplayer gaming environments
Issued April 13, 2021 to Activision Publishing Inc.
Filed/Priority to September 27, 2017
Overview:
U.S. Patent No. 10,974,150 (the ‘150 patent) relates to customizing a multiplayer game environment to give different experiences based on social grouping rather than skill level. The ‘150 patent details a method of customizing video game content by identifying at least one social group and enabling members of that group to make suggestions for game elements such as weapon types, special powers, and villains. The accepted suggestions may only be experienced by players who belong to that social group. Social groups could also get a social feed unique to them, which would sometimes provide customized gameplay excepts of a level that a portion of people in that group have completed.
Like the “Quitters Play Together Patent” (U.S. Patent No. No. 6,641,481) which relates to assigning a user status to users who abandoned matches to pair them together, the ‘150 patent seeks to group similar players. Instead of a user status it uses Co-operation Metrics to get more detailed information on how players cooperate and, in future matches, pair players who enjoy play together.
The ‘150 patent could be used for better matchmaking, facilitating cooperation and community among the player base of a multiplayer game, and making it easier for friends of different skill levels to enjoy playing together.
Abstract:
Computer-implemented methods and systems for simulating a multiplayer game environment to allow players of different skill levels to concurrently play the same level of a gaming session, to encourage and incentivize cooperative team behavior, to match players based on subjective variables, such as likeability and a general fun factor, and to tailor gaming content based on the social group itself.
Illustrative Claim:
- A computer implemented method of integrating a social network into one or more gaming environments of a multi-player video game, the method being implemented in a host computer having one or more physical processors programmed with computer program instructions that, when executed by the one or more physical processors, cause the host computer to perform the method, the method comprising: identifying, by the host computer, at least one social group within the social network comprising a plurality of players where each of the plurality of players has previously played one or more gameplay sessions of the multi-player video game; customizing video game content for each of the at least one social group by enabling at least one of the plurality of players of the at least one social group to suggest modifications to gaming elements of the multi-player video game, wherein the gaming elements comprise at least one of weapon types, treasure, special powers, or villains, selectively accepting at least one of the suggested modifications, and modifying gaming elements such that only the social group to which the at least one of the plurality of players belongs may experience the modified game elements while playing the multi-player video game based on the accepted suggested modification, wherein the modified game elements are only made available to the social group to which the at least one of the plurality of players belongs and are not made available to other social groups associated with the multi-player video game; and providing customized content customized for each of the at least one social group, to the plurality of players.
