Abstract: A system and method for providing virtual items to users of an online game operated in a virtual space. Multiple users may participate in affiliations or alliances of discrete groups of users in an online game and may access the online game through client computing platforms associated with the users. The affiliations may have affiliation game units associated with affiliations which provide a benefit to the members of the online game. Affiliation members may cumulatively obtain affiliation game units and/or upgrade affiliation game units by providing one or more virtual items. Upgrading affiliation game units may require the cooperation of multiple members of the affiliation.

Abstract: One aspect of the disclosure relates to providing durational promotions to players in an online game. The system may adjust the outcome probabilities of winning in a slot machine type of game once the player's content drops below a predetermined threshold so that the player will experience some substantial winning in the initial period. The system may adjust the outcome probabilities of winning in the slot machine type of game for a period of time once a player has purchased content to continue to play the game. This may temporarily adjusting outcome probabilities within the game in favor of a player that has recently made a purchase. This may facilitate positive player experiences subsequent to making purchases, thereby increasing further purchases and/or the likelihood thereof.

Abstract: A system configured to determine the value of channels responsive to users requesting installation of a client application through the channels. The client application may provide access to an online game. A given channel may be characterized by a promotional information item, a platform through which the promotional information item is presented to potential users, and/or other information. Predicted economic values for the users that requested installation of the client application through one or more channels may be determined based parameter values for the users. Effectiveness metrics for the channels may be determined based on the predicted economic values of the users. Subsequent consideration expenditures for one or more of the channels may be recommended and/or executed based on a comparison effectiveness metrics determined.

Abstract: One aspect of the disclosure relates to providing dynamic and static contest prize allocation based on in-game achievement of a user in an online game in order to encourage players to continue to purchase items to improve their tournament metrics even if they may be unable to improve their tournament rank. For example, calculation of a dynamic prize may comprise for rank x, the player may gain 1 prize unit for every y Glory gained (when Glory may be the measured by the tournament). The y value may increase for lower ranks achieved in the tournament.

Abstract: Facilitating entry and/or selection of one or more awards associated with a secondary game to increase the probability of obtaining a more desirable award. Access to a secondary game may be selectively provided, to players of an online game, to facilitate player participations in individual episodes of the secondary game. A set of potential awards may be obtained together with a set of award probabilities for the set of potential awards. Entry and/or selection of one or more of the potential awards in the set of potential awards to be removed from or replaced in the set of potential awards to create an adjusted set of potential awards, may be received from the player. A first potential may be selected based on the award probabilities and distributed to the first player for use within the online game.

Abstract: A system and method for providing offers to facilitate users to complete active game actions in a game space are disclosed. Offers to forego a group of pending wait periods of active game actions may be generated and presented to the users at the same time or near the same time along with offers to forego these pending wait periods individually and separately. In some examples, for incentivizing the users to accept the offer to forego the group of pending wait periods, a discount may be determined for these offers with respect to the offers to forego the group of pending wait periods individually and separately. In some examples, selection of the group of pending wait periods may be made based on likelihoods as to whether the users will spend stored consideration to forego the group of pending wait periods individually and separately.

Abstract: A system and method for providing online games on client devices based on capabilities of the client devices are disclosed. Device capability information may be obtained from the client devices during the online game. Values of one or more capability parameters may be determined based on the device capability information obtained. Device profiles may be assigned to the client devices based on the determined values of the capability parameters. One or more game features may be adjusted in accordance with the assigned device profile for implementing the online game on the client devices. The adjustable game features may include frame rate, level of detail of rendering, level of 3D graphics, level of collision effects, animation type, gameplay available for user interaction, gameplay content for user interaction, communication mode, physics effects available for display, level of artificial intelligence, and/or any other features of the online game.

Abstract: One aspect of the disclosure relates to a system configured to provide a virtual space, in accordance with one or more implementations. Users of virtual spaces may encounter barriers in a game. During these barriers, users may receive and/or provide assistance to other affiliation members. One aspect of the disclosure relates to allowing affiliations or other groups to utilize in-game items to assist other players in game progress in an online game. This may incent positive player actions towards affiliation members, may enhance engagement between affiliation members, may provide an incentive for users to join an affiliation, and/or have other results. These results may ultimately contribute to enhanced retention, enhanced monetization, enhanced user satisfaction, and/or other enhancements.

Abstract: A shop interface is presented to users in conjunction with presentation of views of an online game, wherein the shop interface is configured to facilitate presentations to users of offers to sell virtual items usable within the game in exchange for consideration. In response to detecting that the online game is systematically unavailable to users, an alternative virtual shop interface is presented to users that is accessed over the Internet separately from the online game, and offers to sell the virtual times usable within the game are presented to users in exchange for less consideration than the offers to sell the virtual items through the shop interface presented in conjunction with the online game.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating a user to initiate and accept an assistance request through a chat session is disclosed. Controls may be provided in a graphical chat interface to enable the user to specify inputs to request assistance from other users participating in the chat session. An assistance request may be generated and communicated to those users through the chat session. Graphical representation for the assistance request and controls that facilitate the users to accept the assistance request may be provided in the graphical chat interface. Upon an acceptance to the assistance request by a responding user through the graphical chat interface, an assistance command may be generated and executed in the virtual space.

Abstract: A system and method configured to enhance gameplay between users in an online game and to provide enhanced interest in virtual goods associated with collections of virtual goods through the ability to rotate drop rates associated with these virtual goods from time to time. The system and method includes the provision of functionality which allows providers of online games to periodically rotate drop rates associated with mystery boxes in order to maintain and/or generate additional interest in specific mystery boxes. As a result, it is possible for game operators to enhance revenue opportunities associated with these boxes even in the case where such boxes have been available for a relatively lengthy period of time and/or where players would have otherwise lost interest in specific boxes.

Abstract: A game provided to users of a game space may include a task to be performed by the users. A plurality of virtual chance items may be composed. Individual ones of the virtual chance items may be configured to be activated by the users in the game space to obtain virtual awards in the game space. The virtual awards may include one or more primary awards and one or more secondary awards. Composing the virtual chance items may include determining probabilities that the individual virtual chance items will provide a primary award and/or a secondary award upon activation. The virtual chance items may be distributed to the users that complete the task responsive to these users completing the task. The virtual awards may be provided to the users in accordance with the probabilities assigned to the virtual chance items in response to the users activating the virtual chance items.

Abstract: Participation by multiple users in an online game through client computing platforms associated with the users is facilitated. User accounts associated with the users indicate affiliations having a functional significance between users. Presentation of offers to sell virtual items are provided to users having a first affiliation and to users having a second affiliation. The virtual items associated with the offers are distributed to the users having a first affiliation upon an indication that a threshold number of users having the first affiliation have accepted the offer and are not distributed to users having a second affiliation upon an indication that a threshold number of users having the second affiliation have not accepted the offer.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to unlocking game content for users of an online game. In implementations, affiliations between users may be established, and content may be made available to users individually based on the number of users within an affiliation. Content made available to a first user of the affiliation may be made available to the first user individually and independently from other users included in the affiliation.

Abstract: An approach to facilitating pricing of virtual containers is provided. Item prices associated with obtaining item instances of virtual items in a game space may be determined. Probabilities that container instances of virtual containers will provide individual ones of the item instances of the virtual items upon activation by users in the game space may be determined. Container prices to be associated with obtaining the container instances of the virtual containers may be determined based on the determined item prices and/or the determined probabilities. A store interface may present offers to the users to purchase the container instances of the virtual containers at the determined container prices.

Abstract: Systems and methods for incentivizing user participation in gameplay events that take place in an online game are presented herein. The gameplay events may include one or more time intervals that take place during the duration of the gameplay event. The time intervals may be associated with incentivizing one or more actions and/or activities by the users during the intervals. The users may be distributed awards based on their performance during the intervals. The awards associated with time interval performance may impact awards distributed based on final ranking in the gameplay event.

Abstract: This disclosure relates to adjusting individualized content made available to users of an online game based on user gameplay information. In implementations, information relating to prospective usage of the online game is used to classify users according by user type, and content made available to the users is customized accordingly. Information relating to prospective usage may include predictive information such as demographic and geographic information, as well as game usage information for the users. User types may include resource collection, player versus player, and player versus environment. Customized content may include content made available to the users through the users in-game actions, such as exploring a map, researching a technology or skill, purchasing an in-game item, and completing an in-game achievement, including in-game items, in-game powers, in-game skills, in-game technologies, in-game pets, in-game transportation units, in-game units, and in-game buildings.

Abstract: An approach to facilitating identity-recognition-based promotions using virtual containers is provided. A first virtual container may be associated with a first virtual item set and identified by a first container identifier. Container instances of the first virtual container that are purchased through a store interface during a first time period may be configured to be activated by users in a game space to obtain item instances of virtual items of the first virtual item set. The first virtual container may be modified to be associated with a second virtual item set and identified by the first container identifier. Container instances of the first virtual container that are purchased during a second time period may be container instances of the modified first virtual container that are configured to be activated by the users in the game space to obtain item instances of virtual items of the second virtual item set.

Abstract: A system and method for providing positional error correction for particles of destructible objects in a three-dimensional volume in a virtual space includes electronic storage to store center-of-mass information of a set of objects, using a high-precision floating point format. Prior to runtime and/or interactive manipulation of the set of objects, a texture map is generated that includes positional information in a floating point format having less precision than the high-precision floating point format. A simulation uses this texture map to determine simulated center-of-mass information of the set of objects. This simulated center-of-mass information is compared with the previously stored center-of-mass information to determine which objects have positional errors, and which offsets are needed to correct the positional errors.

Abstract: A system and method for facilitating lighting of objects during interactive gameplay by users on client computing platforms distinguishes activities performed prior to interactive gameplay and during interactive gameplay. Different client computing platforms may have different levels of graphics performance. Lighting may be defined by characteristics of one or more light sources that illuminate one or more objects in a multi-dimensional volume in a virtual space. Different lighting techniques or lighting features may be combined to create lighting during interactive gameplay. Some lighting techniques or lighting features may only be available and/or supported on high-performance computing platforms, whereas other lighting features may be available even on low-performance computing platforms.