Abstract: A method of encouraging actions by users with respect to a game networking system is disclosed. An indication of a presence of a user of a game networking system at a physical location is received. An opportunity for the user to perform an action within a game associated with the game networking system to obtain an achievement pertaining to the game is identified. The availability of the opportunity is triggered based on the presence of the user at the physical location. A notification to the user of information pertaining to the opportunity is communicated.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for executing a computer game. One method includes an operation for setting an initial value to the jackpot of a first player. The jackpot of the first player is increased based on each bet by the first player in the computer game. Additionally, the jackpot of the first player is increased based on each bet made by friends of the first player in the computer game. The friends of the first player have a social connection with the first player, and the jackpot of the first player is independent from bets in the computer game of players that are not friends of the first player. The method further includes an operation for resetting the jackpot of the first player to the initial value when the first player or when any friend of the first player wins the jackpot.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs for sharing a game play over a social network include executing a play session of a game. During execution of the play session, an option is provided to share a portion of the game on a social network. In response to receiving a request to share the portion of the game, an instance of the game is generated at a time when the request is received and is posted to a stream of the social network. The instance of the game inherits a current state of the play session. A reward is generated to a user account that plays the instance in the stream and to the user that initiates the sharing of the portion of the game upon the user playing the instance of the game claims the reward.

Abstract: Methods and computer programs for providing animation to online roulette game during game play include providing data for enabling an interface on a device used for playing the online roulette game. The interface renders a grid identifying bet entries and a roulette wheel on which a ball is provided to determine outcome of the roulette game. A number on the grid on which a bet has been placed, is identified. A number is randomly generated to determine outcome of the roulette game. The number corresponds with a specific one of the plurality of slots defined in the roulette wheel in which the ball is to land. Graphical animation is provided at the roulette wheel to provide visual indication of the outcome of the roulette game as the ball is caused to move around the roulette wheel toward the specific slot in the roulette wheel corresponding to the generated number.

Abstract: Systems and methods for processing recommendations of online games to friends of social network are described. A method for processing recommendations includes identifying a gaming session of a user on an online game provider network, accessing a use profile of the user for the online games of the online game provider network, and accessing a social graph of the user to identify friends of the user and respective friend profiles from the social network. The method further includes producing a recommendation of an online game. The recommendation includes an identification of a target friend of the user and is being provided by examination of the use profile of the user and friend profiles in the social graph. The method includes providing the recommendation to the user. The recommendation also includes an offer incentive to the user to share the recommendation with the target friend.

Abstract: A method for testing a new feature of an online gaming application is provided, including: receiving a gaming application request from a user; determining whether to add the user to a live test for a new game feature; if the user is added to the live test, then determining whether to assign the user to a test group or a control group; if the user is assigned to the test group, then, providing a gaming application including the new game feature enabled, evaluating gaming activity and social network activity of the user; if the user is assigned to the control group, then, providing the gaming application without the new game feature enabled, evaluating gaming activity and social network activity of the user.

Abstract: A network security system receives a request from a user over a network to access a network application. The system verifies user credentials for the user. The user credentials include a user identifier and specify a social network. The user is redirected to the social network for authentication. The system queries a rule-set database using the user identifier and an integer representation of the social network. The rule-set database includes recommendations as to access determined by a security application based at least in part on a known memory state for the user associated with the user identifier. Then the system blocks access by the user to the network application based on a recommendation in the rule-set database.

Abstract: According to a method for enabling online game play in a content stream, a website logon is received from a user of a computing device and an associated profile is retrieved. The content stream associated with the profile is displayed in a GUI presented by the computing device. The content stream includes a view of an online game. The view associated with the game is updated in response to a game move. The game move results from input from the user and the view associated with the game continues to be displayed in the content stream.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for executing a game. One method includes an operation for detecting a petition for help from a first player to a second player to obtain a first game asset for the first player. The petition is sent to the second player notifying the second player that a game asset needed by the second player would be awarded to the second player for helping the first player. Further, the method includes operations for detecting that the second player has performed a game operation to help the first player based on the petition, and for determining a second game asset that the second player needs for making progress in the game in response to the game operation to help. After the determination, the second game asset is awarded to the second player.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for executing an online game. One method includes an operation for executing a first game board for a first user and a second game board for a second user. The first game board is created when the first user plays the game for the first time and the second game board is created when the second user plays the game for the first time. The method further includes operations for detecting a visit by the second user to the first game board, and for detecting a request by the second user to place a game asset in the first game board. The game asset is installed in the first game board when the first user approves the request, and the second user obtains one or more game rewards when the first user interacts with the game asset while playing the online game.

Abstract: A method of combining games suited for synchronous play with games suited for asynchronous play is disclosed. It is identified that a first player and a second player are playing a primary game. The primary game has been determined to require the first player and the second player to be online simultaneously while they are playing the primary game. The first player and a third player are provided with an option to play a secondary game simultaneously with the first game. The secondary game is adapted such that it is determined that the secondary game does not require the first player and the third player to be online simultaneously while they are playing the secondary game.

Abstract: A system, computer-readable storage medium storing at least one program, and a computer-implemented method for modifying a game state of a player of a social game are presented. A first location of a first virtual object and a second location of a second virtual object in a virtual world of a social game are identified, where the first virtual object is associated with a first social contact of a player of the social game and the second virtual object is associated with a second social contact of the player of the social game. A location adjacency metric for the first virtual object and the second virtual object is determined using the first location and the second location. A social adjacency metric for the first virtual object and the second virtual object is determined. A game state for the player is modified using the location adjacency metric and the social adjacency metric.

Abstract: Methods, systems, and computer programs are presented for executing a computer game. One method includes an operation for setting an initial value to the jackpot of a first player. The jackpot of the first player is increased based on each bet by the first player in the computer game. Additionally, the jackpot of the first player is increased based on each bet made by friends of the first player in the computer game. The friends of the first player have a social connection with the first player, and the jackpot of the first player is independent from bets in the computer game of players that are not friends of the first player. The method further includes an operation for resetting the jackpot of the first player to the initial value when the first player or when any friend of the first player wins the jackpot.

Abstract: The APPARATUSES, METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR AN ONLINE BEHAVIOR MONITOR (“OBM”) transform user social-gaming behavioral pattern data via various OBM components into online social-gaming experience customizations. In one embodiment, the OBM may generate individual social-gaming activity timelines for a group of users within a geographical region using user online gaming pattern and social activity data. The OBM may calculate individual time-varying activity level graphs for the users, as well as an aggregate activity level graph. The OBM may identify an activity trough in the aggregate activity level graph, and an event in the geographical region corresponding to the activity level trough. Based on keywords corresponding to the event, the OBM may obtain product results from a product database.

Abstract: A method and system to host a computer-implemented multiplayer game includes functionality to identify and resolve conflicts resulting from asynchronous game play. Client system game state information that changes responsive to in-game actions performed on a client system is intermittently synchronized with authoritative game state information, during which the in-game actions may be validated. Actions that fail a prerequisite check based on the authoritative game state information are analyzed in automated fashion to determine whether they are redundant actions that fail the prerequisite check owing to their having been performed with respect to outdated client system game state information. One or more remedial actions are performed for respective redundant actions, e.g., by allowing the redundant action and modifying the game state, by restoring spent resources to affected players, or by disallowing both the redundant action and an associated preempting action.

Abstract: This disclosure generally relates to systems and methods to provide an in-game friend object in a game instance of a multiplayer online game uniquely associated with a host player. The friend object has a unique association with a player who is a guest player with respect to the host player's game instance. A state of the friend object is automatically altered, for example deteriorating at random intervals, and can be restored subject to performance of a maintenance object by the guest player, performance of the maintenance action being limited only to the guest player. The friend object may be a display object, such as a picture frame, that displays an image associated with the guest player.

Abstract: Techniques for a compressed image with alpha channel data are described. Encoded alpha channel data from a compressed image representation may be extracted. A common type pixel run characteristic may be determined for at least one common type pixel run represented in the encoded alpha channel data. A common alpha channel value is applied, based on the common type pixel run characteristic, to pixels in a decompressed image representation correlated to the at least one common type pixel run. Pixels in the decompressed image representation correlating to at least one lookup type pixel run represented in the encoded alpha channel data may be processed. The processing may include a determination of an alpha channel value based on pixel data, specific to a pixel correlated to the lookup type pixel run, in the encoded alpha channel data and an application of the alpha channel value to the pixel.

Abstract: Systems and methods for managing jobs to be scanned based on existence of processing nodes are described. One of the methods includes obtaining identification information regarding operation of a first set of the processing nodes from an inventory and creating a job for scanning the processing nodes of the first set for security vulnerability. The job includes the identification information. The method further includes verifying the inventory to determine the first identifying information of the first set of processing nodes for removal from the job and loading the job having second identifying information for a second set of processing nodes that remain after the verifying operation.