Patent Application
20090210301
In recent years, massively multiplayer online (“MMO”) computer applications, such as massively multiplayer online role-playing games (“MMORPGs”), have become extremely popular not only with serious gamers, but also with casual gamers and other Internet users. One example of a MMO computer application enables a participant to create and develop a fictional character in a virtual world. The fictional character is usually associated with an avatar or some other visual representation that enables other participants to recognize the particular fictional character. A given participant may develop, among other things, a storyline, a reputation, and attributes of her fictional character by interacting in the virtual world via the fictional character. Other examples of MMO computer applications may not involve the creation of a virtual world representation of the participant.
The virtual world typically includes an environment with a variety of virtual locations containing a variety of virtual objects. In some cases, the virtual locations and the virtual objects mimic realistic locations and objects, while in other cases, the virtual locations and virtual objects are fanciful creations. MMO computer applications generally permit the fictional character to travel across the virtual locations and interact with the virtual objects and other fictional characters.
Advertising in the modern age has proven to be increasingly challenging. In particular, conventional advertising techniques have become less effective especially in recent times. Consumers are now provided with substantially more entertainment options than just a few years ago, thereby reducing the number of consumers that are exposed to a given advertisement. Further, new technologies, such as portable music players, satellite radio, and digital video recorders (“DVRs”), have allowed the users to avoid or skip conventional advertisements entirely.
As advertisers try to find ways to reach more consumers, one advertising medium that has become more attractive are virtual worlds, like MMO computer applications. The number of participants in MMO computer applications has steadily increased in recent times, and this trend shows little, if any, signs of reversing. Further, MMO computer applications provide a single entertainment destination for many Internet users and gamers, thereby enabling advertisers to reach a larger number of consumers through a single advertising medium. As computer and Internet technologies continue to improve to provide more and better ways to include real-world advertisements within the virtual world, MMO computer applications will continue to grow as a significant advertising medium.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the disclosure made herein is presented.
Technologies are described herein for providing customized content to a participant of a virtual world. In particular, through the utilization of the technologies and concepts presented herein, a content provider may acquire from another source and/or directly collect context data associated with the participant. The context data may include any suitable data related to the participation by the participant of the virtual world. Examples of the customized content include customized advertisements and customized search results. By customizing the advertisements and search results based on the context data, the advertisements and search results can be better targeted and more relevant to the participant.
According to one aspect presented herein, a computer program provides customized content based on context data from a participant of a virtual world. The computer program receives the context data based on participation by the participant of the virtual world. The computer program generates the customized content for the participant based on the context data and provides the customized content to the participant via the virtual world.
It should be appreciated that although the features presented herein are described in the context of a MMO computer application, these features may be utilized with any type of virtual world or environment including, but not limited to, other types of games as well as online social communities. It should also be appreciated that the above-described subject matter may also be implemented as a computer-controlled apparatus, a computer process, a computing system, or as an article of manufacture such as a computer-readable medium. These and various other features will be apparent from a reading of the following Detailed Description and a review of the associated drawings.
This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter, nor is it intended that this Summary be used to limit the scope of the claimed subject matter. Furthermore, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any or all disadvantages noted in any part of this disclosure.
The following detailed description is directed to technologies for providing customized content to a participant of a virtual world based on context data associated with the participant. Through the utilization of the technologies and concepts presented herein, a content provider can provide customized content to the participant that is more targeted and more relevant. In one example, an advertiser can provide a customized advertisement to the participant based on the context data. In another example, a search engine can provide more relevant and better ranked results to the participant based on the context data.
While the subject matter described herein is presented in the general context of program modules that execute in conjunction with the execution of an operating system and application programs on a computer system, those skilled in the art will recognize that other implementations may be performed in combination with other types of program modules. Generally, program modules include routines, programs, components, data structures, and other types of structures that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the subject matter described herein may be practiced with other computer system configurations, including hand-held devices, multiprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, and the like.
As used herein, the term virtual world refers to a computer-implemented environment, which may include simulated, lifelike environments as well as fanciful, non-existing environments. Exemplary virtual worlds may include any massively multiplayer online (“MMO”) computer application including, but not limited to, massively multiplayer online role-playing games (“MMORPGs”), virtual social communities, and virtual reality computer applications. In one embodiment, the MMO computer application simulates a real world environment. For example, the virtual world may be defined by a number of rules, such as the presence of gravity or the lack thereof. In other embodiments, the MMO computer application includes a fanciful environment that does not simulate a real world environment.
The virtual world may be inhabited by avatars, which are virtual or symbolic representations of real world participants (hereinafter referred to as participants). As such, each avatar is typically associated with and controlled by a particular participant. Avatars may include two-dimensional and/or three-dimensional images. Through the virtual world, the avatars may interact with other avatars, as well as with virtual objects. Virtual objects may include virtual representations of real world objects, such as houses, cars, billboards, clothes, and soda cans, as well as fanciful creations, such as a teleportation machine or a flying car. The avatars and the virtual objects utilized in the virtual world may or may not be animated images.
As used herein, the term “context data” may include any suitable data associated with the participation by the participant of the virtual world. The context data may include current data as well as historical data dating back to a previous time. For example, the context data may include locations within the virtual world that the participant has visited, the other participants of the virtual world with which the participant has interacted or communicated, and the purchases or other commercial transactions the participant has made via the virtual world.
To further increase the effectiveness of the context data, the context data may also include other relevant data retrieved from the computer utilized by the participant to access the virtual world. In one example, the context data may include data associated with the participant's web browsing habits. In this case, the context data may include, among other information, the websites that the participant has visited and the amount of time the participant spends at each website. In another example, the context data may include the location of the participant.
For the sake of simplicity, the embodiments described herein primarily refer to the application of context data for providing customized advertisements and customized search results via the virtual world. However, it should be appreciated that other types of customized content may be provided to the participant. Further, the customized content may be provided to the participant apart from the virtual world. In particular, the context data may be utilized to customize any suitable content where data regarding the participant's interaction via a computer or a particular computer application is relevant.
In the following detailed description, references are made to the accompanying drawings that form a part hereof, and which are shown by way of illustration specific embodiments or examples. Referring now to the drawings, in which like numerals represent like elements through the several figures, aspects of a computing system and methodology for providing advertising in a virtual world will be described. In particular,
The client device 104 may be any suitable processor-based device, such as a computer or a gaming device. Exemplary gaming devices include the XBOX and the XBOX 360 from MICROSOFT CORPORATION, the WII from NINTENDO COMPANY, LIMITED, and the PLAYSTATION 3 and the PSP from SONY CORPORATION. Although not so illustrated in
As shown in
The virtual world client module 120 may include any suitable component for accessing the virtual world server module 110. In one example, the virtual world client module 120 may be a computer application configured to locally provide at least a portion of the virtual world for the client device 104. In this way, the amount of data retrieved from the server computer 102 by the client device 104 to generate the virtual world may be reduced. In another example, the virtual world client module 120 may be a web browser configured to retrieve the virtual world from the virtual world server module 110. Since many public computers, such as those found in Internet cafes, commonly have a web browser installed and prohibit the installation of new computer applications, providing participants a way to access the virtual world via the web browser may provide greater accessibility and convenience.
As shown in
Once the context data 122 has been collected by the context data module 116 and stored in the context data database 118, the context data 122 may be utilized by advertising module 112 and the search module 114. According to exemplary embodiments, the advertising module 112 generates a customized advertisement 124, in accordance with the context data 122, and provides the customized advertisement 124 to the participant via the virtual world client module 120 and the virtual world server module 110. Further, according to exemplary embodiments, the search module 114 generates customized search results 126, in accordance with the context data 122, and provides the customized search results 126 to the participant via the virtual world client module 120 and the virtual world server module 110. The operations of the advertising module 112, the search module 114, and the context data module 116 are described in greater detail below with reference to
When a participant desires to access the virtual world, the participant may initiate the virtual world client module 120 to establish a session with the virtual world server module 110 via the network 108. During the session, the virtual world server module 110 may transmit data (e.g., environment layouts, avatar movements of other participants) associated with the virtual world to the virtual world client module 120. Similarly, the virtual world client module 120 may transmit data from associated input devices to the virtual world server module 110. The virtual world client module 120 may further interact with the advertising module 112 to provide the customized advertisement 124 or the search module 114 to provide the customized search results 126 to the participant via the virtual world. Alternatively, the virtual world server module 110 may act as a conduit between the virtual world client module 120 and the advertising module 112 or between the virtual world client module 120 and the search module 114 such that virtual world client module 120 need not directly communicate with the advertising module 112 or the search module 114.
Turning now to
In an illustrative example, the screenshot 200 includes virtual world window 210 and an advertisement window 212. As shown in
The context data 122 may also include personal data about the participant 202 who controls the avatar 206. For example, the context data 122 may include data regarding where the participant 202 is located. The location of the participant 202, as well as other relevant data, may be determined by a variety of ways including, but not limited to, a questionnaire filled out by the participant 202, an Internet Protocol (“IP”) address associated with the client device 104, or a Hypertext Transfer Protocol (“HTTP”) cookie transmitted to the participant 202 via the client device 104. Other examples of relevant personal data may include the income of the participant 202, the marital status of the participant 202, and data indicating a level of interest in the SEATTLE SUPERSONICS, the HOUSTON ROCKETS, or the NBA in general (e.g., previous ticket purchases). For the sake of illustration, it is assumed that the context data 122 includes data indicating that the participant 202 is located in the Seattle area, is an avid SEATTLE SUPERSONICS fan with a high income, and is married.
Upon collecting the context data 122, the context data module 116 may store the context data 122 in the context data database 118. In one embodiment, the context data 122 is associated with the participant 202. Thus, multiple participants may each be associated with a particular set of context data. The context data 122 may include current information (e.g., a concurrent instance of the virtual world) and/or historical information (e.g., prior instances of the virtual world).
Continuing with the illustrative example, the advertising module 112 may analyze the context data 122 to generate the customized advertisement 124. As illustrated in
In one embodiment, the customized advertisement 124 includes a link to a website at which the participant 202 can purchase the advertised vacation package. In another embodiment, the customized advertisement 124 enables the participant 202 to purchase the vacation package within the virtual world. The customized advertisement 124 may be in any suitable multimedia format, such as text, images, audio, video, or a combination thereof.
Turning now to
The search module 114 receives the search term 248 from the input window 244 and generates the customized search results 126 based on the context data 122 and the search term 248. The customized search results 126 may also be ranked based on the context data 122. The search module 114 may be a commercial search engine, such as GOOGLE search, or a non-commercial search engine, such as a dedicated search engine within the virtual world. Search engines are well-known in the art, and therefore not described in further detail herein.
As illustrated in
Referring now to
It should be appreciated that the logical operations described herein are implemented (1) as a sequence of computer implemented acts or program modules running on a computing system and/or (2) as interconnected machine logic circuits or circuit modules within the computing system. The implementation is a matter of choice dependent on the performance and other requirements of the computing system. Accordingly, the logical operations described herein are referred to variously as states operations, structural devices, acts, or modules. These operations, structural devices, acts, and modules may be implemented in software, in firmware, in special purpose digital logic, and any combination thereof. It should be appreciated that more or fewer operations may be performed than shown in the figures and described herein. These operations may also be performed in a different order than those described herein.
Referring to
The context data module 116 may also monitor the type of communications made with the other participants. In yet another embodiment, the context data module 116 monitors the commercial transactions made by the participant 202 within the virtual world. For example, the context data 122 may include data specifying the virtual stores visited by the participant 202, the items purchased by the participant 202, the amount of money spent, and the frequency of purchases. In other embodiments, the context data 122 may include any suitable information associated with the participant 202. The context data 122 may also include information separate from the virtual world, such as information provided in a questionnaire filled out by the participant 202 or a HTTP cookie transmitted to the participant 202. Upon receiving the context data 122, the routine 300 proceeds to operation 304.
At operation 304, the context advertising module 112 generates the customized advertisement 124 based on the context data 122. For example, if the participant 202 is located in Seattle and shows an interest in a basketball game between the SEATTLE SUPERSONICS and the HOUSTON ROCKETS, the customized advertisement 124 may be a vacation package including, among other things, airfare from Seattle to Houston and tickets to the basketball game. Upon generating the customized advertisement 124, the routine 300 proceeds to operation 306.
At operation 306, the context advertising module 112 provides the customized advertisement 124 to the participant 202. In one embodiment, the customized advertisement 124 is provided to the participant 202 while the participant 202 is interacting with the virtual world. The customized advertisement 124 may be displayed on the same screen separate from the virtual world or directly within the virtual world. The customized advertisement 124 may be displayed in any suitable multimedia format, such as text, images, audio, video, or a combination thereof. The customized advertisement 124 may also include a link to a website where the participant 202 can purchase the item advertisement in the customized advertisement 124.
Referring to
At operation 326, the search module 114 generates customized search results 126 based on the context data 122 as well as the search term 248. By utilizing the context data 122, the customized search results 126 may be more relevant for the participant 202 than conventional search engines. In one embodiment, the customized search results 126 include search results retrieved based on the context data 122 and the search term 248. In another embodiment, the customized search results 126 include search results from a conventional search engine that are ranked based on the context data 122. In yet another embodiment, the customized search results 126 include results retrieved and ranked based on the context data 122 and the search term 248. Upon retrieving the customized search results 126, the routine 320 proceeds to operation 328, where the customized search results 126 are provided to the participant 202.
Referring now to
By way of example, and not limitation, computer-readable media may include volatile and non-volatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any method or technology for storage of information such as computer-readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other data. For example, computer-readable media includes, but is not limited to, RAM, ROM, EPROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other solid state memory technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (“DVD”), HD-DVD, BLU-RAY, or other optical storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage or other magnetic storage devices, or any other medium which can be used to store the desired information and which can be accessed by the computer 400.
According to various embodiments, the computer 400 may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to remote computers through a network such as the network 108. The computer 400 may connect to the network 108 through a network interface unit 410 connected to the bus 406. It should be appreciated that the network interface unit 410 may also be utilized to connect to other types of networks and remote computer systems. The computer 400 may also include an input/output controller 408 for receiving and processing input from a number of input devices (not shown), including a keyboard, a mouse, a microphone, and a game controller. Similarly, the input/output controller 408 may provide output to a display or other type of output device (not shown).
Based on the foregoing, it should be appreciated that technologies for providing customized content based on context data to a participant via the virtual world are presented herein. Although the subject matter presented herein has been described in language specific to computer structural features, methodological acts, and computer readable media, it is to be understood that the invention defined in the appended claims is not necessarily limited to the specific features, acts, or media described herein. Rather, the specific features, acts and mediums are disclosed as example forms of implementing the claims.
The subject matter described above is provided by way of illustration only and should not be construed as limiting. Various modifications and changes may be made to the subject matter described herein without following the example embodiments and applications illustrated and described, and without departing from the true spirit and scope of the present invention, which is set forth in the following claims.
