Video Game Progress Tracking for Collective Achievement Rewards

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current video game systems lack an efficient method to track and reward collective user progress towards achieving video game objectives, limiting user engagement and collaboration across multiple players.

Innovation Solution

A data processing apparatus that stores achievement data and progress data for video games, updates individual and combined user progress, and associates indicator data with users who meet or exceed target properties, facilitating the creation of communities and rewards for collective achievements.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If traditional individual achievement tracking is used, then user progress monitoring is simple, but user engagement and collaboration are limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser engagementVSAvoidprogress tracking system
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The achievement system is segmented into individual user progress tracking and combined community progress tracking. Each user has their own progress data stored separately, which can then be aggregated to form combined progress. This allows the system to handle both individual and collective achievements without overwhelming complexity.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The system adds a new dimension to achievement tracking by introducing combined user progress alongside individual progress. This transforms the system from tracking single-dimension individual achievements to multi-dimensional tracking that includes both individual and aggregate community progress, enabling new collaboration features.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #17Another dimension (Dimensionality change)

2Adaptability or versatility

If collective progress tracking is implemented, then user collaboration is enhanced, but data storage and processing complexity increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecollaboration capabilityVSAvoiddata processing system
Core Design Contradiction:
Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The progress data structure is designed to serve multiple functions: it tracks individual user progress, calculates combined community progress, and enables both individual and group achievement awards. This multi-functional design reduces the need for separate data structures for different tracking purposes.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

Solution Approach 2:

The system stores combined progress data as an aggregation of individual progress data rather than maintaining completely separate tracking systems. The combined progress can be derived by copying and aggregating individual user progress records, reducing overall data storage requirements while enabling collaboration features.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #26Copying

3Productivity

If individual achievements are awarded, then user motivation is maintained, but community engagement is limited

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveuser motivationVSAvoidcommunity engagement
Core Design Contradiction:
ProductivityVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The system merges individual achievement awards with community achievement awards. When users complete individual achievements, they receive personal recognition. Additionally, when combined community progress reaches targets, all contributing users receive community-wide recognition, combining both individual and collective motivation mechanisms.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The system implements feedback loops where users receive notifications about both their individual progress toward personal achievements and their contribution to combined community achievements. This dual feedback mechanism maintains individual motivation while simultaneously fostering community engagement and collaboration.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #23Feedback

Data Source

PatentEP4442338A1Apparatus and methods for video games
Publication Date: 2024.10.09 SONY INTERACTIVE ENTERTAINMENT LLC
  • EP4442338A1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4442338A1 patent drawingFigure 2~3
  • EP4442338A1 patent drawingFigure 4~5

AI summary

A data processing apparatus comprises storage circuitry to store achievement data specifying one or more target properties to be achieved for a video game and progress data, the progress data being indicative of a combined user progress with respect to one or more of the target properties and a plurality of individual user progresses, wherein each of the plurality of individual user progresses corresponds to a progress of a respective user and the combined user progress corresponds to a combination of the plurality of individual user progresses, update circuitry to update the progress data in response to game session data for respective game sessions of the video game by respective users, and control circuitry, wherein in response to the combined user progress being indicative of meeting or exceeding one or more of the target properties, the control circuitry is configured to associate indicator data with at least some of the respective users for which the individual user progress contributes to the combined user progress.