User log-in to a user account of an online game may be incentivized by providing awards to the users for logging in. Reengagement time periods for individual ones of the user accounts may be determined. The reengagement time periods may be determined to expire at times when a user may be logged out and/or may be expected to be logged out. By way of non-limiting example, the reengagement time periods may expire during wait periods for ongoing in-game tasks. The awards may be provided based on the expiration of the reengagement time periods and the user accounts conveying satisfaction of award redemption criteria.

A software agent interfaces with an interactive game program allowing for dynamic conveyance of objects during runtime for receiving data indicative of at least one parameter relating to a player of the interactive game program and/or to the player station on which the program is run. The data is used to set a dynamic policy that is customized on-the-fly according to the at least one parameter, and which is adapted to determine one or more objects to be conveyed to the player station for dynamically embedding in the program. The dynamic policy is also adapted to determine one or more characteristics of the object and is capable of subsequent re-customization and revision during game play. The objects are retrieved and periodically conveyed to the interactive game program based on the dynamic policy for dynamically embedding in the interactive game program to interface with the game player of the interactive game program.

In example embodiments, a method of mitigating the effects of fraudulent usage of game accounts is disclosed. One or more values stored in one or more fields of a row of a database table maintained by the game networking system are received. The one or more fields correspond to features of a game account that are relevant to determining whether the game account is potentially being used fraudulently. Based on a combination of the one or more values transgressing a threshold value, it is determined that the game account is potentially being used fraudulently. At least some use of the potentially fraudulent game account is automatically locked to mitigate the effect of the potentially-fraudulent use.

A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, receiving at a computer device a plurality of stimulus signals generated by one or more gaming accessory devices of a gamer controlling a gaming application, generating a plurality of gaming stimulations based on the plurality of stimulus signals, generating a plurality of gaming action results from the gaming application responsive to the plurality of gaming stimulations, combining the plurality of gaming action results and the plurality of gaming stimulations to generate a plurality of hardware statistics associated with the gamer, and transmitting to a social network the plurality of hardware statistics associated with the gamer.

An integrated user profile is provided to PC/console gamers who also participate in other online gaming community activities such as web sites that provide online gamer forums. Provided to the users is the ability to view, access, and/or contribute to their console gamer profile using the other online gaming community activities such as participation in web sites. Also, an identity and profile first created on the web site is that which will be used and stored in game play using the PC/console and online live gaming service.

There is provided a method of synchronizing a portable device with an online user account. The method comprises establishing a first connection between the portable device and an online application, receiving data from the online application concerning the online user account, including a persona, updating the portable device with a portable user account corresponding to the online user account, including the persona, terminating the first connection between the portable device and the online application, recording modifications to the portable user account on the portable device after terminating the first connection, establishing a second connection between the portable device and the online application, uploading the modifications to the portable user account recorded on the portable device to the online application, and updating the portable user account according to modifications to the online user account performed by the online application to synchronize the portable user account with the online user account.

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may include, for example, a device that has a memory to store instructions and a processor coupled to the memory, wherein responsive to executing the instructions, the processor performs operations that include defining a group of perspectives around an avatar controlled by a player of a video game, detecting a current trigger during the video game, recording a trigger clip of game content for each perspective in the group of perspectives resulting in a group of trigger clips, wherein each trigger clip of the group of trigger clips is a portion of game content that includes the current trigger from each perspective of the group of perspectives, and providing the group of trigger clips over a communication network to a gaming device utilized by the player. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

Embodiments of the present invention provide techniques for establishing and reestablishing associations between users of game devices. In one embodiment, information about an association between a user of a first game device and a user of a second game device is stored in the nonvolatile memories of first and second game media, the first and second game media being communicatively coupled with the first and second game devices respectively. If the first game device loses track of the association (e.g., the user of the first game devices swaps out the first game medium for another one, or the memory resident on the first game medium is corrupted/erased), an association notification received at the first game device from the second game device may be used to reestablish the association at the first game device. In this manner, previously established associations between users of game devices may be automatically established/reestablished.

In certain embodiments, computer systems and methods are provided that allow a game distribution platform to distribute, update and/or control copies of games published across multiple game portals. In some embodiments, copies of the games are maintained in data storage on the game distribution platform and distributed to game portals and/or gaming devices. Additional content for purchase may also be stored on the data storage and available for purchase during a gaming session. Advantageously, in certain embodiments the game distribution platform enables game portals and/or gaming devices to receive the latest version of a game and/or a player's purchased content when a player selects to play the game.

Systems and methods for modifying game assets based on tradeable items that are associated with user accounts of users of the online gaming platform are disclosed. Exemplary implementations may: store, in electronic storage, item information associated with the tradeable items; obtain a first item identifier of a first tradeable item; obtain first user information of a first user account; link the first tradeable item with the first user account such that a first item-account connection is established; store the first item-account connection; obtain, based on the first item identifier, the first modification information; receive, from the first user, an indication of a selection of a first game asset to be modified based on the first modification information such that a first asset-item connection is established; and modify, based on the first modification information, the first attribute information in accordance with the first tradeable item.