Game Channels in Messaging Applications

Abstract

In one embodiment, a method includes analyzing, by a game bot, one or more first in-game actions of a first user playing a game from inside a first thread on a messaging application running on the first client system of the first user; identifying, by the game bot using a gamer graph associated with the first user, a second user for engaging in the game with the first user based on the first in-game actions of the first user; receiving, from the game bot, a request to initiate a second message thread between the game bot and the second user on the messaging application running on a second client system of the second user; and sending, by the game bot to the second client system of the second user, instructions for presenting a customized message inside the second message thread.

1 . A method comprising, by one or more computer systems:
 analyzing, by a game bot, one or more first in-game actions of a first user playing a game from inside a first message thread on a messaging application running on the first client system of the first user, the game bot being a software agent configured to act automatically on behalf of the game;   identifying, by the game bot using a gamer graph associated with the first user, a second user for engaging in the game with the first user based on the first in-game actions of the first user, the gamer graph indicating a connection between the first user and the second user with respect to the game;   receiving, from the game bot, a request to initiate a second message thread between the game bot and the second user on the messaging application running on a second client system of the second user; and   sending, by the game bot to the second client system of the second user, instructions for presenting a customized message inside the second message thread, the customized message comprising at least a first interactive action button for the second user to engage in the game with the first user.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 sending, by the game bot to the first client system of the first user, a suggestion to add the identified second user to play the game with the first user; and   receiving, by the game bot from the first client system of the first user, a user confirmation to add the identified second user to engage in the game with the first user,   wherein the request to initiate the second message thread between the game bot and the second user is responsive to receiving the user confirmation from the first user.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the game is a multiplayer game. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the game bot, a user input, via the first interactive action button, indicating a confirmation from the second user to engage in the game with the first user;   in response to receiving the user input, receiving, from the game bot, a request to initiate a third message thread between the game bot, the first user, and the second user;   generating an anonymized context identifier (ID) for the third message thread;   providing the context ID to the game bot associated with the game, wherein the context ID is used by the game bot to interact with the first and second users associated with the third message thread; and   sending, by the game bot using the context ID, instructions for presenting a game window within the third message thread on one or more instances of messaging applications running on the first and second client systems associated with the first and second users, respectively.   
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the game window comprises:
 a live gameplay of the game; and   one or more second interactive action buttons operable to allow the first and second users to perform one or more second in-game actions with respect to the game.   
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 5 , wherein the game bot runs in the background of the game and analyzes the one or more second in-game actions of the first and second users, and wherein content presented within the game window by the game bot is based on the one or more second in-game actions. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 4 , wherein the game window comprises one or more of:
 a user progress indicator indicating current status of one or more of the first user or the second user with respect to the game;   a game status indicator indicating current status of the game; or   an action indicator indicating (1) the first user or the second user who performed a last in-game action in the game session and (2) the first user or the second user who has to perform a next in-game action in the game session.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 4 , further comprising:
 generating, for each of the first and second users, a hashed user identifier (ID); and   providing the hashed user ID associated with each of the first and second users to the game bot associated with the game, wherein:
 the hashed user ID associated with the first user is used by the game bot to interact with the first user in the first message thread; and 
 the hashed user ID associated with the second user is used by the game bot to interact with the second user in the second message thread. 
   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8 , wherein:
 the context ID is used by the game bot to interact with a group of users associated with the third message thread; and   the hashed user ID is used by the game bot to interact with an individual user in the first message thread or the second message thread that is different from the third message thread associated with the context ID.   
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the gamer graph comprises a plurality of nodes and a plurality of edges connecting the nodes, each of the edges between two of the nodes representing a single degree of separation between them, the nodes comprising:
 a first user node corresponding to the first user;   a plurality of second user nodes corresponding to a plurality of second users, respectively, and   a plurality of game nodes corresponding to a plurality of games, respectively;   wherein each edge connecting a user node to a game node represents an interaction by the user corresponding to the user node with the game corresponding to the game node.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10 , wherein an edge connecting the first user node to a second user node corresponding to the second user represents a strength or type of relationship between the first user and the second user, and wherein the second user is identified for engaging in the game with the first user based on the edge connecting the first user node to the second user node in the gamer graph. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the software agent is generated based on software logic and instructions added by a game developer to an application programming interface (API) associated with the messaging application. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more first in-game actions comprise performance or activity of the first user inside the game. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the customized message further comprises one or more of:
 an interactive game screenshot that when interacted shows a preview of a gameplay of the first user associated with the game; or   a customizable text indicating a performance of the first user in the game.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the game is played from inside the first message thread on the messaging application via an application programming interface (API) of a game server. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining a threshold level of gaming activity by the first user;   identifying the first user as satisfying the threshold level of gaming activity; and   sending, to the first client system associated with the first user, an interface of the messaging application comprising a games-tab element, wherein the games-tab element is selectable by the first user to request a games tab comprising a list of games, and wherein the first user accesses the game from the games tab.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein determining the threshold level of gaming activity by the first user comprises one or more of:
 determining whether the first user has played one or more games more than a threshold number of times within a predefined time period; or   determining whether the first user has viewed gameplay of other users for the one or more games more than the threshold number of times within the predefined time period.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , further comprising:
 sending, to the first client system associated with the first user, instructions for updating the games tab on the messaging application, wherein the games tab is updated to incorporate the first message thread with the game.   
     
     
         19 . One or more computer-readable non-transitory storage media embodying software that is operable when executed to:
 analyze, by a game bot, one or more first in-game actions of a first user playing a game from inside a first message thread on a messaging application running on the first client system of the first user, the game bot being a software agent configured to act automatically on behalf of the game;   identify, by the game bot using a gamer graph associated with the first user, a second user for engaging in the game with the first user based on the first in-game actions of the first user, the gamer graph indicating a connection between the first user and the second user with respect to the game;   receive, from the game bot, a request to initiate a second message thread between the game bot and the second user on the messaging application running on a second client system of the second user; and   send, by the game bot to the second client system of the second user, instructions for presenting a customized message inside the second message thread, the customized message comprising at least a first interactive action button for the second user to engage in the game with the first user.   
     
     
         20 . A system comprising: one or more processors; and a non-transitory memory coupled to the processors comprising instructions executable by the processors, the processors operable when executing the instructions to:
 analyze, by a game bot, one or more first in-game actions of a first user playing a game from inside a first message thread on a messaging application running on the first client system of the first user, the game bot being a software agent configured to act automatically on behalf of the game;   identify, by the game bot using a gamer graph associated with the first user, a second user for engaging in the game with the first user based on the first in-game actions of the first user, the gamer graph indicating a connection between the first user and the second user with respect to the game;   receive, from the game bot, a request to initiate a second message thread between the game bot and the second user on the messaging application running on a second client system of the second user; and   send, by the game bot to the second client system of the second user, instructions for presenting a customized message inside the second message thread, the customized message comprising at least a first interactive action button for the second user to engage in the game with the first user.