Social networking game with prioritized message queue
A method, apparatus, and computer readable storage to implement a social networking game that enables a game server to prioritize application to user messages. A return on investment (ROI) can be computed for each potential application to user message and the application to user messages can be delivered in an order based on the computed ROI for each message. The ROI for each message can be computed based on factors such as the value of a message's recipient and/or the importance of the message. The value of a message's recipient can be based on factors such as the amount of money that recipient has spent on the game, how many friends the recipient has, how many invitations the recipient has sent to other potential players, and any other factors that are probative as to the value of the recipient to the commercial success of the game.
1. An apparatus to implement a messaging system in an application, the apparatus comprising:
a network connection; and
a server connected to the network connection, the server configured to execute computer readable instructions stored on a computer readable storage medium, the computer readable instructions programmed to cause the server to:
determine a plurality of application to user messages, each of the plurality of application to user messages with an intended recipient;
compute a score for each of the plurality of application to user messages;
determining an approved subset of the plurality of application to user messages which have scores better than a threshold score, and a remaining set of the plurality of application to user messages which do not have scores better than the threshold score; and
deliver utilizing a social networking platform the approved subset of the plurality of application to user messages but not the remaining set of the plurality of application to user messages, the approved subset of the plurality of application to user messages not comprising all of the plurality of application to user messages, while the remaining set of the plurality of application to user messages is delivered later than the approved subset of the plurality of application to user messages, the approved subset of the plurality of application to user messages being limited to an allotted number of messages.
2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the computer readable instructions are further programmed such that the score for a message is determined based on a value of the message's intended recipient.
3. The apparatus as recited in claim 2 , wherein the computer readable instructions are further programmed such that the score for a message is determined based on the message's intended recipient's number of friends.
4. The apparatus as recited in claim 2 , wherein the compute readable instructions are further programmed such that the score for a message is determined based on an amount of real money the message's intended recipient has spent in the application.
5. The apparatus as recited in claim 2 , wherein the computer readable instructions are further programmed such that the score for a message is determined based on a number of friends the message's intended recipient has invited to the application.
6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the computer readable instructions are further programmed such that the score is determined using a category of the message's content.
7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 , wherein the computer readable instructions are further programmed such that the score is determined using a combination of a value of the message's intended recipient and a category of the message's content.