System and method for dynamically inserting tutorials in a mobile application

Abstract

Tutorial assets may be dynamically integrated into a mobile application at different locations in game play in a staged manner such that individual tutorial assets can be integrated into the mobile application without requiring a wholesale update of the mobile application. The staged updating may be effected without requiring users to access an updated version of the application from an “app store” or other similar online marketplace for mobile applications. This may be accomplished by implementing the mobile application as an “app” including compiled code that implements game assets and tutorial assets to provide a view of the game to the user. The game assets and tutorial assets may be non-compiled information objects, such as images, scripts, and/or other non-compiled information.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A wireless client device configured to dynamically insert tutorials in a mobile application for a game, the device comprising:
 one or more processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
 receive and locally store the mobile application that provides access to the game for a user; 
 assemble, via compiled code executed by the one or more processors, a view of the game for presentation to a user such that the user plays the game by providing control inputs that are reflected in the assembled view of the game, the game assets being associated with specific locations in the virtual space and being used by the one or more processors to assemble the view of the game, the game assets being non-compiled information objects; 
 receive tutorial information related to a tutorial asset over network, wherein the tutorial information related to a tutorial asset comprises a tutorial asset and a first location in the virtual space at which to integrate the tutorial asset; 
 integrate the tutorial asset such that, responsive to reception of the tutorial information including the tutorial asset over the network, the tutorial asset is used to assemble the view of the game presented to the user at the first location in the virtual space specified in the tutorial information. 
   
     
     
         2 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to:
 receive second tutorial information related to a second tutorial asset over the network, wherein the second tutorial information comprises a second tutorial asset and a second location in the virtual space at which to integrate the second tutorial asset; and   integrate the second tutorial asset into the game such that, responsive to reception of the second tutorial information including the second tutorial asset over the network, the second tutorial asset is used to assemble the view of the game presented to the user at the second location in the virtual space instead of the one or more of the game assets that were changed for the second tutorial asset.   
     
     
         3 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to assemble the view based on view information received over the network from a game server. 
     
     
         4 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the tutorial asset comprises one or both of a script or an image. 
     
     
         5 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to update the game via compiled information objects wherein updating the game is separate from receipt of a tutorial asset. 
     
     
         6 . The device of  claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions such that integration of the tutorial asset leaves compiled information objects unaltered. 
     
     
         7 . A computer-implemented method of dynamically inserting tutorials in a mobile application for a game, the method being implemented in the wireless client device which includes one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
 receive and locally store the mobile application that provides access to the game for a user;   assemble, via compiled code executed by the one or more processors, a view of the game for presentation to a user such that the user plays the game by providing control inputs that are reflected in the assembled view of the game, the game assets being associated with specific locations in the virtual space and being used by the one or more processors to assemble the view of the game, the game assets being non-compiled information objects;   receive, from a tutorial server, tutorial information at the wireless client device over the network, the tutorial information comprising a tutorial asset and a first location in the virtual space; and   responsive to reception of the tutorial information including the tutorial asset over the network, integrate the tutorial asset into the game such that the tutorial asset is used at the first location in the virtual space specified by the tutorial information to assemble the view of the game.   
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 determining whether or not the game assets stored locally on the device are stale; and   responsive to a determination that the first asset is stale, requesting the updated first asset over the network.   
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising assembling the view based on view information received over the network from a game server. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 9 , wherein the tutorial server is separate and discrete from the game server. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein the tutorial asset comprises one or both of a script or an image. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 updating the game via compiled information objects wherein updating the game is separate from any update of the tutorial assets.   
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 7 , wherein integration of the tutorial asset leaves compiled information objects associated with the game unaltered. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 7 , further comprising:
 receiving, from the tutorial server, second tutorial information at the wireless client device over the network, the second tutorial information comprising a second tutorial asset and a second location in the virtual space; and   responsive to reception of the second tutorial information including the second asset over the network, integrating the second tutorial asset into the game by changing one or more of the game assets associated with the second location in the virtual space specified in the second tutorial information such that the second tutorial asset is used at the second location in the second tutorial information to assemble the view of the game.   
     
     
         15 . A server configured to dynamically insert tutorials in a mobile application for a game, the server comprising:
 one or more processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:   facilitate generation of first tutorial information including a first tutorial asset for a virtual space, wherein the first tutorial asset is used to assemble a view of a game for presentation to the user on a wireless client device, wherein the game is implemented via compiled code executed on the wireless client device; and   initiate transmission of the first tutorial information including the first tutorial asset to the wireless client device such that, responsive to a determination that the first tutorial asset is available for the game on the wireless client device, transmission of the first tutorial information, is initiated such that subsequent to the transmission, the first tutorial information including the first tutorial asset is used to assemble the view of the game.   
     
     
         16 . The server of  claim 15 , further comprising non-transitory electronic storage that stores a current set of game assets which includes the first tutorial asset, and wherein transmission of the stored first tutorial asset is initiated. 
     
     
         17 . The server of  claim 16 , wherein the server is logically and physically separate and discrete from a mobile application server configured to provide an updated version of the game to the wireless client device that is used at the wireless client device to update the game separate from the game assets stored on the wireless client device. 
     
     
         18 . The server of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to facilitate generation of a second tutorial asset for a second predetermined location in the virtual space, wherein the second tutorial asset is used to assemble a view of a game for presentation to the user on the wireless client device. 
     
     
         19 . The server of  claim 15 , wherein the first tutorial asset comprises one or both of a script or an image. 
     
     
         20 . The server of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to facilitate generation of the first tutorial asset at a first predetermined location in game play for the wireless client device and facilitate generation of a second tutorial asset different from the first tutorial asset at the first predetermined location in game play for a second wireless client device. 
     
     
         21 . The server of  claim 15 , wherein the one or more processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to facilitate generation of the first tutorial asset based on profile information associated with the wireless client device.