Comparative item price testing

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11023911-B2
Application number	US-201916299488-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 12, 2019
Priority date	Oct 28, 2013
Publication date	Jun 1, 2021
Grant date	Jun 1, 2021

Abstract

An online gaming system for valuing new virtual items introduced into an online game. The system may comprise one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules. The system may include a virtual shop module configured to present offers to sell instances of probability item bundles including a first offer to sell instances of a first probability item bundle that includes a first primary item and a first set of secondary items for a price, and a second offer to sell instances of a second probability item bundle that includes a second primary item and a second set of secondary items for the same price. The system may include a price determination module configured to determine a value for the second primary virtual item based on comparative sales of the first probability item bundle and the second probability item bundle.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for valuing new virtual items introduced into an online game and presenting offers of the new virtual items to users of the online game, the system comprising:
one or more processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
present offers to sell instances of virtual items usable in the online game to the users in a shop interface, the offers to sell instances of probability item bundles including a first offer and a second offer, the probability item bundles being associated with sets of potential items that are usable in the online game, wherein the first offer is to sell instances of a first probability item bundle for a first price and wherein the second offer is to sell instances of a second probability item bundle for a second price, the first probability item bundle being associated with a first set of potential items that includes a first primary item and a first set of secondary items, and the second probability item bundle being associated with a second set of potential items that includes a second primary item and a second set of secondary items, wherein the first primary item has a known value and the second primary item has a to-be-determined value, wherein the known value of the first primary item is a value to users that is known to a game administrator based on previous use in the online game, and the to-be-determined value of the second primary item is not known yet;
obtain distribution probabilities for individual potential items in the sets of potential items associated with sold instances of the probability item bundles, such that for sold instances of the first probability item bundle and the sold instances of the second probability item bundle the first primary item has a first distribution probability and the second primary item has a second distribution probability;
distribute the individual potential items to the users subsequent to the users activating the sold instances of the probability item bundles, wherein distribution is in accordance with the distribution probabilities;
monitor sales of the first probability item bundle and sales of the second probability item bundle; and
determine the to-be-determined value for the second primary item based on a comparison between the sales of the first probability item bundle and the sales of the second probability item bundle, wherein the determination is based on the first price and the known value.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that for the sold instances of the first probability item bundle and the sold instances of the second probability item bundle the first set of secondary items and the second set of secondary items have the same distribution probability.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that determining the to-be-determined value for the second primary item comprises determining a ratio of a first sales volume of the first probability item bundle to a second sales volume of the second probability item bundle over a time period.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that determining the to-be-determined value of the second primary items comprises one or more of a multiplication and a division involving the determined ratio and the known value of the first primary item.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first price is equal to the second price, and wherein the first distribution probability is equal to the second distribution probability.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that virtual items are not offered for individual sale until an individual value for the virtual item is determined.

7. A method of valuing new virtual items introduced into an online game and presenting offers of the new virtual items to users of the online game, the method being implemented in a computer system including one or more physical processors and storage media storing machine-readable instructions, the method comprising:
presenting offers to sell instances of virtual items usable in the online game to the users in a shop interface, the offers to sell instances of probability item bundles including a first offer and a second offer, the probability item bundles being associated with sets of potential items that are usable in the online game, wherein the first offer is to sell instances of a first probability item bundle for a first price and wherein the second offer is to sell instances of a second probability item bundle for a second price, the first probability item bundle being associated with a first set of potential items that includes a first primary item and a first set of secondary items, and the second probability item bundle being associated with a second set of potential items that includes a second primary item and a second set of secondary items, wherein the first primary item has a known value and the second primary item has a to-be-determined value, wherein the known value of the first primary item is a value to users that is known to a game administrator based on previous use in the online game, and the to-be-determined value of the second primary item is not known yet;
obtaining distribution probabilities for individual potential items in the sets of potential items associated with sold instances of the probability item bundles, such that for sold instances of the first probability item bundle and sold instances of the second probability item bundle the first primary item has a first distribution probability and the second primary item has a second distribution probability;
distributing the individual potential items to the users subsequent to the users activating the sold instances of the probability item bundles, wherein distribution is in accordance with the distribution probabilities;
monitoring sales of the first probability item bundle and sales of the second probability item bundle; and
determining the to-be-determined value for the second primary item based on a comparison between the sales of the first probability item bundle and the sales of the second probability item bundle, wherein determining is based on the first price and the known value.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein, for the sold instances of the first probability item bundle and the sold instances of the second probability item bundle, the first set of secondary items and the second set of secondary items have the same distribution probability.

9. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first price is equal to the second price.

10. The method of claim 7 , wherein the first distribution probability is equal to the second distribution probability.

Assignees

• Kabam Inc

Inventors

• Schultz Stephanie
• Smalley Kellen Christopher
• Caldarone Michael C

Classifications

• G06Q30/0209

  Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game · CPC title

• G06Q30/0206 Primary

  Price or cost determination based on market factors · CPC title