System and method for providing virtual items to users of a virtual space

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11241629-B2
Application number	US-202017022955-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 16, 2020
Priority date	Jun 30, 2014
Publication date	Feb 8, 2022
Grant date	Feb 8, 2022

Abstract

A system and method for providing virtual items to users of an online game operated in a virtual space. Multiple users may participate in affiliations or alliances of discrete groups of users in an online game and may access the online game through client computing platforms associated with the users. The affiliations may have affiliation game units associated with affiliations which provide a benefit to the members of the online game. Affiliation members may cumulatively obtain affiliation game units and/or upgrade affiliation game units by providing one or more virtual items. Upgrading affiliation game units may require the cooperation of multiple members of the affiliation.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system that provides modified benefits to virtual items that are usable by multiple users by virtue of the multiple users being included in an affiliation of users within an online game, the system comprising:
one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
receive commands to perform in-game actions in the online game, wherein the commands are received over a network from client computing platforms associated with the users;
obtain affiliation information regarding one or more affiliations within the online game, wherein a given affiliation within the online game includes a discrete group of users with a relationship having a functional significance within the online game that has an impact on gameplay, wherein the affiliations include a first affiliation between a group of users including a first user and a second user, wherein the first affiliation is associated with a first affiliation game unit, wherein the first affiliation game unit is usable by both the first user and the second user by virtue of their inclusion in the first affiliation;
receive, from a first client computing platform associated with the first user, information regarding the first user providing one or more virtual items to modify a first value of a first benefit metric of the first affiliation game unit; and
modify the first value of the first benefit metric of the first affiliation game unit in response to receiving the information regarding the first user providing the one or more virtual items.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein an amount of modification in the first value is based on one or more of a number of users having the first affiliation that provide one or more virtual items to modify the level of the first benefit metric of the first affiliation game unit and/or a number of the one or more virtual items provided by the users having the first affiliation.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first benefit metric of the first affiliation game unit has one or more discrete benefit level values, and wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured to promote the first benefit metric from a first benefit level value to a second benefit level value in response to a threshold number of the users having the first affiliation providing a threshold number of one or more virtual items to promote the first affiliation game unit.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the individual ones of the discrete group of users in the first affiliation that are able to use the first affiliation game unit have a relationship having a functional significance with the other users of the discrete group of users in the first affiliation.

5. The system of claim 4 , wherein the relationship having a functional significance includes one or more of a leadership role, a controller role, a mentorship role, and/or an administrator role.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the individual ones of the discrete group of users in the first affiliation able to use the first affiliation game unit includes users having an indication of a priority for using the first affiliation game unit.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to effectuate presentation of an offer to the users of the first affiliation to provide one or more virtual items for modifying the first benefit level of the first benefit metric of the first affiliation game unit associated with the first affiliation.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to effectuate presentation of the offer to the users having the first affiliation to purchase one or more virtual items for modifying the first benefit level of the first benefit metric of the first affiliation game unit associated with the first affiliation.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first benefit metric of the first affiliation game unit includes one or more of a defense metric, an attack metric, a skill metric, a loyalty metric, a moral metric, an energy metric, and/or a speed metric.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the online game takes place in a virtual space, and wherein the first benefit metric of the first affiliation game unit includes one or more of a resource metric and/or a production attack metric.

11. A method for providing modified benefits to virtual items that are usable by multiple users by virtue of the multiple users being included in an affiliation of users within an online game, the method to be performed using one or more physical computer processors, the method comprising:
receiving commands to perform in-game actions in the online game, wherein the commands are received over a network from client computing platforms associated with the users;
obtaining affiliation information regarding one or more affiliations within the online games, wherein a given affiliation within the online game includes a discrete group of users with a relationship having a functional significance within the online game that has an impact on gameplay, wherein the affiliations include a first affiliation between a group of users including a first user and a second user, wherein the first affiliation is associated with a first affiliation game unit, and wherein the first affiliation game unit is usable by both the first user and the second user by virtue of their inclusion in the first affiliation;
receiving, from a first client computing platform associated with the first user, information regarding the first user providing one or more virtual items to modify a first value of a first benefit metric of the first affiliation game unit; and
modifying the first value of the first benefit metric of the first affiliation game unit in response to receiving the information regarding the first user providing the one or more virtual items.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein an amount of modification in the first value is based on one or more of a number of users having the first affiliation that provide one or more virtual items to modify the level of the first benefit metric of the first affiliation game unit and/or a number of the one or more virtual items provided by the users having the first affiliation.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein the first benefit metric of the first affiliation game unit has one or more discrete benefit level values, and wherein the method further comprises promoting the first benefit metric from a first benefit level value to a second benefit level value in response to a threshold number of the users having the first affiliation providing a threshold number of one or more virtual items to promote the first affiliation game unit.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the individual ones of the discrete group of users in the first affiliation that are able to use the first affiliation game unit have a relationship having a functional significance with the other users of the discrete group of users in the first affiliation.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the relationship having a functional significance includes one or more of a leadership role, a controller role, a mentorship role, and/or an administrator role.

16. The method of claim 11 , wherein the individual ones of the discrete group of users in the first affiliation able to use the first affiliation game unit includes users having an indication of a priority for using the first affiliation game unit.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising:
effectuating presentation of an offer

Assignees

• Kabam Inc

Inventors

• Tsao Bryan
• Kim John
• Mcneill David
• Wei Albert
• Yu Christopher
• Chanthasiriphan Kevin

Classifications

• H04L67/131

  Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality · CPC title

• A63F13/35

  Details of game servers · CPC title

• A63F13/335

  using Internet · CPC title

• A63F13/795

  for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list · CPC title

• A63F13/847 Primary

  Cooperative playing, e.g. requiring coordinated actions from several players to achieve a common goal · CPC title