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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9636573-B1
Application number	US-201414165558-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Jan 27, 2014
Priority date	Jan 27, 2014
Publication date	May 2, 2017
Grant date	May 2, 2017

Abstract

A shop interface is presented to users in conjunction with presentation of views of an online game, wherein the shop interface is configured to facilitate presentations to users of offers to sell virtual items usable within the game in exchange for consideration. In response to detecting that the online game is systematically unavailable to users, an alternative virtual shop interface is presented to users that is accessed over the Internet separately from the online game, and offers to sell the virtual times usable within the game are presented to users in exchange for less consideration than the offers to sell the virtual items through the shop interface presented in conjunction with the online game.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A system for providing virtual items to users of a virtual world, the system comprising:
one or more physical processors configured by computer-readable instructions to:
execute an instance of an online game, and to facilitate participation of the users in the online game by effectuating transmission of information related to the instance of the online game to client computing platforms on which views of the online game are presented to the users;
effectuate presentation of a shop interface to users in conjunction with presentation of views of the online game, wherein the shop interface is configured to facilitate presentations to users of offers to sell virtual items usable within the game in exchange for an amount of currency;
detect if the online game is systematically unavailable to users; and,
in response to detecting that the online game is presently systematically unavailable, effectuate presentation of an alternative virtual shop interface to users that is accessed over the Internet separately from the online game, wherein the alternative virtual shop interface presents to users offers to sell the virtual items usable within the game in exchange for less amounts of currency than the offers to sell the virtual items through the shop interface presented in conjunction with the online game.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein when the game is systematically unavailable to users the game has been purposefully made unavailable to users by an administrator.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein when the game is systematically unavailable the game has been made unavailable due to a malfunction of the system.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the offers presented through the shop interface include a first offer to sell a first set of one or more virtual items for a first amount of currency, and wherein the offers presented through the alternative virtual shop interface include a second offer to sell the first set of one or more virtual items for a second amount of currency that is less than the first amount of currency.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual items purchased through the alternative virtual shop interface become available to a purchaser once the online game is no longer systematically unavailable.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical processors is further configured by computer-readable instructions to redirect the view presented on the client computing device and/or provide a link one the client computing device to the alternative virtual shop interface, in response to detecting that the game is systematically unavailable.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical processors is further configured by computer-readable instructions to facilitate entry and/or selection of one or more parameters associated with the one or more sets of virtual items, by an administrator.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein the one or more parameters may include the amount of currency associated with the virtual items.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein the virtual items include virtual currency usable in the virtual space by users.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual items include virtual currency usable in the online game by users.

11. A method for providing virtual items to users of a virtual world, the method performed by one or more physical processors, the method comprising:
executing an instance of an online game;
facilitating participation of the users in the online game by effectuating transmission of information related to the instance of the online game to client computing platforms on which views of the online game are presented to the users;
effectuating presentation of a shop interface to users in conjunction with presentation of views of the online game, wherein the shop interface is configured to facilitate presentations to users of offers to sell virtual items usable within the game in exchange for an amount of currency;
detecting if the online game is systematically unavailable to users; and,
in response to detecting that the online game is presently systematically unavailable, effectuating presentation of an alternative virtual shop interface to users that is accessed over the Internet separately from the online game, wherein the alternative virtual shop interface presents to users offers to sell the virtual items usable within the game in exchange for less amounts of currency than the offers to sell the virtual items through the shop interface presented in conjunction with the online game.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein when the game is systematically unavailable to users the game has been purposefully made unavailable to users by an administrator.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein when the game is systematically unavailable the game has been made unavailable due to a malfunction.

14. The method of claim 11 , wherein the offers presented through the shop interface include a first offer to sell a first set of one or more virtual items for a first amount of currency, and wherein the offers presented through the alternative virtual shop interface include a second offer to sell the first set of one or more virtual items for a second amount of currency that is less than the first amount of currency.

15. The method of claim 11 , wherein the virtual items purchased through the alternative virtual shop interface become available to a purchaser once the online game is no longer systematically unavailable.

16. The method of claim 11 , further comprising redirecting the view presented on the client computing device and/or providing a link on the client computing device to the alternative virtual shop interface, in response to detecting that the game is systematically unavailable.

17. The method of claim 11 , further comprising facilitating entry and/or selection of one or more parameters associated with the one or more sets of virtual items, by an administrator.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the one or more parameters may include the amount of currency associated with the virtual items.

Assignees

• Kabam Inc

Inventors

• Schultz Stephanie K
• Caldarone Michael C

Classifications

• A63F13/12 Primary

  Human Necessities · mapped topic

• A63F2300/575

  for trading virtual items · CPC title

• A63F13/35

  Details of game servers · CPC title

• G06Q30/0641 Primary

  utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping · CPC title

• G06Q30/0607

  Regulating the sale of restricted items, e.g. alcohol · CPC title