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

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9669316-B2
Application number	US-201615246791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 25, 2016
Priority date	Jun 30, 2014
Publication date	Jun 6, 2017
Grant date	Jun 6, 2017

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 virtual items to users of a virtual space, the system comprising:
one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:
receive commands over a network from client computing platforms associated with the users;
perform operations in a game space associated with an online game in response to the commands received over the network from the client computing platforms associated with the users, wherein receiving the commands and performing the operations facilitates participation by multiple users in the online game;
manage one or more affiliations within the online game, wherein managing the one or more affiliations includes receiving affiliation information over the network form the client computing platforms associated with the users requesting and/or accepting association with the one or more affiliations a given affiliation within the online game comprising a discrete group of users with a relationship having a functional significance within the online game that has an impact on game play, wherein the affiliations comprise a first affiliation within a first online game between a group of users including a first user and a second user;
transmit game unit information over the network to the client computing platforms that makes game units within the online game available to one or more users in the affiliations, wherein the game units are controllable in the online game by individual ones of the users in the affiliations, the game units including a first game unit available to the first user in the first affiliation;
increase a level value of one or more benefit metrics of the game units in response to receiving information over the network from the client computing platforms indication one or more of the users in the affiliations provided one or more virtual items, such that a first level value of a first benefit metric of the first game unit is increased in response to receiving information over the network from the first client computing platform associated with the first user providing one or more virtual items.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first game unit is controllable by both the first user and the second user by virtue of their inclusion in the first affiliation.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the amount of increase in the level value is based on the amount of users having the given affiliation that provide one or more virtual items to increase the level of the one or more benefit metrics of a given game unit and based on the amount of one or more virtual items provided by the users having the given affiliation.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more benefit metrics of the one or more game units have one or more discrete benefit level values and the system is configured to promote the one or more benefit metrics from a first benefit level value to a second benefit level value in response to a threshold amount of the users having a given affiliation providing a threshold amount of one or more virtual items to promote the one or more game units.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the individual ones of the discrete group of users in the given affiliation that are able to control the one or more game units have a relationship having a functional significance with the other users of the discrete group of users in the given affiliation.

6. The system of claim 3 , 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.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein the individual ones of the discrete group of users in the given affiliation able to control a given game unit includes users having an indication of a priority for controlling the given game unit.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more physical processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to effectuate presentation of offers to the users having a given affiliation to provide one or more virtual items to increase a benefit level of the one or more benefit metrics of the given game unit associated with the given affiliation, such that an offer is provided to the users of the first affiliation to provide one or more virtual items for increasing the first benefit level of the first benefit metric of the first game unit.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the one or more physical processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to effectuate presentation of offers to the users having a given affiliation to purchase one or more virtual items for increasing the benefit level of the one or more benefit metrics of the given game unit.

10. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more benefit metrics of the given game unit include 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.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein the one or more benefit metrics of the given game unit include one or more of a resource metric and/or a production attack metric.

12. A method for providing virtual items to users of a virtual space, the method to be performed using one or more physical computer processors, the method comprising:
receiving commands over a network from client computing platforms associated with the users;
performing operations in a game space associated with an online game in response to the commands received over the network from the client computing platforms associated with the users, wherein receiving the commands and performing the operations facilitates participation by multiple users in the online game;
managing one or more affiliations within the online game, wherein managing the one or more affiliations includes receiving affiliation information over the network form the client computing platforms associated with the users requesting and/or accepting association with the one or more affiliations a given affiliation within the online game comprising a discrete group of users with a relationship having a functional significance within the online game that has an impact on game play, wherein the affiliations comprise a first affiliation within a first online game between a group of users including a first user and a second user;
transmitting game unit information over the network to the client computing platforms that makes game units within the online game available to one or more users in the affiliations, wherein the game units are available in the online game to individual ones of the users in the affiliations, the game units including a first game unit available to the first user in the first affiliation;
increasing a level value of one or more benefit metrics of the game units in response to receiving information over the network from the client computing platforms indication one or more of one or more of the users in the affiliations provided one or more virtual items, such that a first level value of a first benefit metric of the first game unit is increased in response to receiving information over the network from the first client computing platform associated with the first user providing one or more virtual items.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the first game unit is controllable by both the first user and the second user by virtue of their inclusion in the first affiliation.

14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the amount of increase in the level value is based on the amount of users having the given affiliation that provide one or more virtual items to increase the level of the one or more benefit metrics of a given game unit and based on the amoun

Assignees

• Kabam Inc

Inventors

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

Classifications

• 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

• G07F17/3244

  Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes · CPC title

• A63F13/847 Primary

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