Systems and methods for providing virtual reality content in an online game

• US 10,183,223 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2018
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Inventors: Wakeford, Kent, Huttula, Tomi
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Application Number:
  US15/925,441
• Publication Number:
  US 20180304156A1
• Time in Patent Office: 309 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5593 involving scheduling aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00

Abstract

Virtual reality content in an online game may be provided by providing access to users attempting to join a game instance via virtual reality platforms and denying access to users attempting to join the game instance via non-virtual reality platforms. Virtual reality content in an online game may be provided by requiring users playing the online game via virtual reality platforms during a time period to achieve a first objective, and requiring users playing the online game via non-reality platforms during the time period to achieve a second objective. The first objective may require interaction with the virtual reality content and the second object may not require interaction with the virtual reality content. Virtual reality content in an online game may be provided by requiring all users to achieve an objective during a time period. The objective may require interaction with the virtual reality content.

Claims

1. A system for providing virtual reality content in an online game, the system comprising:

one or more physical processors configured by machine readable instructions to;

execute a game instance of the online game, the game instance including the virtual reality content, and use the game instance to generate game state information that is transmitted to client computing platforms over a network, the game state information facilitating presentation of views of the online game to users via the client computing platforms, wherein the client computing platforms include virtual reality platforms and non-virtual reality platforms;

determine a set of objectives to be achieved by the users, the set of objectives including a first objective associated with a virtual reality platform and a second objective associated with a non-virtual reality platform;

determine whether the users of the online game are playing the online game via the virtual reality platforms or the non-virtual reality platforms;

responsive to determination that an individual user is playing the online game via one or more of the virtual reality platforms, require such individual user to achieve the first objective in the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms; and

responsive to determination that an individual user is playing the online game via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms, require such individual user to achieve the second objective in the online game via the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine readable instruction to:

determine changes in the client computing platforms used by the users to interact with the online game;

responsive to determination that an individual user changed from playing the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms to the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms, cancel the first objective for such individual user and require such individual user to achieve the second objective in the online game via the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms; and

responsive to determination that an individual user changed from playing the online game via the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms to the one or more of the virtual reality platforms, cancel the second objective for such individual user and require such individual user to achieve the first objective in the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first objective is characterized by a first game difficulty and the second objective is characterized by a second game difficulty, the first game difficulty differing from the second game difficulty.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the first objective is characterized by a first type of gameplay and the second objective is characterized by a second type of gameplay, the first type of gameplay differing from the second type of gameplay.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the first objective is associated with a first reward and the second objective is associated with a second reward, and the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine readable instruction to:

responsive to determination that an individual user achieved the first objective, provide the first reward to such individual user; and

responsive to determination that an individual user achieved the second objective, provide the second reward to such individual user.

6. The system of claim 1, the first objective requiring one or more interactions of the users with the virtual reality content and the second objective not requiring the one or more interactions of the users with the virtual reality content.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine readable instruction to:

responsive to determination that an individual user is playing the online game via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms, present an invitation to change to one or more of the virtual reality platforms.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the invitation is based at least partly on a visual display of information associated with the invitation, or audio information associated with the invitation.

9. The system of claim 5, wherein the rewards comprise at least one of:

changes to the attributes or appearance of a user'"'"'s in-game character, changes to attributes or appearances of in-game objects or items, newly acquired objects or items, or access to new areas of the online game.

10. A computer-implemented method of providing virtual reality content in an online game, the computer-implemented method comprising:

executing a game instance of the online game, the game instance including the virtual reality content, and use the game instance to generate game state information that is transmitted to client computing platforms over a network, the game state information facilitating presentation of views of the online game to users via the client computing platforms, wherein the client computing platforms include virtual reality platforms and non-virtual reality platforms;

determine a set of objectives to be achieved by the users, the set of objectives including a first objective associated with a virtual reality platform and a second objective associated with a non-virtual reality platform;

determine whether the users of the online game are playing the online game via the virtual reality platforms or the non-virtual reality platforms;

responsive to determination that an individual user is playing the online game via one or more of the virtual reality platforms, require such individual user to achieve the first objective in the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms; and

responsive to determination that an individual user is playing the online game via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms, require such individual user to achieve the second objective in the online game via the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms.

11. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

determining changes in the client computing platforms used by the users to interact with the online game;

responsive to determination that an individual user changed from playing the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms to the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms, canceling the first objective for such individual user and require such individual user to achieve the second objective in the online game via the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms; and

responsive to determination that an individual user changed from playing the online game via the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms to the one or more of the virtual reality platforms, canceling the second objective for such individual user and require such individual user to achieve the first objective in the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms.

12. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the first objective is characterized by a first game difficulty and the second objective is characterized by a second game difficulty, the first game difficulty differing from the second game difficulty.

13. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the first objective is characterized by a first type of gameplay and the second objective is characterized by a second type of gameplay, the first type of gameplay differing from the second type of gameplay.

14. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, wherein the first objective is associated with a first reward and the second objective is associated with a second reward, and further comprising:

responsive to determination that an individual user achieved the first objective, providing the first reward to such individual user; and

responsive to determination that an individual user achieved the second objective, providing the second reward to such individual user.

15. The computer-implemented method of claim 10, further comprising:

responsive to determination that an individual user is playing the online game via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms, presenting an invitation to change to one or more of the virtual reality platforms.

16. The computer-implemented method of claim 15, wherein the invitation is based at least partly on a visual display of information associated with the invitation, or audio information associated with the invitation.

17. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer executable instructions that, when executed by one or more computing devices, configure the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:

executing a game instance of the online game, the game instance including the virtual reality content, and use the game instance to generate game state information that is transmitted to client computing platforms over a network, the game state information facilitating presentation of views of the online game to users via the client computing platforms, wherein the client computing platforms include virtual reality platforms and non-virtual reality platforms;

determine a set of objectives to be achieved by the users, the set of objectives including a first objective associated with a virtual reality platform and a second objective associated with a non-virtual reality platform;

determine whether the users of the online game are playing the online game via the virtual reality platforms or the non-virtual reality platforms;

responsive to determination that an individual user is playing the online game via one or more of the virtual reality platforms, require such individual user to achieve the first objective in the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms; and

responsive to determination that an individual user is playing the online game via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms, require such individual user to achieve the second objective in the online game via the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms.

18. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, further comprising executable instructions that configure the one or more computing devices to perform operations comprising:

determining changes in the client computing platforms used by the users to interact with the online game;

responsive to determination that an individual user changed from playing the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms to the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms, canceling the first objective for such individual user and require such individual user to achieve the second objective in the online game via the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms; and

responsive to determination that an individual user changed from playing the online game via the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms to the one or more of the virtual reality platforms, canceling the second objective for such individual user and require such individual user to achieve the first objective in the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms.

19. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the first objective is characterized by a first game difficulty and the second objective is characterized by a second game difficulty, the first game difficulty differing from the second game difficulty.

20. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of claim 17, wherein the first objective is characterized by a first type of gameplay and the second objective is characterized by a second type of gameplay, the first type of gameplay differing from the second type of gameplay.