Virtual item promotions via time-period-based virtual item benefits

• US 10,248,970 B1
• Filed: 05/02/2013
• Issued: 04/02/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 05/02/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Caldarone, Michael C., Schultz, Stephanie K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Wu, Rutao
• Assistant Examiner(s): Tsui, Alfred H
• Application Number:
  US13/886,102
• Time in Patent Office: 2,161 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5506 using advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0264 based upon schedule
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0277 Online advertisement

Abstract

An approach to facilitating virtual item promotions via time-period-based virtual item benefits is provided. A store interface may present offers to users of a game space to purchase item instances of virtual items associated with in-space benefits. Item instances of a first virtual item may be configured to be activated by the users in the game space to obtain one or more first in-space benefits. A promotion that is conducted for the game space may be managed such that, during a first promotion time period, item instances of the first virtual item purchased through the store interface may be modified instances of the first virtual item. The modified instances may be configured to be activated by the users in the game space during a second promotion time period to obtain one or more second in-space benefits.

Claims

1. A system for providing time-period-based virtual item benefits within a game space, the system comprising:

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

execute a game instance of the game space, and to use the game instance to facilitate interaction of users with the game space and/or each other by transmitting state information derived from execution of the game instance over a network to client computing platforms associated with the users for presentation of views of the game space to the users on the associated client computing platforms and performing operations in the game space in response to commands received from the client computing platforms associated with the users;

cause presentation of an interface to the users including a first user and a second user, wherein the interface is configured to present offers to the users to purchase item instances of virtual items associated with in-space benefits, the virtual items including a first virtual item, wherein individual ones of the item instances of the virtual items are either (i) an unmodified version of a particular item instance of a particular virtual item, or (ii) a modified version of the particular item instance of the particular virtual item,

wherein the item instances of the first virtual item are unmodified versions that are configured to be activated by the users in the game space to obtain one or more first in-space benefits,

wherein the item instances of the first virtual item purchased via the interface during a first time period are modified versions that are configured to be activated by the users in the game space during a second time period to obtain one or more second in-space benefits, wherein the first time period has a first start time and a first end time and the second time period has a second start time and a second end time, and wherein the one or more second in-space benefits are different from the one or more first in-space benefits that would be obtained by the users in the game space upon activation of unmodified versions of the item instances of the first virtual item;

cause presentation, via the interface, of the offers to purchase the first virtual item during the first time period to the users, wherein the first user purchases a first item instance of the first virtual item during the first period, wherein the first item instance is a modified version;

cause presentation, via the interface, of the offers to purchase the first virtual item outside the first time period to the users, wherein the second user purchases a second item instance of the first virtual item outside the first time period, wherein the second item instance is an unmodified version;

cause presentation, via the interface, of information informing the users of the second time period including the second start time and the second end time of the second time period and modification of the instances of the first virtual item during the second time period;

provide the one or more first in-space benefits to the second user within the game space responsive to a determination that the second item instance is activated by the second user; and

provide the one or more second in-space benefits to the first user within the game space responsive to a determination that the first item instance is activated by the first user during the second time period.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the modified versions of the item instances are configured to be activated by the users in the game space during time periods other than the second time period to obtain the one or more first in-space benefits, and wherein the one or more first in-space benefits are provided to the first user responsive to a determination that at least one of the modified versions of individual item instances is activated by the first user during a time period other than the second time period.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the first time period is overlapping with the second time period.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the first time period is not overlapping with the second time period.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to provide at least some of the modified versions of item instances to the users that requested a modified version of a particular item instance of the first virtual item in exchange for consideration.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the virtual items include virtual containers, wherein the virtual containers include a first virtual container, and wherein individual ones of container instances of the first virtual container are configured to be activated by the users in the game space to obtain a modified version of a particular item instance of the first virtual item and one or more item instances of other virtual items.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the other virtual items include the first virtual item such that individual ones of the container instances are configured to be activated by the users in the game space to obtain a plurality of modified versions of particular item instances of the first virtual item.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the other virtual items do not include the first virtual item.

9. The system of claim 6, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to provide at least some of the container instances of the first virtual container to the users that requested a container instance of the first virtual container in exchange for consideration associated with a price of a container instance of the first virtual container.

10. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the price of a container instance of the first virtual container is different from a total sum of prices of a modified version of a particular item instance of the first virtual item and the one or more item instances of the other virtual items.

11. The system of claim 9, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to provide one or more additional item instances of the virtual items to the users that requested a container instance of the first virtual container responsive to a determination that requests for the at least some of the container instances are initiated during a third time period.

12. A computer-implemented method for providing time-period-based virtual item benefits within a game space, the method being implemented on a computer system that includes one or more physical processors, the method comprising:

executing a game instance of the game space;

using the game instance to facilitate interaction of the users with the game space and/or each other by transmitting state information derived from execution of the game instance to client computing platforms associated with the users for presentation of views of the game space to the users on the associated client computing platforms and performing operations in the game space in response to commands received from the client computing platforms associated with the users;

causing presentation of an interface to the users including a first user and a second user, wherein the interface is configured to present offers to users to purchase item instances of virtual items associated with in-space benefits, the virtual items including a first virtual item, wherein individual ones of the item instances of the virtual items are either (i) an unmodified version of a particular item instance of a particular virtual item, or (ii) a modified version of the particular item instance of the particular virtual item,

wherein the item instances of the first virtual item are unmodified versions that are configured to be activated by the users in the game space to obtain one or more first in-space benefits,

wherein the item instances of the first virtual item purchased via the interface during a first time period are modified versions that are configured to be activated by the users in the game space during a second time period to obtain one or more second in-space benefits, wherein the first time period has a first start time and a first end time and the second time period has a second start time and a second end time, and wherein the one or more second in-space benefits are different from the one or more first in-space benefits that would be obtained by the users in the game space upon activation of unmodified versions of the item instances of the first virtual item;

causing presentation, via the interface, of the offers to purchase the first virtual item during the first time period to the users, wherein the first user purchases a first item instance of the first virtual item during the first period, wherein the first item instance is a modified version;

causing presentation, via the interface, of the offers to purchase the first virtual item outside the first time period to the users, wherein the second user purchases a second item instance of the first virtual item outside the first time period, wherein the second item instance is an unmodified version;

cause presentation, via the interface, of information informing the users of the second time period including the second start time and the second end time of the second time period and modification of the instances of the first virtual item during the second time period;

providing the one or more first in-space benefits to the second user within the game space responsive to a determination that the second item instance is activated by the second user; and

providing the one or more second in-space benefits to the first user within the game space responsive to a determination that the first item instance is activated by the first user during the second time period.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the modified versions of the item instances are configured to be activated by the users in the game space during time periods other than the second time period to obtain the one or more first in-space benefits, the method further comprising providing the one or more first in-space benefits to the first user responsive to a determination that at least one of the modified versions of individual item instances is activated by the first user during a time period other than the second time period.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the first time period is overlapping with the second time period.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the first time period is not overlapping with the second time period.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising providing at least some of the modified versions of item instances to the users that requested a modified version of a particular item instance of the first virtual item in exchange for consideration.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the virtual items include virtual containers, wherein the virtual containers include a first virtual container, and wherein individual ones of container instances of the first virtual container are configured to be activated by the users in the game space to obtain a modified version of a particular item instance of the first virtual item and one or more item instances of other virtual items.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising providing at least some of the container instances of the first virtual container to the users that requested a container instance of the first virtual container in exchange for consideration associated with a price of a container instance of the first virtual container.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the price of a container instance of the first virtual container is different from a total sum of prices for a modified version of a particular item instance of the first virtual item and the one or more item instances of the other virtual items.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising providing one or more additional item instances of the virtual items to the users that requested a container instance of the first virtual container responsive to a determination that requests for the at least some of the container instances are initiated during a third time period.