System and method for rotating drop rates in a mystery box

• US 10,307,666 B2
• Filed: 06/05/2014
• Issued: 06/04/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 06/05/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Pieron, Luc, Baxter, Thomas, Rull, Henry
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Kang
• Assistant Examiner(s): Henry, Thomas H
• Application Number:
  US14/297,368
• Publication Number:
  US 20150352436A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,825 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/02 Marketing; Price estimation or determination; Fundraising
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0209 Incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0641 Shopping interfaces

Abstract

A system and method configured to enhance gameplay between users in an online game and to provide enhanced interest in virtual goods associated with collections of virtual goods through the ability to rotate drop rates associated with these virtual goods from time to time. The system and method includes the provision of functionality which allows providers of online games to periodically rotate drop rates associated with mystery boxes in order to maintain and/or generate additional interest in specific mystery boxes. As a result, it is possible for game operators to enhance revenue opportunities associated with these boxes even in the case where such boxes have been available for a relatively lengthy period of time and/or where players would have otherwise lost interest in specific boxes.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating chance-based in-game virtual item distribution, the system comprising:

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

execute an instance of an online game and to implement the instance of the online game to facilitate participation in the online game by users via client computing platforms;

maintain inventories of virtual items under the control of the users, and to store associations between the users and virtual items under their control;

effectuate presentation to users, through a shop interface, offers to sell probability item bundles, individual ones of the probability item bundles being associated with sets of potential awards usable in the online game, the probability item bundles including a first probability item bundle being associated with a first set of potential awards, the first set of potential awards including a first individual award and a second individual award,

wherein individual potential awards in the sets of potential awards are associated with distribution probabilities such that the first individual award is associated with a first distribution probability and the second individual award is associated with a second distribution probability, and wherein the distribution probabilities dictate the chances of the users that purchase and activate the probability item bundles obtaining the individual potential awards in the sets of potential awards upon activation of the probability item bundles, such that the first distribution probability dictates the chance of the users that purchase and activate the first probability item bundle obtaining the first individual award and the second distribution probability dictates the chance of the users that purchase and activate the first probability item bundle obtaining the second individual award, and

wherein purchase of probability item bundles by users results in the addition of purchased probability item bundles to inventories of the users such that responsive to purchase of two instances of the first probability item bundle by a first user, both instances of the first probability item bundle are added to a first inventory of virtual items under the control of the first user, wherein the two instances of the first probability item bundle include a first instance and a second instance;

receive activation requests from the users for probability item bundles under their control, and to stochastically distribute awards to the users in accordance with the distribution probabilities associated with the individual potential awards such that, in response to receiving an activation request from the first user for one instance of the first probability item bundle subsequent to purchase of the two instances of the first probability item bundle by the first user, one of the individual potential awards from the first set of potential awards is stochastically selected in accordance with the distribution probabilities associated with the individual potential awards, and the selected individual potential award is distributed to the first inventory of virtual items under the control of the first user;

adjust the distribution probabilities associated with individual potential awards in the sets of potential awards in a predetermined manner in response to predetermined triggering criteria being met such that, in response to the predetermined triggering criteria being met subsequent to purchase of the two instances of the first probability item bundle by the first user, one or both of the first distribution probability and/or the second distribution probability are adjusted in a predetermined manner, wherein said triggering criteria that result in adjustment of the first distribution probability includes a level of previous purchases of said first probability item bundle by said first user breaching a purchase threshold;

receive a second activation request from the first user for the second instance of the first probability item bundle;

stochastically select one of the individual potential awards from the first set of potential awards in accordance with the adjusted distribution probabilities associated with the individual potential awards from the first set of potential awards; and

distribute the selected one of the individual potential awards to the first inventory of virtual items under control of the first user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured to facilitate entry and/or selection of one or both of said triggering criteria and/or said distribution probabilities.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein said predetermined manner for adjusting said distribution probabilities comprises increasing said one or both of said first distribution probability and/or said second distribution probability.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein said triggering criteria that result in adjustment of the first distribution probability includes a number of purchases within a given period of time of said first probability item bundle by a collective group of users that participate in said online game.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein said adjustment comprises an adjustment to a higher probability in connection with a lower level of purchases.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein said triggering criteria that result in adjustment of the first distribution probability includes a current level of inventory of said first probability item bundle held by said first user.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein said adjustment comprises an adjustment to a higher probability in connection with a higher level of inventory.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein said triggering criteria that result in adjustment of the first distribution probability includes a spend velocity associated with at least one of said probability item bundles within a given period of time by a collective group of users that participate in said online game.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein said adjustment comprises an adjustment to higher probability in connection with a lower level of spend velocity.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein said triggering criteria that result in adjustment of the first distribution probability includes revenue associated with said online game within a given period of time by a collective group of users that participate in said online game.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said adjustment comprises an adjustment to higher probability in connection with a lower level of revenue.

12. The system of claim 1, further comprising a messaging component configured to notify users of a change in at least one of said distribution probabilities.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein said adjustment of distribution probabilities is limited in time.

14. A computer-implemented method for facilitating chance-based in-game virtual item distribution, the method being implemented in a computer system that includes one or more processors executing computer program components, the method comprising:

executing an instance of an online game and implementing the instance of the online game to facilitate participation in the online game by users via client computing platforms;

maintaining inventories of virtual items under the control of the users, and storing associations between the users and virtual items under their control;

effectuating presentation to users, through a shop interface, offers to sell probability item bundles, individual ones of the probability item bundles being associated with sets of potential awards usable in the online game, the probability item bundles including a first probability item bundle being associated with a first set of potential awards, the first set of potential awards including a first individual award and a second individual award;

wherein individual potential awards in the sets of potential awards are associated with distribution probabilities such that the first individual award is associated with a first distribution probability and the second individual award is associated with a second distribution probability, and wherein the distribution probabilities dictate the chances of the users that purchase and activate the probability item bundles obtaining the individual potential awards in the sets of potential awards upon activation of the probability item bundles, such that the first distribution probability dictates the chance of the users that purchase and activate the first probability item bundle obtaining the first individual award and the second distribution probability dictates the chance of the users that purchase and activate the first probability item bundle obtaining the second individual award, and

wherein purchase of probability item bundles by users results in the addition of purchased probability item bundles to inventories of the users such that responsive to purchase of two instances of the first probability item bundle by a first user, both instances of the first probability item bundle are added to a first inventory of virtual items under the control of the first user, wherein the two instances of the first probability item bundle include a first instance and a second instance;

receiving activation requests from the users for probability item bundles under their control, and stochastically distributing awards to the users in accordance with the distribution probabilities associated with the individual potential awards such that, in response to receiving an activation request from the first user for one instance of the first probability item bundle subsequent to purchase of the two instances of the first probability item bundle by the first user, stochastically selecting one of the individual potential awards from the first set of potential awards in accordance with the distribution probabilities associated with the individual potential awards, and the selected individual potential award is distributed to the first inventory of virtual items under the control of the first user;

adjusting the distribution probabilities associated with individual potential awards in the sets of potential awards in a predetermined manner in response to predetermined triggering criteria being met such that, in response to the predetermined triggering criteria being met subsequent to purchase of the two instances of the first probability item bundle by the first user, one or both of the first distribution probability and/or the second distribution probability are adjusted in a predetermined manner, wherein said triggering criteria that result in adjustment of the first distribution probability includes a level of previous purchases of said first probability item bundle by said first user breaching a purchase threshold;

receive a second activation request from the first user for the second instance of the first probability item bundle;

stochastically select one of the individual potential awards from the first set of potential awards in accordance with the adjusted distribution probabilities associated with the individual potential awards from the first set of potential awards; and

distribute the selected one of the individual potential awards to the first inventory of virtual items under control of the first user.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of facilitating entry and/or selection of one or both of said triggering criteria and/or said distribution probabilities.

16. The method of claim 14, wherein said predetermined manner for adjusting said distribution probabilities comprises increasing said one or both of said first distribution probability and/or said second distribution probability.

17. The method of claim 14, wherein said triggering criteria that result in adjustment of the first distribution probability includes a number of purchases within a given period of time of said first probability item bundle by a collective group of users that participate in said online game.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein said adjustment comprises an adjustment to a higher probability in connection with a lower level of purchases.

19. The method of claim 14, wherein said triggering criteria that result in adjustment of the first distribution probability includes a current level of inventory of said first probability item bundle held by said first user.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein said adjustment comprises an adjustment to a higher probability in connection with a higher level of inventory.

21. The method of claim 14, wherein said triggering criteria that result in adjustment of the first distribution probability includes a spend velocity associated with at least one of said probability item bundles within a given period of time by a collective group of users that participate in said online game.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein said adjustment comprises an adjustment to higher probability in connection with a lower level of spend velocity.

23. The method of claim 14, wherein said triggering criteria that result in adjustment of the first distribution probability includes revenue associated with said online game within a given period of time by a collective group of users that participate in said online game.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein said adjustment comprises an adjustment to higher probability in connection with a lower level of revenue.

25. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of notifying users of a change in at least one of said distribution probabilities.

26. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of limiting in time said adjustment of distribution probabilities.