Systems and methods for accessing online content during online gaming

• US 20060111188A1
• Filed: 04/18/2005
• Published: 05/25/2006
• Est. Priority Date: 11/22/2004
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Planetwide Games Incorporated
• Original Assignee: MW Holdings LP
• Inventors: Winkler, Marvin
• Granted Patent: US 7,695,369 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/00 Commerce
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

Systems and methods for accessing online content during online gaming are disclosed. In one embodiment, online gamers are able to access available online music content while in-game. Player-selected music content may be played and incorporated directly into the online RPG/MMORPG gaming experience. Players desiring to access additional music content to be played while in-game may be directed to a third-party server, from which the desired music content may be selected and/or downloaded. The selected music content may then replace the generic background music to which all other players are limited.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing access to a virtual world environment;

streaming personalized content to a subset of users accessing said virtual world environment;

directing said subset of users to a third-party server from which said personalized content is available for download; and

enabling said subset of users to download said personalized content from said third-party server while still in said virtual world environment.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein providing access to the virtual world environment comprising permitting a client application executing on a user computer to access said virtual game environment over a network connection.

3. The method of claim 2, further comprising generating said virtual game environment by a server-side system that is accessible via said network connection by a plurality of users which includes said subset of users.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein streaming personalized content comprises streaming an audio file to the subset of users and streaming a different audio file to a group of users different than said subset of users.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein streaming personalized content comprises streaming a plurality of channels of audio content from which online users may select a particular channel to listen.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein said virtual world environment is an online role playing game environment.

7. The method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a request from an online user to mark a track of said personalized content.

8. The method of claim 7, further comprising:

populating a list with said track, wherein said list is comprised of one or more marked tracks; and

sending said list to an online merchant server from which said online user may purchase said one or more marked tracks.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein sending said list comprises automatically populating a virtual shopping cart of said online user for said online merchant server.

25. The computer program product of claim 7, further having:

computer readable program code to populate a list with said track, wherein said list is comprised of one or more marked tracks; and

computer readable program code to send said list to an online merchant server from which said online user may purchase said one or more marked tracks.

26. The computer program product of claim 8, wherein said computer readable program code to send said list comprises computer readable program code to automatically populate a virtual shopping cart of said online user for said online merchant server.

10. A system comprising:

a network;

a plurality of user computers coupled to the network;

a server in communication with said plurality of user computers over said network, wherein said server is to,

generate a virtual world environment for access by said plurality of user computers,

stream personalized content to a subset of said plurality of user computers while accessing said virtual world environment,

direct said subset to a third-party server from which said personalized content is available for download, and

enable said subset to download said personalized content from said third-party server while still in said virtual world environment.

11. The system of claim 10, wherein said plurality of user computers is to access said virtual world environment over said network by executing a client application.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein said server is to stream an audio file to the subset of plurality of user computer and to stream a different audio file to a second subset of said plurality of user computer.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein said server is to further stream a plurality of channels of audio content from which online users may select a particular channel to listen.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein said virtual world environment is an online role playing game environment.

15. The system of claim 10, wherein said server is to further receive a request from an online user to mark a track of said personalized content.

16. The system of claim 15, wherein said server is further to,

populate a list with said track, wherein said list is comprised of one or more marked tracks, and

send said list to an online merchant server from which said online user may purchase said one or more marked tracks.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein said list is used to automatically populate a virtual shopping cart of said online user for said online merchant server.

18. A computer program product comprising:

a computer usable medium having computer program code embodied therein, the computer program product having;

computer readable program code to provide access to a virtual world environment;

computer readable program code to stream personalized content to a subset of users accessing said virtual world environment;

computer readable program code to direct said subset of users to a third-party server from which said personalized content is available for download; and

computer readable program code to enable said subset of users to download said personalized content from said third-party server while still in said virtual world environment.

19. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said computer readable program code to provide access comprises computer readable program code to permit a client application executing on a user computer to access said virtual game environment over a network connection.

20. The computer program product of claim 19, further having computer readable program code to generate said virtual game environment by a server-side system that is accessible via said network connection by a plurality of users which includes said subset of users.

21. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said computer readable program code to stream personalized content comprises computer readable program code to stream an audio file to the subset of users and computer readable program code to stream a different audio file to a group of users different than said subset of users.

22. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said computer readable program code to stream personalized content comprises computer readable program code to stream a plurality of channels of audio content from which online users may select a particular channel to listen.

23. The computer program product of claim 18, wherein said virtual world environment is an online role playing game environment.

24. The computer program product of claim 18, further having computer readable program code to receive a request from an online user to mark a track of said personalized content.