Ownership of Game Environments in a Virtual World

• US 20070099685A1
• Filed: 12/05/2006
• Published: 05/03/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 10/14/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Leviathan Entertainment, LLC
• Original Assignee: Leviathan Entertainment, LLC
• Inventors: Van Luchene, Andrew
• Granted Patent: US 7,780,532 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/352 involving special game server arrangements, e.g. regional servers connected to a national server or a plurality of servers managing partitions of the game world
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/65 automatically by game devices or servers from real world data, e.g. measurement in live racing competition
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/407 Data transfer via internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/57 details of game services offered to the player
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/108 Remote banking, e.g. home banking
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/04 Billing or invoicing
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/04 Trading; Exchange, e.g. stocks, commodities, derivatives or currency exchange
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 50/10 Services
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

The disclosure provides novel video game methods and systems for allowing players to acquire ownership of game environments. Methods and systems additionally include means for buying and selling ownership or fractions of ownership in a particular game environment.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

providing a virtual world accessible to a plurality of player characters;

providing a game environment in the virtual world;

raising capital in the game environment by selling shares of the game environment to at least one of the player characters.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the game environment is created by at least one of the player characters.

3. The method of claim 2 further comprising determining if a player character is eligible to create a game environment.

4. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of determining if a player character is eligible to create a game environment includes retrieving a player resume associated with the player character.

5. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of determining if a player character is eligible to create a game environment includes determining the skill level of the player character.

6. The method of claim 3 wherein the step of determining if the player character is eligible to create a game environment includes determining the wealth level of the player character.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the game environment includes a plurality of resources.

8. The method of claim 7 wherein the game environment is owned by one or more player characters, the method further comprising:

providing an allocation of resources to the game environment owner; and

allowing the game environment owner to distribute the allocated resources.

9. The method of claim 8 wherein the game environment owner is the player character who created the game environment.

10. The method of claim 8 further comprising allocating resources upon completion of a game parameter.

11. The method of claim 10 wherein the game parameter is passage of a given amount of time.

12. The method of claim 10 wherein the game parameter is the occurrence of a given event in the virtual world.

13. The method of claim 1 further comprising determining if a given player character is eligible to access the game environment.

14. The method of claim 13 wherein determining if a given player character is eligible to access the game environment comprises determining if the given player character owns shares in the game environment.

15. The method of claim 13 wherein determining if a given player character is eligible to access the game environment comprises receiving a fee from the given player character.

16. The method of claim 1 further comprising recruiting player characters into the game environment by:

determining a set of criteria usable to identify player characters to be recruited into the game environment;

determining which player characters in the virtual world fulfill some or all of the criteria; and

offering an incentive to player characters who fulfill some or all of the criteria.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the incentive is stock in the game environment.

18. The method of claim 16 wherein the incentive is a stock option in the game environment.

19. The method of claim 1 further comprising providing an exchange accessible to the player characters through which player characters may buy and sell stock in the virtual environment.

20. The method of claim 19 further comprising:

determining that the game environment fulfills a given criteria;

determining a value for the game environment;

publishing a notice of initial public offering; and

offering shares in the game environment on the exchange.