Virtual credit in simulated environments
2 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
A method and system provides for the use of credit arrangements in simulated environments. A user can participate in credit transactions involving purchases of virtual products, virtual services, and virtual items of value. Feedback is provided to the user regarding results of the credit transactions. In some embodiments multiple users can make simulated purchases or incur simulated credit obligations that are posted to virtual accounts, and the multiple users can also make simulated compensation against balances due or obligations owed for said virtual accounts. The user is also provided with an opportunity of engaging in real-world financial transactions related to the virtual credit arrangement. In some implementations of the system and method, multiple players at different locations can use virtual charge accounts and/or real world financial accounts in connection with arranging or resolving a virtual credit transaction.
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Citations
62 Claims
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1-2. -2. (canceled)
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5-6. -6. (canceled)
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8. (canceled)
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12. The method of 11 that further includes periodically changing one or more credit terms taken from the following group:
- interest rate, due date, grace period, penalties, credit limit, service charge, transferability, weekly fee, monthly fee, annual fee, automatic repayment, payment of other obligations, monetary advance, re-negotiated debt, and exchange value.
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13-16. -16. (canceled)
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19-20. -20. (canceled)
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21. A method of simulating charge card usage in a virtual world environment comprising:
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providing a virtual account to a user, wherein the virtual account includes credit terms that allow carry-over balances; enabling the user to participate in a virtual credit transaction that includes making one or more simulated credit purchases of goods and/or services and/or items of virtual value that are charged to the virtual account, wherein the user receives feedback regarding results of the simulated credit purchases; and responsive to an experience of making the simulated credit purchase at an appropriate virtual account participation level and receiving the feedback, facilitating a transition by the user to another virtual account usage level in the virtual world environment. - View Dependent Claims (3, 4, 7, 9, 10, 11, 17, 18, 22, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43)
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23. (canceled)
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30. (canceled)
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44. A system for credit arrangements in a virtual world environment comprising:
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computerized apparatus including a memory and a processor for implementing a credit transaction involving a credit purchase of one or more various virtual products and/or virtual services and/or virtual items; a data record operably coupled to the computerized apparatus for maintaining virtual account data for the credit purchase and different benchmark standards for different participation levels of the virtual account; and a bi-directional user interface for communicating informational messages between the user and the computerized apparatus regarding the credit terms and consequences associated with said purchase. - View Dependent Claims (45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52, 53)
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54. Apparatus for providing virtual credit in a simulated environment, comprising:
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computerized apparatus for storing and processing one or more virtual credit transactions in the simulated environment; an interactive communication link with said computerized apparatus to enable a user to participate in said one or more virtual credit transactions; and an interface capable of operable connection to said interactive communication link and accessible to the user for transmitting informational inputs and for making selections that help to provide an appropriate participation level for credit terms that include remuneration with something of real value against a balance due or other obligation resulting from said one or more virtual credit transactions. - View Dependent Claims (55, 56, 57, 58, 60, 61, 62)
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59. (canceled)
Specification