PARTICIPANT INTERACTION WITH ENTERTAINMENT IN REAL AND VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTS

• US 20080221998A1
• Filed: 05/01/2008
• Published: 09/11/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 06/24/2005
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: KUMMER, EDWARD, GUENTHER, JASON, HARO, EDMOND J., DOBSON, TERRY M., MENDELSOHN, SETH, YANOVER, PAUL, VORIS, JEFF, HOLZBERG, ROGER S.
• Application Number:
  US12/113,562
• Publication Number:
  US 20080221998A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/14
• 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 30/0212 Chance discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0226 Incentive systems for frequent usage, e.g. frequent flyer miles programs or point systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0236 Incentive or reward received by requiring registration or ID from user
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0239 Online discounts or incentives
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/0252 based on events or environment, e.g. weather or festivals

Abstract

A system of interaction between an electronic theme park experience and live theme park interaction and activity earns rewards. The interaction permits for rewards earned in the electronic theme park experience to be redeemed in the live theme park experience and vice versa. The electronic theme park and live activity are interactive in real or delayed time through an Internet connection. Activities on one or both of the live and electronic formats are designed to drive increased player visiting of the live and/or electronic versions. The Virtual Magic Kingdom in some embodiments includes a virtual version of one or more of theme parks such as the “Magic Kingdom” portion of Disney, Inc.'"'"'s theme parks.

Claims

1. A system of interaction between an electronic theme park experience and a live theme park, comprising:

an interaction permitting for rewards to be earned by a player in the electronic theme park experience, wherein the rewards are to be redeemed in the live theme park and wherein the interaction comprises the player performing one or more activities based at least in part on portions of the live theme park;

a network accessible to couple the electronic theme park experience and live theme park through the network;

a database, linked to the network, storing the earned rewards; and

at the live theme park, a rewards display on an electronic device linked to the network indicating the earned rewards associated with the player that may be exchanged for goods or services at the live theme park.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic theme park experience is implemented by an interactive game, the interactive game being operable on an electronic device in communication with the network and being viewable on a display, and further wherein the activities and the earned rewards alter operation of the interactive game.

3. The system of claim 2, further including an awards display window in the interactive game configured to display the goods or services for which the player may redeem the earned rewards at the live theme park.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the player in the interactive game selectively adopts a unique identity, wherein ones of the unique identities generated by the player while in the live theme park comprise avatars with at least one characteristic not available via the electronic theme park experience.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the at least one characteristic comprises a special ability provided to the avatars in the interactive game.

6. The system of claim 2, wherein players of the interactive game in the electronic theme park experience have the ability to invite other players playing selectively in at least one of the live theme park or in the electronic theme park experience to enter a selected area of the interactive game associated with the players.

7. The system of claim 2, wherein rewards may be earned by playing the interactive game in the live theme park including a charm useable by the player in the electronic theme park experience to alter the one or more activities.

8. The system of claim 2, wherein at least one of character functionality and game level access is granted selectively to players who access the interactive game in the live theme park experience.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic theme park experience is configured to increase the rewards in response to an aspect of the player'"'"'s activity in at least one portion of the live theme park.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the electronic theme park experience provides a chat room for the player to communicate with other players of with the electronic theme park experience over the network.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the player earns rewards in the live theme park comprising a code used in the electronic theme park experience to modify or access the activities, the rewards in the live theme park being awarded for performing an action at the live theme park.

12. A system of interaction between an electronic theme park experience and a live theme park experience, comprising:

a remote terminal;

a central controller in communication with the remote terminal, wherein the communication is through a network connection;

a system configured to retrieve and display rewards of a player accessing the remote terminal to participate in activities in the electronic theme park experience; and

a rewards database accessible by the central controller and from which the rewards of the player are retrieved, wherein the rewards comprise at least one reward redeemable in the live theme park experience.

13. The system of claim 12, further comprising running an interactive game on the remote terminal in the electronic theme park experience, wherein the interactive game is at least partially configured based on a reward earned in the live theme park experience and retrieved from the rewards database.

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the interactive game is configured to provide the player with access to a level that is inaccessible without the at least one reward earned in the live theme park experience.

15. The system of claim 13, wherein the interactive game comprises an avatar associated with the player, the avatar being configured at least in part based on participating in the live theme park experience.

16. The system of claim 13, wherein the remote terminal is operable to receive a code from the player and to modify operation of the interactive game based on the code, the code being provided to the player based on participation in an activity in the live theme park experience.

17. A method of interaction between an electronic theme park experience and a live theme park, comprising:

assigning a unique identifier to a person;

awarding rewards to the uniquely identified person for predetermined activities in the electronic theme park experience, wherein the predetermined activities are performed by the uniquely identified person during participation in an interactive game served over a digital communications network; and

exchanging the rewards awarded to the uniquely identified person for benefits available at the live theme park.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the rewards are stored in memory accessible at the live theme park via the digital communications network based on the unique identifier, and the method further comprises displaying the rewards on a display provided at the live theme park.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the benefits comprise goods and services available at the live theme park and the step of displaying the rewards further comprises displaying an amount of rewards required for exchange for each of the goods and services.

20. The method of claim 17, further comprising prior to the exchanging printing a form or coupon indicative of the rewards and wherein the exchanging of the rewards comprises, at the live theme park, redeeming the form or coupon for the live theme park benefits.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising in the electronic theme park experience the uniquely identified person selecting a quest, the uniquely identified person performing the quest at the live theme park, and awarding additional rewards to the uniquely identified person upon completion of the quest.