SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR FACILITATING A VIDEO GAME EXCHANGE

• US 20140135115A1
• Filed: 01/17/2014
• Published: 05/15/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/13/2010
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Green Man Gaming Limited
• Original Assignee: Green Man Gaming Limited
• Inventors: SULYOK, Paul, PACKHAM, Lee
• Application Number:
  US14/157,910
• Publication Number:
  US 20140135115A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 463/29
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/71 using secure communication between game devices and game servers, e.g. by encrypting game data or authenticating players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/92 Video game devices specially adapted to be hand-held while playing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/532 using secure communication, e.g. by encryption, authentication
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/552 for downloading to client devices, e.g. using OS version, hardware or software profile of the client device
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating the exchange of electronic video games. A video game exchange server provides interacts with a gaming device to permit a game user to buy and load a video game onto the gaming device, to play the game on the gaming device and to return the “used” game for credits that may be used to purchase a new or used game. The game exchange server assigns a price to each new game and used game in its inventory. The game exchange server also assigns a value to each game currently stored on the gaming device. The game price and the game value may decline as a function of time or based on other factors (e.g., a new release). The game exchange server also validates that a video game stored on a gaming device is authorized.

Claims

1. A video game exchange server for exchanging video games comprising:

a processor;

a memory coupled to the processor and storing executable instructions that when executed by the processor cause the processor to perform operations comprising;

receiving an offer from a gaming device over a network to exchange a digital game for which the gaming device has acquired use rights for a game for which gaming device has not acquired use right, wherein the offer to exchange comprises a first unique key assigned to the game offered for exchange;

confirming from the first unique key that the gaming device has acquired use rights to the digital game offered for exchange;

accepting the offer to exchange the digital game for which the use rights have been confirmed;

storing a second unique key associated with the requested game in a datastore; and

retiring the first unique key of the digital game subject to the accepted offer from the datastore.

2. The video game exchange server of claim 1, wherein the executable instruction for confirming from the first unique key that the gaming device has acquired use rights to the digital game offered for exchange comprises determining whether the first unique key associated with the digital game offered for exchange, and received at the video game exchange server in the offer matches a game key associated with a gaming device account.

3. The video game exchange server of claim 1, wherein the second processor further executes software instructions that cause the second processor to perform operations comprising:

providing the requested game and the second unique key to gaming device; and

adding the requested game and the unique key of the requested game to a game inventory associated with the gaming device.

4. The video game exchange server of claim 1 wherein the second processor further executes software instructions that cause the second processor to perform operations comprising:

receiving from the gaming device a request for validation of the digital game offered for exchange, wherein the request for validation comprises the first unique key;

determining that the first unique key does not match a key in the datastore; and

sending the gaming device a refusal to validate the first unique key, wherein the digital game offered for exchange is rendered inoperable by the gaming device.

5. The video game exchange server of claim 3, wherein the second processor further executes software instructions that cause the second processor to perform operations comprising removing the game offered for exchange from the game inventory associated with the gaming device.

6. The video game exchange server of claim 5, wherein the instruction for removing the game offered for exchange from the game inventory associated with the gaming device comprises deleting the first unique key associated with the game offered for exchange from the game inventory associated with the gaming device.

7. The video game exchange server of claim 1, wherein the gaming device is selected from the group consisting of a desk top computer, a lap top computer, a hand held computer, a game console, and a mobile gaming platform.

15. The video game exchange server of claim 1, wherein the operation for accepting the offer when the gaming device is determined to have acquired use rights to the digital game offered for exchange comprises operations for:

assigning a value to the game offered for exchange;

comparing the value of the game offered for exchange to a value of the requested game; and

accepting the offer when the value of the game offered for exchange equals or exceeds the value of the requested game.

16. The video game exchange server of claim 2, wherein the operation for accepting the offer when the gaming device has acquired use rights to the digital game offered for exchange comprises operations for:

assigning a value to the game offered for exchange;

determining a value of credits associated with an account;

comparing the value of the game offered for exchange to a value of the requested game; and

accepting the offer when the value of the game offered for exchange in combination with the value of the credits associated with the account exceeds the value of the requested game.

17. The video game exchange server of claim 15, wherein the operation for assigning a value to the game offered for exchange comprises determining a value of the game offered for exchange using at least one of an agreements with a game publisher, a date of the offer relative to a date the game offered for exchange was release, a measure of complexity of the game offered for exchange, a measure of popularity of the game offered for exchange, a number of copies of the game offered for exchange in circulation, a number of other copies of the game offered for exchange available for exchange, an amount of time required to sell a last copy of the game offered for exchange, a price of a last copy of the game offered for exchange to be sold, and a number of requests for the game offered for exchange.

8. A method for exchanging digital video games using a video game exchange server comprising:

receiving an offer from a gaming device at the game exchange server to exchange a digital game for which the gaming device has acquired use rights for a game for which gaming device has not acquired use rights, wherein the offer to exchange comprises a first unique key assigned to the game offered for exchange;

confirming by the video game exchange server from the first unique key that the gaming device has acquired use rights to the digital game offered for exchange;

accepting by the video game exchange server the offer to exchange the digital game for which the use rights have been confirmed;

storing by the video game exchange server a second unique key associated with the requested game in a datastore; and

retiring by the video game exchange server the first unique key of the digital game subject to the accepted offer from the datastore.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein confirming by the video game exchange server from the first unique key that the gaming device has acquired use rights to the digital game offered for exchange comprises determining by the video game exchange server whether the first unique key associated with the digital game offered for exchange matches a game key associated with one or more digital games associated with a game device account.

10. The method of claim 8, wherein the gaming device is selected from the group consisting of a desk top computer, a lap top computer, a hand held computer, a game console, and a mobile gaming platform.

11. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

providing by the video game exchange server the requested game and the second unique key to the gaming device; and

adding by the video game exchange server the requested game and the second unique key of the requested game to a game inventory associated with the gaming device.

12. The method of claim 8 further comprising:

receiving by the video game exchange server from the gaming device a request for validation of the digital game offered for exchange, wherein the request for validation comprises the first unique key;

determining by the video game exchange server that the first unique key does not match a key in the datastore; and

sending by the video game exchange server the gaming device via a client application a refusal to validate the first unique key, wherein the digital game offered for exchange is rendered inoperable by the refusal to validate the first unique key.

13. The method of claim 11, further comprising removing by the video game exchange server the game offered for exchange from the game inventory associated with the gaming device.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein removing by the video game exchange server the game offered for exchange from the user game inventory comprises deleting by the video game exchange server the first unique key associated with the game offered for exchange.

18. The method of claim 8, wherein accepting the offer when the gaming device is determined to have acquired use rights to the digital game offered for exchange comprises:

assigning by the video game exchange server a value to the game offered for exchange;

comparing by the video game exchange server the value of the game offered for exchange to a value of the requested game; and

accepting by the video game exchange server the offer when the value of the game offered for exchange equal or exceeds the value of the requested game.

19. The method of claim 9, wherein accepting the offer when the gaming device is determined to have acquired use rights to the digital game offered for exchange comprises:

assigning by the video game exchange server a value to the game offered for exchange;

determining by the video game exchange server a value of credits associated with an account;

comparing by the video game exchange server the value of the game offered for exchange to a value of the requested game; and

accepting by the video game exchange server the offer when the value of the game offered for exchange in combination with the value of the credits associated with the account exceeds the value of the requested game.

20. The method of claim 18, wherein assigning a value to the game offered for exchange comprises determining a value of the game offered for exchange using at least one of an agreement with a game publisher, a date of the offer relative to a date the game offered for exchange was released, a measure of complexity of the game offered for exchange, a measure of popularity of the game offered for exchange, a number of copies of the game offered for exchange in circulation, a number of other copies of the game offered for exchange available for exchange, an amount of time required to sell a last copy of the game offered for exchange, a price of a last copy of the game offered for exchange to be sold, and a number of requests for the game offered for exchange.