Game-based incentives for location-based actions

• US 8,491,395 B2
• Filed: 06/30/2011
• Issued: 07/23/2013
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Zynga Incorporated
• Inventors: Waldron, Justin, Wang, Jackson, Auterio, Kathleen, Ersever, Deniz, Kheskani, Hardik, Lam, Serena, Makarsky, Christopher Joseph, Mosites, Donald C., Mullin, Benjamin, Talapatra, Shantanu
• Primary Examiner(s): Coburn, Corbett B
• Application Number:
  US13/174,715
• Publication Number:
  US 20120040743A1
• Time in Patent Office: 754 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 705/14.12
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/00 Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions gaming systems which provide a financial reward G07F17/32
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/216 using geographical information, e.g. location of the game device or player using GPS
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5573 player location
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

In a method and system of providing in-game assets for location-based actions, an indication of a performance of a location-based action by a player of a computer-implemented game is received. A virtual item is provided based on the receiving of the indication of the performance of the location-based action by the player of the computer-implemented game, the virtual item being usable within the computer-implemented game.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, from a device at a physical location that is distinct from a client system used by a player of a computer-implemented game, an indication of a performance of a location-based action at the physical location by the player of the computer-implemented game, the location-based action determined based on retrieved game state data of the computer-implemented game, the receiving is performed by a processor of a machine; and

providing a virtual item based on the indication received from the device at the physical location that is distinct from a client system used by the player indicating the performance of the location-based action at the physical location by the player of the computer-implemented game, the virtual item being usable within the computer-implemented game.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the providing of the virtual item includes providing the virtual item to a player character controlled by the player in a virtual world of the computer-implemented game.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the virtual item based on intellectual property information associated with the physical location of the location-based action.

4. The method of claim 1, further comprising offering the virtual item to the player as a mystery prize.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising selecting the location-based action based on a preference of an operator of the physical location of the location-based action.

6. The method of claim 5, further comprising determining the preference of the operator of the physical location of the location-based action based on an accessing of an inventory system of the operator of the physical location of the location-based action.

13. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual item is an in-game asset awarded for performing the location-based action at the physical location.

14. The method of claim 1, wherein the location based action is determined based on at least one attribute associated with the physical location.

7. A system comprising:

a processor-implemented game networking system configured to;

receive, from a device at a physical location that is distinct from a client system used by a player of a computer-implemented game, an indication of a performance of a location-based action at the physical location by the player of the computer-implemented game, the location-based action determined based on retrieved game state data of the computer-implemented game; and

provide a virtual item based on the indication received from the device at the physical location that is distinct from a client system used by the player indicating the performance of the location-based action at the physical location by the player of the computer-implemented game, the virtual item being usable within the computer-implemented game.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the game networking system is further configured to provide the virtual item to a player character controlled by the player in a virtual world of the computer-implemented game.

9. The system of claim 7, wherein the game networking system is further configured to select the virtual item based on intellectual property information associated with the physical location of the location-based action.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the game networking system is further configured to offer the virtual item to the player as a mystery prize.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the game networking system is further configured to select the location-based action based on a preference of an operator of the physical location of the location-based action.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the game networking system is further configured to determine the preference of the operator of the physical location of the location-based action based on an accessing of an inventory system of the operator of the physical location of the location-based action.

15. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium embodying a set of instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:

receiving, from a device at a physical location that is distinct from a client system used by a player of a computer-implemented game, an indication of a performance of a location-based action at the physical location by the player of the computer-implemented game, the location-based action determined based on retrieved game state data of the computer-implemented game; and

providing a virtual item based on the indication received from the device at the physical location that is distinct from a client system used by the player indicating the performance of the location-based action at the physical location by the player of the computer-implemented game, the virtual item being usable within the computer-implemented game.

16. The non-transitory-readable storage medium of claim 15, wherein the providing of the virtual item includes providing the virtual item to a player character controlled by the player in a virtual world of the computer-implemented game.

17. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising selecting the virtual item based on intellectual property information associated with the physical location of the location-based action.

18. The non-transitory-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising offering the virtual item to the player as a mystery prize.

19. The non-transitory-readable storage medium of claim 15, further comprising selecting the location-based action based on a preference of an operator of the physical location of the location-based action.

20. The non-transitory-readable storage medium of claim 19, further comprising determining the preference of the operator of the physical location of the location-based action based on an accessing of an inventory system of the operator of the physical location of the location-based action.