Systems and methods for in-game provisioning of content

• US 8,662,997 B1
• Filed: 09/30/2009
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 09/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: McCuller, Patrick G., Paleja, Ameesh, Shepard, Isaac J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US12/570,569
• Time in Patent Office: 1,616 Days
• Field of Search: 463/42, 463/23, 463/25, 463/26
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions
• 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 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions

Abstract

In certain embodiments, computer systems and methods are provided that allow a game distribution platform to distribute, update and/or control copies of games published across multiple game portals. In some embodiments, copies of the games are maintained in data storage on the game distribution platform and distributed to game portals and/or gaming devices. Additional content for purchase may also be stored on the data storage and available for purchase during a gaming session. Advantageously, in certain embodiments the game distribution platform enables game portals and/or gaming devices to receive the latest version of a game and/or a player'"'"'s purchased content when a player selects to play the game.

Claims

1. A computer-implemented method for providing additional game content during a gaming session, the method comprising:

providing access to an electronic purchasing interface, said access provided to instances of a micro-loader module associated with a game, the instances of the micro-loader module deployed on a plurality of web sites and downloadable to gaming devices from the plurality of web sites, wherein the electronic purchasing interface is configured to allow a player to purchase game content for the game, the electronic purchasing interface comprising a list of purchasable game content;

receiving a first request for game files from a first micro-loader module instance on a first gaming device;

determining whether the first micro-loader module instance is associated with a player having purchased content;

in response to determining that the first micro-loader module instance is not associated with a player having purchased content, sending a first set of game files for the game to the first micro-loader instance; and

in response to determining that the first micro-loader module instance is associated with a player having purchased content, sending a second set of game files for the game to the first micro-loader instance, said second set including files associated with the purchased content.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the electronic purchasing interface comprises a screen within the game.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising:

aggregating purchase information for the game across multiple player accounts; and

generating a report of content purchases for the game.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein said determining whether the first micro-loader module instance is associated with a player having purchased content comprises:

receiving a player identifier from the first micro-loader module;

accessing a player account associated with the player identifier; and

determining whether purchased content is associated with the player account.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising receiving a player identifier from the first gaming device and authenticating the player identifier with data stored on a player account associated with the player identifier.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the electronic purchasing interface is configured to accept purchase orders from gaming devices operating a plurality of different operating systems.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, further comprising directing the gaming device to delete the purchased game content and files associated with the purchased game content from the gaming device once the available consumption is fully used.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 1, wherein the first set of game files and the second set of game files are determined based at least partly on the operating systems of the first gaming device and the second gaming device, respectively.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 8, further comprising directing the gaming device to delete the purchased game content and files associated with the purchased game content from the gaming device once the available consumption is fully used.

10. A system for providing additional game content during a gaming session for a game, the system comprising:

a computer data repository for storing player identifiers, player profiles, and purchasable content for the game, the computer data repository comprising physical computer storage; and

a computing system in communication with the computer data repository, the computing system operative to;

provide access to an electronic purchasing interface, said access provided to instances of a micro-loader module associated with a game, the instances of the micro-loader module deployed on a plurality of web sites and downloadable to computing devices from the plurality of web sites, wherein the electronic purchasing interface is configured to allow a player to purchase game content for the game, the electronic purchasing interface comprising a list of purchasable game content;

receive a first request for game files from a first micro-loader module instance on a first computing device;

determine whether the first micro-loader module instance is associated with a player having purchased content;

in response to determining that the first micro-loader module instance is not associated with a player having purchased content, send a first set of game files for the game to the first micro-loader instance; and

in response to determining that the first micro-loader module instance is associated with a player having purchased content, send a second set of game files for the game to the first micro-loader instance, said second set including files associated with the purchased content.

11. The system of claim 10, the computing system further operative to generate a report of purchased content by the player.

12. The system of claim 10, wherein the electronic purchasing interface is provided within a web browser.

13. The system of claim 10, wherein the electronic purchasing interface is provided within the game.

14. The system of claim 10, wherein the purchased content comprises consumable content that is limited to a number of uses within the game.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the computing system is configured to direct the first micro-loader module instance to delete the files associated with the purchased game content once the number of uses is reached.

16. The system of claim 10, wherein the computing system is configured to receive purchase orders from different types of computing devices.

17. Non-transitory computer storage having stored thereon instructions that, when executed by a computer system having computer storage, cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:

providing access to an electronic purchasing interface, said access provided to instances of a micro-loader module associated with a game, the instances of the micro-loader module deployed on a plurality of web sites and downloadable to computing devices from the plurality of web sites, wherein the electronic purchasing interface is configured to allow a player to purchase game content for the game, the electronic purchasing interface comprising a list of purchasable game content;

receiving a first request for game files from a first micro-loader module instance on a first computing device;

determining whether the first micro-loader module instance is associated with a player having purchased content;

in response to determining that the first micro-loader module instance is not associated with a player having purchased content, sending a first set of game files for the game to the first micro-loader instance; and

in response to determining that the first micro-loader module instance is associated with a player having purchased content, sending a second set of game files for the game to the first micro-loader instance, said second set including files associated with the purchased content.

18. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 17, wherein the purchased content comprises consumable content that is limited to a number of uses within the game.

19. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 17, further comprising instructions that cause the computer system to perform operations comprising:

aggregating purchase information for the game across multiple player accounts; and

generating a report of content purchases for the game.

20. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 17, wherein said determining whether the first micro-loader module instance is associated with a player having purchased content comprises:

receiving a player identifier from the first micro-loader module;

accessing a player account associated with the player identifier; and

determining whether purchased content is associated with the player account.

21. The non-transitory computer storage of claim 17, wherein the first set of game files and the second set of game files are determined based at least partly on the operating systems of the first gaming device and the second gaming device, respectively.