Incentivized task completion using chance-based awards

• US 8,790,185 B1
• Filed: 12/04/2012
• Issued: 07/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/04/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Caldarone, Michael C., Schultz, Stephanie K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Pandya, Sunit
• Application Number:
  US13/705,072
• Time in Patent Office: 602 Days
• Field of Search: 463/29, 463/36, 463 40- 42
• US Class Current: 463/42
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• 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 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements

Abstract

A game provided to users of a game space may include a task to be performed by the users. A plurality of virtual chance items may be composed. Individual ones of the virtual chance items may be configured to be activated by the users in the game space to obtain virtual awards in the game space. The virtual awards may include one or more primary awards and one or more secondary awards. Composing the virtual chance items may include determining probabilities that the individual virtual chance items will provide a primary award and/or a secondary award upon activation. The virtual chance items may be distributed to the users that complete the task responsive to these users completing the task. The virtual awards may be provided to the users in accordance with the probabilities assigned to the virtual chance items in response to the users activating the virtual chance items.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating incentivized task completion using chance-based awards, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a game module configured to execute an instance of a game space, and to facilitate presentation of views of the game space to users, wherein the game space is configured to facilitate interaction of the users with the game space and/or each other by performing operations in the game space in response to commands received from the users, wherein the users include a first user, and wherein a game provided to the users within the game space includes a task to be performed by the users;

a completion determination module configured to determine completion of the task by individual ones of the users;

an item manager module configured to compose a plurality of virtual chance items, wherein individual ones of the virtual chance items are configured to be activated by the users in the game space to obtain virtual awards in the game space, the virtual awards including one or more primary awards and one or more secondary awards, wherein composing the virtual chance items includes determining probabilities that the individual virtual chance items will provide a primary award and/or a secondary award upon activation, and wherein the virtual chance items include a first virtual chance item; and

an item distribution module configured to distribute the virtual chance items to inventories of virtual items usable in the online game associated with the individual users that complete the task responsive to these users completing the task such that, responsive to the first user completing the task, the first virtual chance item is distributed to a first inventory of virtual items usable in the online game by the first user,

wherein the game module is configured to provide the virtual awards to the inventories of virtual items usable in the online game associated with the users in accordance with the probabilities assigned to the virtual chance items in response to the users activating the virtual chance items in the users'"'"' inventories such that, responsive to the first user selecting the first virtual chance item from among the virtual items in the first inventory to initiate activation of the first virtual chance item, a first award is determined for the first user in accordance with the probabilities assigned to the first virtual chance item and the first award is added to the first inventory of the first user for use in the online game at the discretion of the first user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the item manager module is configured such that the probabilities assigned to the virtual chance items are determined based on an amount of the users that complete the task.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the item manager module is configured to modify the probabilities assigned to the virtual chance items that have been distributed to the inventories of virtual items usable in the online game of the individual users based on the virtual awards provided to other ones of the users through the virtual chance items such that the probabilities assigned to the first virtual chance item are modified after the distribution to the first inventory of virtual items usable in the online game associated with the first user responsive to other users activating other ones of the virtual chance items to obtain the virtual awards.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the item manager module is configured such that the probabilities assigned to the first virtual chance item are modified based on a threshold amount of the users to be provided with a primary award.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the item manager module is configured such that, responsive to the amount of the users that complete the task being greater than a threshold amount of the users to be provided with a primary award, the probabilities that the individual virtual chance items will provide a secondary award upon activation are initially a non-zero value.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the item manager module is configured such that the primary awards are individually greater in value than individual ones of the secondary awards with respect to one or more criteria associated with the game space.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the item manager module is configured such that the virtual chance items are virtual goods that are purchasable and/or tradable within the game space.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer program modules comprise an award administration module configured to obtain inputs from an administrator to implement one or more of:

adding of tasks, the virtual chance items, and/or the virtual awards;

modifying of the tasks, the virtual chance items, and/or the virtual awards;

or removing of the tasks, the virtual chance items, and/or the virtual awards.

9. A method for facilitating incentivized task completion using chance-based awards, the method being implemented in a computer system that includes one or more processors executing computer program modules, the method comprising:

executing an instance of a game space;

facilitating presentation of views of the game space to users, wherein the game space is configured to facilitate interaction of the users with the game space and/or each other by performing operations in the game space in response to commands received from the users, wherein the users include a first user, and wherein a game provided to the users within the game space includes a task to be performed by the users;

determining completion of the task by individual ones of the users;

composing a plurality of virtual chance items, wherein individual ones of the virtual chance items are configured to be activated by the users in the game space to obtain virtual awards in the game space, the virtual awards including one or more virtual awards and one or more secondary awards, wherein composing the virtual chance items includes determining probabilities that the individual virtual chance items will provide a primary award and/or a secondary award upon activation, and wherein the virtual chance items include a first virtual chance item;

distributing the virtual chance items to inventories of virtual items usable in the online game associated with the individual users that complete the task responsive to these users completing the task such that, responsive to the first user completing the task, the first virtual chance item is distributed to a first inventory of virtual items usable in the online game by the first user; and

providing the virtual awards to the inventories of the virtual items in the online game associated with the users in accordance with the probabilities assigned to the virtual chance items in response to the users activating the virtual chance items such that, responsive to the first user selecting the first virtual chance item from the virtual items in the first inventory to initiate activation of the first virtual chance item, a first award is determined for the first user in accordance with the probabilities to the first virtual chance item and the first award is added to the first inventory of the first user for use in the online game at the discretion of the first user.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the probabilities assigned to the virtual chance items are determined based on an amount of the users that complete the task.

11. The method of claim 9, comprising modifying the probabilities assigned to the virtual chance items that have been distributed to the inventories of virtual items usable in the online game associated with the individual users based on the virtual awards provided to other ones of the users through the virtual chance items such that the probabilities assigned to the first virtual chance item are modified after the distribution to the first inventory of virtual items usable in the online game associated with the first user responsive to other users activating other ones of the virtual chance items to obtain the virtual awards.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the probabilities assigned to the first virtual chance item are modified based on a threshold amount of the users to be provided with a primary award.

13. The method of claim 9, wherein, responsive to the amount of the users that complete the task being greater than a threshold amount of the users to be provided with a primary award, the probabilities that the individual virtual chance items will provide a secondary award upon activation are initially a non-zero value.

14. The method of claim 9, wherein the primary awards are individually greater in value than individual ones of the secondary awards with respect to one or more criteria associated with the game space.

15. The method of claim 9, wherein the virtual chance items are virtual goods that are purchasable and/or tradable within the game space.

16. The method of claim 9, comprising receiving inputs from an administrator to implement one or more of:

adding of tasks, the virtual chance items, and/or the virtual awards;

modifying of the tasks, the virtual chance items, and/or the virtual awards;

or removing of the tasks, the virtual chance items, and/or the virtual awards.