System and method for granting in-game bonuses to a user

• US 8,821,260 B1
• Filed: 11/06/2012
• Issued: 09/02/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 11/06/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Kawahata, Keith, Hawk, Travis, Ernst, Tim, DeSanti, Brian
• Primary Examiner(s): Kim, Kevin Y
• Application Number:
  US13/670,441
• Time in Patent Office: 665 Days
• Field of Search: 463/25
• US Class Current: 463/25
• 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 13/537 using indicators, e.g. showing the condition of a game character on screen
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/58 by computing conditions of game characters, e.g. stamina, strength, motivation or energy level
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/67 adaptively or by learning from player actions, e.g. skill level adjustment or by storing successful combat sequences for re-use
• 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 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/308 Details of the user interface

Abstract

Disclosed herein is technology for providing in-game bonuses to a user'"'"'s in-game persona. The technology involves virtual items that provide quality-based bonuses and level based bonuses. The technology provides systems and methods for upgrading an item'"'"'s level and enhancing the item'"'"'s quality. If an upgrade or enhancement is unsuccessful, the item may be broken and the quality bonuses and level bonuses may be decreased until the item is repaired.

Claims

1. A method, executed on a computer processor, for granting bonuses to a user'"'"'s in-game persona, the method comprising:

defining an interface that allows a user to place a first virtual item in a first slot within the interface, the virtual item comprising a first quality value and a first level value;

receiving input by the user to place the first virtual item in the first slot;

establishing, responsive to reception of the input, a set of one or more quality bonuses based on the first quality value;

establishing, responsive to reception of the input, a level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses based on the first level value;

causing the interface to offer the user the ability to upgrade the first virtual item;

assigning a percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded;

causing the interface to present an indication of the percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded;

causing the interface to offer the user the ability to increase the percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded by providing a second virtual item;

causing the interface to present an indication of the increased percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded in response to the user providing a second virtual item;

determining, responsive to an acceptance of the offer, whether the first virtual item is upgraded or broken;

increasing the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses responsive to the first virtual item being upgraded;

decreasing each of the one or more quality bonuses and the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses responsive to the first virtual item being broken; and

providing each of the one or more quality bonuses and the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses to the user'"'"'s in-game persona.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein providing each of the one or more quality bonuses and the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses comprises modifying the one or more quality bonuses and each of the level bonuses for the one or more quality bonuses based in part on a bonus weighting value associated with the first slot and providing the modified one or more quality bonuses and the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses to the user.

3. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

causing the interface to offer to the user the ability to enhance the one or more quality bonuses;

determining, responsive to an acceptance of the offer, whether the first virtual item is enhanced or broken; and

adding an additional quality bonus to the set of one or more quality bonuses responsive to the first virtual item being enhanced;

decreasing each of the one or more quality bonuses and the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses responsive to the first virtual item being broken.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein determining whether the first virtual item is upgraded or broken comprises:

generating a random number; and

upgrading the first virtual item responsive to the random number being less than the percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded and breaking the first virtual item responsive to the random number being greater than the percentage likelihood.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the offer to enhance the first virtual item includes a requirement that the user pay an amount of virtual currency to accept the offer.

6. The method of claim 4 wherein the offer to enhance the first virtual item includes an option for the user to prevent the first virtual item from breaking by providing a second virtual item.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein the offer to upgrade the first virtual item includes a requirement that the user pay an amount of virtual currency to accept the offer.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the offer to upgrade the first virtual item includes an option for the user to prevent the first virtual item from breaking by providing a second virtual item.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

allowing the user to place a second virtual item in a second slot within the interface, the second virtual item comprising a second level value and a second quality value;

providing, responsive to the user placing the second virtual item in the second slot, a third bonus based on the second level value; and

providing, responsive to the user placing the second virtual item in the second slot, a fourth bonus based on the second quality value.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the ability to increase the percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded is obtained by providing a third virtual item.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the level bonuses have one or more quality levels, and wherein, responsive to the user accepting the offer to provide a second virtual item, the level bonuses for each of the one or more quality bonuses is increased by two or more quality levels.

12. A method, executed on a computer processor, for granting bonuses to a user'"'"'s in-game persona, the method comprising:

defining an interface that allows a user to place a first virtual item in a first slot within the interface, the virtual item comprising a first quality value and a first level value;

receiving input by the user to place the first virtual item in the first slot;

establishing, responsive to reception of the input, a set of one or more quality bonuses based on the first quality value;

establishing, responsive to reception of the input, a level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses based on the first level value;

causing the interface to offer the user the ability to upgrade the first virtual item;

assigning a percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded;

causing the interface to present an indication of the percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded;

causing the interface to offer the user the ability to increase the percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded by providing a second virtual item;

causing the interface to present an indication of the increased percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded in response to the user providing a second virtual item;

determining, responsive to an acceptance of the offer, whether the first virtual item is upgraded or broken;

decreasing each of the one or more quality bonuses and the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses responsive to the first virtual item being broken; and

offering, to the user, the ability to repair the first virtual item if it is broken, wherein the offer to repair the first virtual item includes a requirement that the user pay an amount of virtual currency or virtual items to accept the offer; and

repairing the broken item responsive to an acceptance of the offer to repair the broken item, such repairing including restoring each of the one or more quality bonuses and the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses of the first virtual item.

13. A method, executed on a computer processor, for granting bonuses to a user'"'"'s in-game persona, the method comprising:

defining an interface that allows a user to place a first virtual item in a first slot within the interface, the virtual item comprising a first quality value and a first level value;

receiving input by the user to place the first virtual item in the first slot;

establishing, responsive to reception of the input, a set of one or more quality bonuses based on the first quality value;

establishing, responsive to reception of the input, a level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses based on the first level value;

causing the interface to offer the user the ability to enhance the first virtual item;

assigning a percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded;

causing the interface to present an indication of the percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded;

causing the interface to offer the user the ability to increase the percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded by providing a second virtual item;

causing the interface to present an indication of the increased percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded in response to the user providing a second virtual item;

determining, responsive to an acceptance of the offer, whether the first virtual item is enhanced or broken;

adding an additional quality bonus to the set of one or more quality bonuses responsive to the first virtual item being enhanced;

decreasing each of the one or more quality bonuses and the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses responsive to the first virtual item being broken; and

providing each of the one or more quality bonuses and the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses to the user'"'"'s in-game persona.

14. A system for an online game, the system comprising:

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

an interface module configured to provide a user with one or more slots in an interface, each slot configured to store a virtual item, the virtual item comprising a quality value, a set of one or more quality bonuses based on the quality value, a level value, and a level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses based on the level value;

a bonus module configured to provide the set of one or more quality bonuses and the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses to the user'"'"'s in-game persona;

an upgrade and enhancement resolution module configured to obtain a percentage likelihood of an upgrade or enhancement being successful and to determine whether an upgrade or an enhancement is successful and break an item if the upgrade or enhancement is not successful wherein the interface module is configured to present to the user an indication of the percentage likelihood of an upgrade or enhancement being successful;

an item level upgrade module configured to offer the user to upgrade the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses and to provide an option for the user to increase the percentage likelihood of the upgrade being successful by providing a second virtual item and further configured to upgrade the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses if the user accepts the offer to upgrade the virtual item and the upgrade and enhancement resolution module determines the upgrade is successful;

wherein the interface module is configured to provide an indication of the increased percentage likelihood of the upgrade or enhancement being successful in response to the user providing a second virtual item;

an item quality enhancement module configured to offer the user to enhance the set of one or more quality bonuses and further configured to add an additional quality bonus to the set of the one or more quality bonuses if the user accepts the offer to enhance the virtual item and the upgrade and enhancement resolution module determines the enhancement is successful.

15. The system of claim 14 wherein the item level upgrade module is further configured to require that the user pay an amount of virtual currency or virtual items to accept the offer.

16. The system of claim 14 wherein the item level upgrade module is further configured to provide an option for the user to prevent the item from breaking by providing virtual currency or a second virtual item.

17. The system of claim 14 wherein the item level upgrade module is further configured to provide an option for the user to increase the chance of the upgrade being successful by providing a virtual currency.

18. The system of claim 14 wherein the upgrade and enhancement resolution module comprises:

a random number generator configured to generate a random number; and

a resolving module configured to;

upgrade or enhance the item if the random number is less than or equal to the percentage likelihood of the level value or the quality value being increased; and

break the virtual item if the random number is greater than the percentage likelihood of the upgrade or enhancement being successful.

19. The system of claim 14, wherein the ability to increase the percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded is obtained by providing a third virtual item.

20. The system of claim 14, wherein the level bonuses have one or more quality levels, and wherein, responsive to the user accepting the offer to provide a second virtual item, the level bonuses for each of the one or more quality bonuses is increased by two or more quality levels.

21. A system for an online game, the system comprising:

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

an interface module configured to provide a user with one or more slots in an interface, each slot configured to store a virtual item, the virtual item comprising a quality value, a set of one or more quality bonuses based on the quality value, a level value, and a level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses based on the level value;

a bonus module configured to provide the set of one or more quality bonuses and the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses to the user'"'"'s in-game persona;

an upgrade and enhancement resolution module configured to obtain a percentage likelihood of an upgrade or enhancement being successful and to determine whether an upgrade or an enhancement is successful and break an item if the upgrade or enhancement is not successful wherein the interface module is configured to present to the user an indication of the percentage likelihood of an upgrade or enhancement being successful;

an item level upgrade module configured to offer the user to upgrade the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses and to provide an option for the user to increase the percentage likelihood of the upgrade being successful by providing a second virtual item and further configured to upgrade the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses if the user accepts the offer to upgrade the virtual item and the upgrade and enhancement resolution module determines the upgrade is successful, and to decrease each of the one or more quality bonuses and the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses responsive to the first virtual item being broken;

wherein the interface module is configured to provide an indication of the increased percentage likelihood of the upgrade or enhancement being successful in response to the user providing a second virtual item; and

,

an item repairing module configured to offer the user the ability to repair a broken virtual item for a cost and if the user accepts the offer, repair the virtual item, such repair including—

restoring each of the one or more quality bonuses and the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses.