Videogame system and method that enables characters to earn virtual fans by completing secondary objectives

• US 9,205,328 B2
• Filed: 02/18/2010
• Issued: 12/08/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 02/18/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Activision Publishing Incorporated (Microsoft Corporation)
• Inventors: Bansi, Charnjit Singh, Kerby, Paul, Hall, Peter, Wilson, Gareth
• Primary Examiner(s): Hu, Kang
• Assistant Examiner(s): HENRY, THOMAS HAYNES
• Application Number:
  US12/707,984
• Publication Number:
  US 20110201395A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,119 Days
• Field of Search: 463/6
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/10 Control of the course of the game, e.g. start, progess, end
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/30 Interconnection arrangements between game servers and game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game devices; Interconnection arrangements between game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/44 involving timing of operations, e.g. performing an action within a time slot
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/45 Controlling the progress of the video game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/46 Computing the game score
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/5375 for graphically or textually suggesting an action, e.g. by displaying an arrow indicating a turn in a driving game
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/803 Driving vehicles or craft, e.g. cars, airplanes, ships, robots or tanks
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/85 Providing additional services to players
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/61 Score computation
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/638 according to the timing of operation or a time limit
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8017 Driving on land or water; Flying

Abstract

A videogame may be provided to one or more users in which characters controlled by users earn fans that impact the videogame similarly to fans in real life. For example, a character may earn virtual currency, be invited to participate in events and/or teams, obtain sponsorships, and/or experience other impacts associated with fanbase size. The videogame may include one or more primary objectives presented to the user. The performance of the primary objectives by the user may impact the progression of a character being controlled by the user through the videogame. The videogame may further include provide one or more fan objectives within the game which can be performed by the character being controlled by the user to earn fans to be included within a fanbase associated with the character in the game.

Claims

1. A system for providing a racing-based videogame, the system comprising:

one or more physical processors programmed to execute computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more physical processors to;

stage, in the videogame, a race in which a vehicle under control of a controller communicatively linked with the one or more physical processors participates, wherein staging the race comprises rendering views of a racecourse on which the race takes place, wherein a primary objective of the race is to complete the race faster than one or more other vehicles, and wherein the vehicle is associated with a character in the videogame;

trigger activation of a fan objective responsive to performance of a triggering maneuver executed by the vehicle during the race, wherein the fan objective is associated with a set of virtual fans for allocation to the character upon completion of the fan objective by the vehicle, and the set of virtual fans comprises a first virtual fan having a first attribute;

allocate the first virtual fan to the character responsive to the vehicle completing the fan objective;

determine an event in the videogame for which access is to be made available to the character, wherein the event is determined based on;

(i) a total number of fans of the character, the total number of the fans including the first virtual fan; and

(ii) attributes of the fans of the character, the attributes of the fans including the first attribute of the first virtual fan; and

provide the character with access to the determined event in the videogame.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the triggering maneuver comprises maneuvering the vehicle over or through an objective icon that corresponds to the fan objective.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

select the first virtual fan for allocation to the character, wherein the first virtual fan is selected based on an amount of time that the completed fan objective was active.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

trigger deactivation of a previously-activated fan objective prior to a time expiration associated with the previously-activated fan objective responsive to the activation of the fan objective.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

distribute an amount of virtual currency to the character based on the total number of the fans of the character, wherein the virtual currency is redeemable in the videogame to purchase racing vehicles and/or equipment.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

remove one or more virtual fans from a fanbase of the character as a function of time during a period of inactivity for the character.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the determined event comprises a subsequent race in the videogame, and

wherein the character is provided access to the subsequent race based on the total number of the fans of the character and the attributes of the fans of the character.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the first virtual fan comprises another character in the videogame, and

wherein allocating the first virtual fan comprises allocating the other character as a virtual fan of the character.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further caused to:

establish or enhance a relationship between the character and one or more other characters based on an overall makeup of the attributes of the fans of the character.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the event for which access is to be made available to the character is determined based on the total number of the fans of the character and an overall makeup of the attributes of the fans of the character.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the fans of the character comprises the first virtual fan and a first real life person having a second attribute, and

wherein the event for which access is to be made available to the character is determined based on the total number of the fans of the character, the first attribute of the first virtual fan, and the second attribute of the first real life person.

12. A computer-implemented method of providing a racing-based videogame the method being implemented on a computer system that includes one or more physical processors executing computer readable instructions which, when executed, perform the method, the method comprising:

staging, by the computer system, in the videogame, a race in which a vehicle under control of a controller communicatively linked with the one or more physical processors participates, wherein staging the race comprises rendering views of a racecourse on which the race takes place, wherein a primary objective of the race is to complete the race faster than one or more other vehicles, and wherein the vehicle is associated with a character in the videogame;

triggering, by the computer system, activation of a fan objective responsive to performance of a triggering maneuver executed by the vehicle during the race, wherein the fan objective is associated with a set of virtual fans for allocation to the character upon completion of the fan objective by the vehicle, and the set of virtual fans comprises a first virtual fan having a first attribute;

allocating, by the computer system, the first virtual fan to the character responsive to the vehicle completing the fan objective;

determining, by the computer system, an event in the videogame for which access is to be made available to the character, wherein the event is determined based on;

(i) a total number of fans of the character, the total number of the fans including the first virtual fan; and

(ii) attributes of the fans of the character, the attributes of the fans including the first attribute of the first virtual fan; and

providing, by the computer system, the character with access to the determined event in the videogame.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the triggering maneuver comprises maneuvering the vehicle over or through an objective icon that corresponds to the fan objective.

14. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

selecting, by the computer system, the first virtual fan for allocation to the character, wherein the first virtual fan is selected based on an amount of time that the completed fan objective was active.

15. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

triggering, by the computer system, deactivation of a previously-activated fan objective prior to a time expiration associated with the previously-activated fan objective responsive to the activation of the fan objective.

16. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

distributing, by the computer system, an amount of virtual currency to the character based on the total number of the fans of the character, wherein the virtual currency is redeemable in the videogame to purchase racing vehicles and/or equipment.

17. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

removing, by the computer system, one or more virtual fans from a fanbase of the character as a function of time during a period of inactivity for the character.

18. A system for providing a racing-based videogame, the system comprising:

one or more physical processors programmed to execute computer readable instructions which, when executed, cause the one or more physical processors to;

stage, in the videogame, a race in which a vehicle under control of a controller communicatively linked with the one or more physical processors participates, wherein staging the race comprises rendering views of a racecourse on which the race takes place, wherein a primary objective of the race is to complete the race faster than one or more other vehicles, and wherein the vehicle is associated with a character in the videogame;

trigger activation of a fan objective responsive to performance of a triggering maneuver executed by the vehicle during the race, wherein the fan objective is associated with a set of virtual fans for allocation to the character upon completion of the fan objective by the vehicle, and the set of virtual fans comprises a first virtual fan having a first attribute;

allocate the first virtual fan to the character responsive to the vehicle completing the fan objective;

determine attributes of fans of the character, wherein the fans of the character comprises the first virtual fan and a first real life person having a second attribute, and the attributes of the fans of the character comprise the first attribute of the first virtual fan and the second attribute of the first real life person;

determine an event in the videogame for which access is to be made available to the character, wherein the event is determined based on the attributes of the fans of the character; and

provide the character with access to the determined event in the videogame.