System and method for providing virtual items to users of a virtual space

• US 9,452,356 B1
• Filed: 06/30/2014
• Issued: 09/27/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Tsao, Bryan, Kim, John, McNeill, David, Wei, Albert, Yu, Christopher, Chanthasiriphan, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Chan, Allen
• Application Number:
  US14/320,493
• Time in Patent Office: 820 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/9, 463/43
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/335 using Internet
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/795 for finding other players; for building a team; for providing a buddy list
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/847 Cooperative playing, e.g. requiring coordinated actions from several players to achieve a common goal
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/87 Communicating with other players during game play, e.g. by e-mail or chat
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: H04L 67/131 Protocols for games, networked simulations or virtual reality

Abstract

A system and method for providing virtual items to users of an online game operated in a virtual space. Multiple users may participate in affiliations or alliances of discrete groups of users in an online game and may access the online game through client computing platforms associated with the users. The affiliations may have affiliation game units associated with affiliations which provide a benefit to the members of the online game. Affiliation members may cumulatively obtain affiliation game units and/or upgrade affiliation game units by providing one or more virtual items. Upgrading affiliation game units may require the cooperation of multiple members of the affiliation.

Claims

1. A game server that provides virtual items to users of a virtual space, the game server comprising:

one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to;

receive commands over a network from client computing platforms associated with the users;

perform operations in a game space associated with an online game in response to the commands received over the network from the client computing platforms associated with the users, wherein receiving the commands and performing the operations facilitates participation by multiple users in the online game;

manage one or more affiliations within the online game, wherein managing the one or more affiliations includes receiving affiliation information over the network from the client computing platforms associated with the users requesting and/or accepting association with the one or more affiliations, a given affiliation within the online game comprising a discrete group of users with a relationship having a functional significance within the online game that has an impact on game play, wherein the affiliations comprise a first affiliation within a first online game between a group of users including a first user and a second user;

transmit affiliation game unit information over the network to the client computing platforms that makes affiliation game units associated with affiliations within the online game available to one or more of the users in the affiliations, wherein the affiliation game units are controllable in the online game by individual ones of the users in the affiliations with which they are associated, the affiliation game units including a first affiliation game unit associated with the first affiliation;

increase a level value of one or more benefit metrics of the affiliation game units in response to receiving information over the network from the client computing platforms indicating the users in the affiliations provided one or more virtual items, such that a first level value of a first benefit metric of the first affiliation game unit is increased in response to receiving information over the network from a first client computing platform associated with the first user and a second client computing platform associated with the second user indicating the first user and the second user provided one or more virtual items.

2. The game server of claim 1, wherein the first affiliation game unit is controllable by both the first user and the second user by virtue of their inclusion in the first affiliation.

3. The game server of claim 1, wherein the amount of increase in the level value is based on the amount of users having the given affiliation that provide one or more virtual items to increase the level of the one or more benefit metrics of a given affiliation game unit and based on the amount of one or more virtual items provided by the users having the given affiliation.

4. The game server of claim 1, wherein the one or more benefit metrics of the one or more affiliation game units have one or more discrete benefit level values and the game server is configured to promote the one or more benefit metrics from a first benefit level value to a second benefit level value in response to a threshold amount of the users having a given affiliation providing a threshold amount of one or more virtual items to promote the one or more affiliation game units.

5. The game server of claim 1, wherein the individual ones of the discrete group of users in the given affiliation that are able to control the one or more affiliation game units have a relationship having a functional significance with the other users of the discrete group of users in the given affiliation.

6. The game server of claim 3, wherein the relationship having a functional significance includes one or more of a leadership role, a controller role, a mentorship role, and/or an administrator role.

7. The game server of claim 1, wherein the individual ones of the discrete group of users in the given affiliation able to control a given affiliation game unit includes users having an indication of a priority for controlling the given affiliation game unit.

8. The game server of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to effectuate presentation of offers to the users having a given affiliation to provide one or more virtual items to increase a benefit level of the one or more benefit metrics of the given affiliation game unit associated with the given affiliation, such that an offer is provided to the users of the first affiliation to provide one or more virtual items for increasing the first benefit level of the first benefit metric of the first affiliation game unit associated with the first affiliation.

9. The game server of claim 8, wherein the one or more physical processors are configured by machine-readable instructions to effectuate presentation of offers to the users having a given affiliation to purchase one or more virtual items for increasing the benefit level of the one or more benefit metrics of the given affiliation game character associated with the given affiliation.

10. The game server of claim 1, wherein the one or more benefit metrics of the given affiliation include one or more of a defense metric, an attack metric, a skill metric, a loyalty metric, a moral metric, an energy metric, and/or a speed metric.

11. The game server of claim 1, wherein the one or more benefit metrics of the given affiliation include one or more of a resource metric and/or a production attack metric.

12. A method for providing virtual items to users of a virtual space, the method to be performed using one or more physical computer processors, the method comprising:

receiving, at the one or more physical computer processors, commands over a network from client computing platforms associated with the users;

performing, by the one or more physical computer processors, operations in a game space associated with an online game in response to the commands received over the network from the client computing platforms associated with the users, wherein receiving the commands and performing the operations facilitates participation by multiple users in the online game;

managing, by the one or more physical computer processors, one or more affiliations within the online game, wherein managing the one or more affiliations includes receiving affiliation information from the client computing platforms associated with the users requesting and/or accepting association with the one or more affiliations, a given affiliation within the online game comprising a discrete group of users with a relationship having a functional significance within the online game that has an impact on game play, wherein the affiliations comprise a first affiliation within a first online game between a group of users including a first user and a second user;

transmitting, by the one or more physical computer processors, affiliation game unit information over the network to the client computing platforms that makes affiliation game units associated with affiliations within the online game available to one or more of the users in the affiliation, wherein the affiliation game units are controllable in the online game by individual ones of the users in the affiliations with which they are associated, the affiliation game units including a first affiliation game unit associated with the first affiliation;

increasing, by the one or more physical computer processors, a level value of one or more benefit metrics of the affiliation game units in response to receiving information over the network from the client computing platforms indicating the users in the affiliations provided one or more virtual items, such that a first level value of a first benefit metric of the first affiliation game unit is increased in response to receiving information over the network from a first client computing platform associated with the first user and a second client computing platform associated with the second user indicating the first user and the second user provided one or more virtual items.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first affiliation game unit is controllable by both the first user and the second user by virtue of their inclusion in the first affiliation.

14. The method of claim 12, wherein the amount of increase in the level value is based on the amount of users having the given affiliation that provide one or more virtual items to increase the level of the one or more benefit metrics of a given affiliation game unit and based on the amount of one or more virtual items provided by the users having the given affiliation.

15. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more benefit metrics of the one or more affiliation game units have one or more discrete benefit level values and the method further comprises promoting the one or more benefit metrics from a first benefit level value to a second benefit level value in response to a threshold amount of the users having a given affiliation providing a threshold amount of one or more virtual items to promote the one or more affiliation game units.

16. The method of claim 12, wherein the individual ones of the discrete group of users in the given affiliation that are able to control the one or more affiliation game units have a relationship having a functional significance with the other users of the discrete group of users in the given affiliation.

17. The method of claim 12, wherein the relationship having a functional significance includes one or more of a leadership role, a controller role, a mentorship role, and/or an administrator role.

18. The method of claim 12, wherein the individual ones of the discrete group of users in the given affiliation able to control a given affiliation game unit includes users having an indication of a priority for controlling the given affiliation game unit.

19. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

effectuating presentation of offers to the users having a given affiliation to provide one or more virtual items to increase a benefit level of the one or more benefit metrics of the given affiliation game unit associated with the given affiliation, such that an offer is provided to the users of the first affiliation to provide one or more virtual items for increasing the first benefit level of the first benefit metric of the first affiliation game unit associated with the first affiliation.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

effectuating presentation of offers to the users having a given affiliation to purchase one or more virtual items for increasing the benefit level of the one or more benefit metrics of the given affiliation game character associated with the given affiliation.

21. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more benefit metrics of the given affiliation include one or more of a defense metric, an attack metric, a skill metric, a loyalty metric, a moral metric, an energy metric, and/or a speed metric.

22. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more benefit metrics of the given affiliation include one or more of a resource metric and/or a production attack metric.