Rewarding user customization of a virtual item based on user reviews in an online game

• US 9,517,403 B1
• Filed: 12/19/2013
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 12/19/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Martin, Steven, Kim, John, Lee, Kevin, Chanthasiriphan, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Elisca, Pierre E
• Application Number:
  US14/135,297
• Time in Patent Office: 1,090 Days
• Field of Search: 463/6, 463/31
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/63 by the player, e.g. authoring using a level editor
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• 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

Abstract

A system and method for rewarding user creation of customized virtual items are disclosed. Rewards may be determined for distribution to a user creator of customized virtual item based on reviews by other users of a virtual space. The reward determination may be based on the user reviews breaching at least one reward criteria. In some examples, the reward criteria may include a number of votes indicating whether the user reviewers like or dislike the customized virtual item created by the user creator. In some examples, the customized virtual item under review may include a customized virtual space race car. In some instances, reviews may be received for the customized virtual space race car for determination of a reward separate and distinct from a reward based on a race result achieved in a virtual space car race.

Claims

1. A system for rewarding user customization of virtual items in an virtual space, the system comprising

one or more physical processors configured by non-transitory computer readable instructions to:

execute an instance of the virtual space in which an online game takes place, to use the instance of the virtual space to generate game state information that is transmitted to client computing platforms over a network, and to facilitate presentation of the virtual space to users on client computing platforms associated users by causing displays associated with the client computing platforms to present views of the game space, and to execute actions in the instance of the virtual space in response to reception of commands from over the network from the client computing platforms associated with the users to facilitate interaction of the users with the virtual space and/or each other;

manage user accounts comprising user information associated with individual users, such user information including inventories of virtual items available to the individual users in the virtual space, the user accounts including a first user account associated with a first user, the first user account including a first inventory of virtual items available to the first user in the virtual space;

facilitate user creation of customized virtual items using virtual items in the user inventories associated with the users such that creation by the first user of a first customized virtual item using a first virtual item in the first inventory is facilitated;

receive, over the network, user reviews of user customized virtual items, the user reviews being made by users of the virtual space such that the received reviews include a first set of user reviews of the first customized virtual items received from user reviewers other than the first user; and

determine rewards for distribution to user creators of the customized virtual items based on the user reviews received such that a first reward, for the first user, is determined based on the first set of user reviews.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer readable instructions such that the first set of user reviews include votes submitted by user reviewers indicating whether the user reviewers like or dislike the first customized virtual item, and wherein the first reward is determined based on a number of votes indicating user reviewers who submitted the number of votes like the first customized virtual item.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer readable instructions such that a given one of the first set of reviews comprises review contents corresponding to one or more review parameters, the review parameters including a rating parameter specifying a user rating, a ranking specifying a user ranking, a score parameter specifying a user generated score, and/or a style rating for specifying a user rating of a style for the first customized virtual item.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer readable instructions such that the first reward includes an amount of virtual currencies, an amount of real-world money credits, and/or a virtual item usable in the virtual space.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer readable instructions such that the determination of the first reward includes a determination whether the first set of user reviews breaches one or more reward criteria associated with the first reward.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer readable instructions such that the determination whether the first set of user reviews breaches one or more reward criteria associated with first reward includes assessing the first set of user reviews based on reviewer aspects associated with the user reviewers that made the first set of user reviews, wherein the reviewer aspects associated with a given one of the user reviewers include a review credit score based on historical reviews made by the given one of the user reviewer.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer readable instructions such that the first customized virtual item includes a first customized virtual space race car created by the first user.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer readable instructions such that the first set of reviews include reviews of the first customized virtual space race car created by the first user, the reviews being made by participants of a virtual space car race in which the first customized virtual space race car competes.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by computer readable instructions such that the first reward includes a bonus reward separate and distinct from a reward rewarding the first user for achieving a finish position with the first customized virtual space race car in the virtual space race.

10. A method for rewarding user customization of virtual items in an virtual space, the method being implemented by one or more physical processors configured by non-transitory computer readable instructions, the method comprising

executing, by the one or more physical processors, an instance of the virtual space in which an online game takes place;

using, by the one or more physical processors, the instance of the virtual space to generate game state information that is transmitted to client computing platforms over a network, and to facilitate presentation of the virtual space to users on client computing platforms associated users by causing displays associated with the client computing platforms to present views of the game space and executing actions in the instance of the virtual space in response to reception of commands from over the network from the client computing platforms associated with the users to facilitate interaction of the users with the virtual space and/or each other;

managing, by the one or more physical processors, user accounts comprising user information associated with individual users, such user information including inventories of virtual items available to the individual users in the virtual space, the user accounts including a first user account associated with a first user, the first user account including a first inventory of virtual items available to the first user in the virtual space;

facilitating, by the one or more physical processors, user creation of customized virtual items using virtual items in the user inventories associated with the users such that facilitating creation by the first user of a first customized virtual item using a first virtual item in the first inventory;

receiving, at the one or more physical processors, over the network, user reviews of user customized virtual items, the user reviews being made by user of the virtual space such that the received reviews include a first set of user reviews of the first customized virtual items received from user reviewers other than the first user; and

determining, by the one or more physical processors, rewards for distribution to user creators of the customized virtual items based on the received user reviews such that determining, for the first user, a first reward based on the first set of user reviews.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first set of user reviews include votes submitted by user reviewers indicating whether the user reviewers like or dislike the first customized virtual item, and wherein the first reward is determined based on a number of votes indicating user reviewers who submitted the number of votes like the first customized virtual item.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein a given one of the first set of reviews comprises review contents corresponding to one or more review parameters, the review parameters including a rating parameter specifying a user rating, a ranking specifying a user ranking, a score parameter specifying a user generated score, and/or a style rating for specifying a user rating of a style for the first customized virtual item.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein the first reward includes an amount of virtual currencies, an amount of real-world money credits, and/or a virtual item usable in the virtual space.

14. The method of claim 10, wherein the determination of the first reward includes a determination whether the first set of user reviews breaches one or more reward criteria associated with the first reward.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the determination whether the first set of user reviews breaches one or more reward criteria associated with first reward includes assessing the first set of user reviews based on reviewer aspects associated with the user reviewers that made the first set of user reviews, wherein the reviewer aspects associated with a given one of the user reviewers include a review credit score based on historical reviews made by the given one of the user reviewer.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the first customized virtual item includes a first customized virtual space race car created by the first user.

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the first set of reviews include reviews of the first customized virtual space race car created by the first user, the reviews being made by participants of a virtual space car race in which the first customized virtual space race car competes.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the first reward includes a bonus reward separate and distinct from a reward rewarding the first user for achieving a finish position with the first customized virtual space race car in the virtual space race.