Facilitating content access across online games

• US 9,517,405 B1
• Filed: 03/12/2014
• Issued: 12/13/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 03/12/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Lee, Kevin, Kim, John, Chanthasiriphan, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): McClellan, James S
• Assistant Examiner(s): Carter, Kevin
• Application Number:
  US14/207,521
• Time in Patent Office: 1,007 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/55 Controlling game characters or game objects based on the game progress
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/60 Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or game-integrated level editor
• 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 2300/5533 using program state or machine event data, e.g. server keeps track of the state of multiple players on in a multiple player game

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating cross-game content access are disclosed. A set of content may be gated by a non-player character in a first online game. Access to the set of content may be granted in the first online game upon user defeating the non-player character or a character corresponding to the non-player character in a second online game. A notification may be generated in the first online game when a user encounters the non-player character in the first online game. The notification may include information indicating that the non-player character may be defeated in the second online game. In some examples, the non-player character in the first online game may share the same entity state with the corresponding character in the second online game such that they may appear as if there were the same character in the first and second online games.

Claims

1. A system for enabling cross-game user actions, the system comprising one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:

host a first online game, the first online game being associated with a first game space, a first game space interface, and user accounts for the first online game, wherein hosting the first online game comprises;

managing a first set of non-user characters in the first game space for user interaction, the first set of non-user characters including a first non-user character;

providing sets of game content in the first game space for access by users of the first online game, the sets of game content being gated by non-user characters in the first game space such that access to the sets of game content are made available to the users upon the non-user characters gating the sets of game content being defeated, wherein the sets of game content include a first set of game contents being gated by the first non-user character; and

facilitating actions from users of the first online game, via the first game space interface, for defeating non-user characters from the first set of non-user characters in the first game space; and

host a second online game, the second online game being associated with a second game space and a second game space interface different from the first game space and the first game space interface, such that the second online game is discrete and separate from the first online game, wherein user accounts associated with the second online game are separate from the user accounts for the first online game, and wherein hosting the second online game comprises;

managing a second set of non-user characters in the second game space for user interaction, the second set of non-user characters including the first non-user character; and

facilitating actions from users of the second online game, via the second game space interface, for defeating non-user characters from the second set of non-user characters in the second game space; and

, wherein

responsive to a first user of the second online game defeating the first non-user character in the second game space, access to the first set of game contents in the first game space is made available to the first user as if the first non-user character had been defeated by the first user in the first game space.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the first non-user character is associated with a common character state shared by the first and second online games.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the first non-user character is associated with a first entity state in the first online game and a second entity state in the second online game, where in the first and second entity states are separate.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein a change in an aspect regarding the first non-player character as reflected by a second entity state in the second online game impacts a first entity state associated with the non-player character in the first online game.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the aspect includes health, morale, spell, power, troops, equipment, virtual resource(s), strength, agility, and/or movement associated with the first non-user character.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured to generate a notification for presentation to the first user in the second online game that the access to the first set of game contents in the first game space will be made available to the first user upon the first user defeating the first non-user character in the second game space.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the notification includes information indicating a location in the first game space where the first set of game contents is being gated by the first non-user character.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the notification includes a control facilitating the first user to switch from the first game space to the second game space for defeating the first non-player character in the second game space.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the user actions are facilitated such that defeating the first non-player character requires resources and/or virtual items different from those required for defeating the first non-player character in the second online game.

18. The system of claim 1, wherein the user actions are facilitated such that defeating the first non-player character requires resources and/or virtual items different from those required for defeating the first non-player character in the second online game.

10. A method for enabling cross-game user actions, the method being implemented in one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to execute computer programs, the method comprising:

hosting a first online game, the first online game being associated with a first game space, a first game space interface, and user accounts for the first online game, wherein hosting the first online game comprises;

managing a first set of non-user characters in the first game space for user interaction, the first set of non-user characters including a first non-user character;

providing sets of game content in the first game space for access by users of the first online game, the sets of game content being gated by non-user characters in the first game space such that access to the sets of game content are made available to the users upon the non-user characters gating the sets of game content being defeated, wherein the sets of game content include a first set of game contents being gated by the first non-user character; and

facilitating actions from users of the first online game, via the first game space interface, for defeating non-user characters from the first set of non-user characters in the first game space; and

hosting a second online game, the second online game being associated with a second game space and a second game space interface different from the first game space and the first game space interface, such that the second online game is discrete and separate from the first online game, wherein user accounts associated with the second online game are separate from the user accounts for the first online game, and wherein hosting the second online game comprises;

managing a second set of non-user characters in the second game space for user interaction, the second set of non-user characters including the first non-user character; and

facilitating actions from users of the second online game, via the second game space interface, for defeating the non-user characters from the second set of non-user characters in the second game space; and

, wherein

responsive to a first user of the second online game defeating the first non-user character in the second game space, access to the first set of game contents in the first game space is made available to the first user as if the first non-user character had been defeated by the first user in the first game space.

11. The method of claim 10, wherein the first non-user character is associated with a common character state shared by the first and second online games.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the first non-user character is associated with a first entity state in the first online game and a second entity state in the second online game, where in the first and second entity states are separate.

13. The method of claim 10, wherein a change in an aspect regarding the first non-player character as reflected by a second entity state in the second online game impacts a first entity state associated with the non-player character in the first online game.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the aspect includes health, morale, spell, power, troops, equipment, virtual resource(s), strength, agility, and/or movement associated with the first non-user character.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising generating a notification for presentation to the first user in the second online game that the access to the first set of game contents in the first game space will be made available to the first user upon the first user defeating the first non-user character in the second game space.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the notification includes information indicating a location in the first game space where the first set of game contents is being gated by the first non-user character.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the notification includes a control facilitating the first user to switch from the first game space to the second game space for defeating the first non-player character in the second game space.