Providing event rewards to players in an online game

• US 9,561,433 B1
• Filed: 08/08/2013
• Issued: 02/07/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/08/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: McLellan, Sam, Simmons, Kevin, Rull, Henry, Pieron, Luc
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Jason
• Application Number:
  US13/962,707
• Time in Patent Office: 1,279 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• 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 13/798 for assessing skills or for ranking players, e.g. for generating a hall of fame computing the game score A63F13/46
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3262 Player actions which determine the course of the game, e.g. selecting a prize to be won, outcome to be achieved, game to be played
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3267 Game outcomes which determine the course of the subsequent game, e.g. double or quits, free games, higher payouts, different new games

Abstract

A system and method for providing event rewards within an online game are disclosed. A secondary game may be provided to facilitate players to win awards provided by the secondary game. The secondary game may be exclusive to players who achieve ranks in an event at the end of event period. Individual rewards may be determined based on such player ranks. The individual rewards may include a quantity of free turns to play the secondary game, a quantity of optional turns to play the secondary game in exchange for consideration from the ranked players and/or other reward features. Notification may be presented to the ranked players notifying the optional turns must be acquired by the players before a point of time or else they will be offered to lower ranked players.

Claims

1. A system for rewarding players participating in events within an online game, the system comprising

one or more processors configured by machine-readable instructions to:

execute an instance of online game, to implement the instance of the online game by receiving commands over a network from client computing platforms and executing the commands in the instance of the online game to facilitate player participation in the online game, and to facilitate presentation of the online game on the client computing platforms by causing displays associated with the client computing platforms to present views of the online game;

manage player accounts associated with individual players of the online game, the individual player accounts containing player parameters, wherein the player accounts include a first player account associated with a first player, the first player account containing a first set of player parameters associated with the first player;

selectively provide access to the players of a secondary game to facilitate player turns in the secondary game, and for an individual turn in the secondary game, to;

obtain a set of potential awards and a set of award probabilities for the set of potential awards, the individual awards including virtual items usable in the online game;

stochastically or quasi-stochastically, select one of the potential awards as an actual award for distribution based on the award probabilities; and

effectuate distribution of the actual award in the online game;

run events within the online game, wherein the events include a first event that runs for a first event period;

rank the players based on changes in one or more of the player parameters during the first event period such that the first player achieves a first rank at the end of the first event period; and

determine rewards for the players for the events run based on the ranks achieved by the players as determined such that a first reward is determined for the first player for achieving the first rank at the end of the first event period, the first reward including a first quantity of player turns of the secondary game to be provided to the first player for free and a second quantity of player turns of the secondary game to be provided to the first player in exchange for consideration from the first player, whereby access to turns of the secondary game for the first player are limited to the first quantity and the second quantity.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions:

such that the player accounts include a second player account associated with a second player;

such that the second player achieves a second rank at the end of the first event period, the second rank being higher than the first rank; and

to determine a second reward for the second player for achieving the second rank at the end of the first event period, the second reward including a third quantity of turns of the secondary game to be provided to the second player for free and a fourth quantity of turns of the secondary game to be provided to the second player in exchange for consideration from the second player, whereby the third quantity is greater than the first quantity and the fourth quantity is greater than the second quantity, and access to turns of the secondary game for the second player is limited to the third quantity and the fourth quantity.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the second quantity of player turns of the secondary game as included in the first reward is provided to the first player in exchange for virtual currency and/or real currency of the first player.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are s further configured by machine-readable instructions to determine a point of time by which the first player must acquire the second quantity of player turns of the secondary game as included in the first reward.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the point of time is between the end of first event period and the beginning of a second event.

6. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to facilitate a notification, prior to the point of time, notifying the first player that if the first player does not acquire the second quantity of player turns as included in the first reward by the point of time, the second quantity of player turns of the secondary game will be provided to another player who ranks lower than the first player in the first event at the end of the first event period in exchange for consideration from that player.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the determination of the first reward includes an examination of a reward table specifying that the first reward is to be provided to the player who achieves the first rank in the first event at the end of the first even period, the one or more processors are being further configured by machine-readable instructions to notify the players of the online game about the reward table prior to the commencement of the first event period.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are is further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the set of potential awards include improvements to player parameters.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the changes in one or more of the player parameters based on which the individual players are ranked include individual players progression in the online game during the first event period, a quantity of resources amassed by the individual players within the online game during the first event period, a number of competition victories achieved by the individual players within the online game during the first event period, a number of relationships established by the individual players within and/or outside of the online game during the first event period, and/or a number of virtual items acquired by the individual players during the first event period.

10. A method for rewarding players participating in events within an online game, the method being executed in one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions, the method comprising:

executing an instance of online game, implementing the instance of the online game by receiving commands over a network from client computing platforms and executing the commands in the instance of the online game to facilitate player participation in the online game, and facilitating presentation of the online game on the client computing platforms by causing displays associated with the client computing platforms to present views of the online game;

managing player accounts associated with individual players of the online game, the individual player accounts containing player parameters, wherein the player accounts include a first player account associated with a first player, the first player account containing a first set of player parameters associated with the first player;

selectively providing access to the players of a secondary game to facilitate player turns in the secondary game, wherein, for an individual turn in the secondary game;

obtaining a set of potential awards and a set of award probabilities for the set of potential awards, the individual awards including virtual items usable in the online game;

stochastically or quasi-stochastically, selecting one of the potential awards as an actual award for distribution based on the award probabilities; and

effectuating distribution of the actual award in the online game;

running events within the online game, wherein the events include a first event that runs for a first event period,

ranking the players based on changes in one or more of the player parameters during the first event period such that the first player achieves a first rank at the end of the first event period; and

determining rewards for the players for the events based on the ranks achieved by the players such that determining a first reward for the first player for achieving the first rank at the end of the first event period, the first reward including a first quantity of player turns of the secondary game to be provided to the first player for free and a second quantity of player turns of the secondary game to be provided to the first player in exchange for consideration from the first player, whereby access to turns of the secondary game for the first player are limited to the first quantity and the second quantity.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising:

managing a second player account associated with a second player;

determining that the second player achieves a second rank at the end of the first event period, the second rank being higher than the first rank; and

determining a second reward for the second player for achieving the second rank at the end of the first event period, the second reward including a third quantity of turns of the secondary game to be provided to the second player for free and a fourth quantity of turns of the secondary game to be provided to the second player in exchange for consideration from the second player, whereby the third quantity is greater than the first quantity and the fourth quantity is greater than the second quantity, and access to turns of the secondary game for the second player is limited to the third quantity and the fourth quantity.

12. The method of claim 10, wherein the second quantity of player turns of the secondary game as included in the first reward is provided to the first player in exchange for virtual currency and/or real currency of the first player.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising determining a point of time by which the first player must acquire the second quantity of player turns of the secondary game as included in the first reward.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the point of time is between the end of first event period and the beginning of a second event.

15. The method of claim 10, further comprising facilitating a notification, prior to the point of time, notifying the first player that if the first player does not acquire the second quantity of player turns as included in the first reward by the point of time, the second quantity of player turns of the secondary game will be provided to another player who ranks lower than the first player in the first event at the end of the first event period in exchange for consideration from that player.

16. The method of claim 10, wherein the determination of the first reward includes an examination of a reward table specifying that the first reward is to be provided to the player who achieves the first rank in the first event at the end of the first even period, and wherein the method further comprises notifying the players of the online game about the reward table prior to the commencement of the first event period.

17. The method of claim 10, wherein the set of potential awards include improvements to player parameters.

18. The method of claim 10, wherein the changes in one or more of the player parameters based on which the individual players are ranked include individual players progression in the online game during the first event period, a quantity of resources amassed by the individual players within the online game during the first event period, a number of competition victories achieved by the individual players within the online game during the first event period, a number of relationships established by the individual players within and/or outside of the online game during the first event period, and/or a number of virtual items acquired by the individual players during the first event period.