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

• US 9,764,244 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2015
• Issued: 09/19/2017
• 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): Shah, Milap
• Assistant Examiner(s): HENRY, THOMAS HAYNES
• Application Number:
  US14/961,220
• Publication Number:
  US 20160082350A1
• Time in Patent Office: 652 Days
• 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 configured to provide a racing-based videogame to one or more users, the system comprising:

one or more processors configured to execute computer program modules, the computer program modules comprising;

a race staging module configured to stage a race in which a vehicle under control of a controller communicatively linked with the one or more processors participates, wherein staging the race includes rendering views of a racecourse over which the race takes place, and wherein the vehicle is associated with a character in the videogame;

a fan objective staging module configured to stage a plurality fan objectives, wherein fan objectives are secondary objectives performable during the race by the vehicle to earn virtual fans for a virtual fanbase of the character, wherein staging a fan objective comprises inserting an objective icon into views of the racecourse and associating the fan objective with the objective icon;

a fan objective trigger module configured to trigger activation of fan objectives responsive to performance of one or more triggering maneuvers executed by the vehicle during the race;

a fan objective evaluation module configured to monitor performance of one or more active fan objectives by the vehicle, and upon completion of a fan objective by the vehicle, to determine a number of fans earned by the vehicle by virtue of the completed fan objective based on the performance of the vehicle in completing the fan objective;

wherein staging the race comprises determining whether or not to invite the character to participate in the race, and wherein the race staging module is configured to determine whether or not to invite the character to participate in the race based on the number of virtual fans in the fanbase of the character.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more triggering maneuvers executable by the vehicle during the race comprise maneuvering the vehicle over or through an objective icon.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein performance or non-performance of fan objectives during the race do not directly impact the relative position or speed of the vehicle in the race with respect to other vehicles in the race.

4. The system of claim 1, wherein the fan object module is configured to determine the number of fans earned by the vehicle by virtue of the completed fan objective based on an amount of time that the completed fan objective was active.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the fan object module is configured to determine the number of fans earned by the vehicle by virtue of the completed fan objective according to a function that makes the number of fans earned inversely proportional to the amount of time that the completed fan objective was active.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the computer modules further comprise a fanbase module configured to determine the number of virtual fans in the fanbase of the character based on the number of fans earned by vehicles associated with the character in performing fan objectives during races.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the fanbase module is further configured such that the number of virtual fans in the fanbase of the character decays over time.

8. The system of claim 6, wherein the computer modules further comprise a virtual currency module configured to distribute virtual currency to the character, wherein the virtual currency is redeemable in the videogame to purchase racing vehicles and/or equipment, and wherein the amount of virtual currency distributed to the character by the virtual currency module is impacted by the number of virtual fans in the fanbase of the character.

9. A computer-implemented method of providing a racing-based videogame to one or more users, wherein the method is implemented in a computer system comprising one or more processors configured to execute one or more computer program modules, the method comprising:

executing, on the one or more processors of the computer system, one or more computer program modules configured to stage a race in which a vehicle under control of a controller communicatively linked with the one or more processors participates, wherein staging the race includes rendering views of a racecourse over which the race takes place, and wherein the vehicle is associated with a character in the videogame;

executing, on the one or more processors of the computer system, one or more computer program modules configured to stage a plurality fan objectives, wherein fan objectives are secondary objectives performable during the race by the vehicle to earn virtual fans for a virtual fanbase of the character, and wherein staging a fan objective comprises inserting an objective icon into views of the racecourse and associating the fan objective with the objective icon;

executing, on the one or more processors of the computer system, one or more computer program modules configured to trigger activation of a fan objective responsive to performance of a triggering maneuver executed by the vehicle during the race;

executing, on the one or more processors of the computer system, one or more computer program modules configured to monitor performance of the triggered fan objective by the vehicle;

executing, on the one or more processors of the computer system, one or more computer program modules configured to determine, responsive to completion of the fan objective by the vehicle, a number of fans earned by the vehicle by virtue of the completed fan objective based on the performance of the vehicle in completing the fan objective;

wherein staging the race comprises determining whether or not to invite the character to participate in the race, and wherein the determination of whether or not to invite the character to participate in the race is based on the number of virtual fans in the fanbase of the character.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the triggering maneuver comprises maneuvering the vehicle over or through the objective icon that corresponds to the fan objective.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein performance of the fan objective during the race does not directly impact the relative position or speed of the vehicle in the race with respect to other vehicles in the race.

12. The method of claim 9, wherein determining the number of fans earned by the vehicle by virtue of the completed fan objective comprises determining the number of fans earned by the vehicle by virtue of the completed fan objective based on an amount of time that the completed fan objective was active.

13. The method of claim 12, wherein determining the number of fans earned by the vehicle by virtue of the completed fan objective comprises determining the number of fans earned by the vehicle by virtue of the completed fan objective according to a function that makes the number of fans earned inversely proportional to the amount of time that the completed fan objective was active.

14. The method of claim 9, further comprising executing, on the one or more processors of the computer system, one or more computer program modules configured to determine the number of virtual fans in the fanbase of the character based on the number of fans earned by vehicles associated with the character in performing fan objectives.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the number of virtual fans in the fanbase of the character decays over time.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising executing, on the one or more processors of the computer system, one or more computer program modules configured to distribute virtual currency to the character, wherein the virtual currency is redeemable in the videogame to purchase racing vehicles and/or equipment, and wherein the amount of virtual currency distributed to the character by the virtual currency module is impacted by the number of virtual fans in the fanbase of the character.