Systems and methods for providing virtual reality content in an online game

• US 9,919,218 B1
• Filed: 02/19/2016
• Issued: 03/20/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 02/19/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aftershock Services, Inc. (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Wakeford, Kent, Huttula, Tomi
• Primary Examiner(s): D'Agostino, Paul A
• Application Number:
  US15/048,958
• Time in Patent Office: 760 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/211 using inertial sensors, e.g. accelerometers or gyroscopes
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/285 Generating tactile feedback signals via the game input device, e.g. force feedback
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/73 Authorising game programs or game devices, e.g. checking authenticity
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/77 involving data related to game devices or game servers, e.g. configuration data, software version or amount of memory
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/79 involving player-related data, e.g. identities, accounts, preferences or play histories
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5593 involving scheduling aspects
• CPC Class Codes: G06F 3/011 Arrangements for interaction with the human body, e.g. for user immersion in virtual reality blind teaching G09B21/00

Abstract

Virtual reality content in an online game may be provided by providing access to users attempting to join a game instance via virtual reality platforms and denying access to users attempting to join the game instance via non-virtual reality platforms. Virtual reality content in an online game may be provided by requiring users playing the online game via virtual reality platforms during a time period to achieve a first objective, and requiring users playing the online game via non-reality platforms during the time period to achieve a second objective. The first objective may require interaction with the virtual reality content and the second object may not require interaction with the virtual reality content. Virtual reality content in an online game may be provided by requiring all users to achieve an objective during a time period. The objective may require interaction with the virtual reality content.

Claims

1. A system for providing virtual reality content in an online game, the system comprising:

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

execute a game instance of the online game, the game instance including the virtual reality content, and use the game instance to generate game state information that is transmitted to client computing platforms over a network, the game state information facilitating presentation of views of the online game to users via the client computing platforms, wherein execution of the game instance further enables interaction by the users with the online game and/or each other by performing operations in the game instance in response to commands received over the network from the client computing platforms, wherein the client computing platforms include virtual reality platforms and non-virtual reality platforms;

determine whether the users of the online game are attempting to join the game instance via the virtual reality platforms or the non-virtual reality platforms;

responsive to determination that an individual user is attempting to join the game instance via one or more of the virtual reality platforms, provide access to the game instance to such individual user; and

responsive to determination that an individual user is attempting to join the game instance via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms, deny access to the game instance to such individual user.

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

execute another game instance of the online game, the other game instance not including the virtual reality content; and

responsive to the determination that the individual user is attempting to join the game instance via the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms, provide access to the other game instance to such individual user.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the game instance of the online game is executed during a time period.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the time period includes a duration within 5 PM to 11 PM for a time zone in which the most number of users are located.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the game instance of the online game includes a set of rewards for users interacting with the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms, and the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine readable instruction to provide one or more rewards from the set of rewards to the users interacting with the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more rewards are provided to the users interacting with the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms in response to the users joining the game instance via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms during a time period.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the one or more rewards are provided to the users interacting with the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms in response to the users interacting with the game instance via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms for a certain duration within a time period.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the virtual reality platforms include a virtual reality headset display.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the virtual reality platforms include a motion controller.

10. The system of claim 8, wherein the virtual reality platforms include a haptic generator.

11. A system for providing virtual reality content in an online game, the system comprising:

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

execute a game instance of the online game, the game instance including the virtual reality content, and use the game instance to generate game state information that is transmitted to client computing platforms over a network, the game state information facilitating presentation of views of the online game to users via the client computing platforms, wherein execution of the game instance further enables interaction by the users with the online game and/or each other by performing operations in the game instance in response to commands received over the network from the client computing platforms, wherein the client computing platforms include virtual reality platforms and non-virtual reality platforms;

determine a set of objectives to be achieved by the users, the set of objectives including a first objective and a second objective, the first objective requiring one or more interactions of the users with the virtual reality content and the second objective not requiring the one or more interactions of the users with the virtual reality content;

determine whether the users of the online game are playing the online game via the virtual reality platforms or the non-virtual reality platforms during a time period;

responsive to determination that an individual user is playing the online game via one or more of the virtual reality platforms during the time period, require such individual user to achieve the first objective in the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms; and

responsive to determination that an individual user is playing the online game via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms during the time period, require such individual user to achieve the second objective in the online game via the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine readable instruction to:

determine changes in the client computing platforms used by the users to interact with the online game during the time period;

responsive to determination that an individual user changed from playing the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms to the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms during the time period, cancel the first objective for such individual user and require such individual user to achieve the second objective in the online game via the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms; and

responsive to determination that an individual user changed from playing the online game via the one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms to the one or more of the virtual reality platforms during the time period, cancel the second objective for such individual user and require such individual user to achieve the first objective in the online game via the one or more of the virtual reality platforms.

13. The system of claim 11, wherein the first objective is characterized by a first game difficulty and the second objective is characterized by a second game difficulty, the first game difficulty being lower than the second game difficulty.

14. The system of claim 11, wherein the first objective is characterized by a first type of gameplay and the second objective is characterized by a second type of gameplay, the first type of gameplay differing from the second type of gameplay.

15. The system of claim 11, wherein the first objective is associated with a first reward and the second objective is associated with a second reward, and the one or more physical professors are further configured to:

responsive to determination that an individual user achieved the first objective, provide the first reward to such individual user; and

responsive to determination that an individual user achieved the second objective, provide the second reward to such individual user.

16. A system for providing virtual reality content in an online game, the system comprising:

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

execute a game instance of the online game, the game instance including the virtual reality content, and use the game instance to generate game state information that is transmitted to client computing platforms over a network, the game state information facilitating presentation of views of the online game to users via the client computing platforms, wherein execution of the game instance further enables interaction by the users with the online game and/or each other by performing operations in the game instance in response to commands received over the network from the client computing platforms, wherein the client computing platforms include virtual reality platforms and non-virtual reality platforms;

for users interacting with the online game during a time period, determine an objective to be achieved by the users to advance in the online game, the objective requiring one or more interactions of the users with the virtual reality content; and

require the users to achieve the objective in the online game via operation of the virtual reality platforms.

17. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured to:

determine whether the users of the online game are playing the online game via the virtual reality platforms or the non-virtual reality platforms during the time period; and

responsive to determination that an individual user is playing the online game via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms during the time period, effectuate presentation of an invitation to such user to change to one or more of the virtual reality platforms.

18. The system of claim 16, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured to:

execute another game instance of the online game, the other game instance not including the virtual reality content;

determine whether the users of the online game are playing the online game via the virtual reality platforms or the non-virtual reality platforms during the time period; and

responsive to determination that an individual user is playing the online game via one or more of the non-virtual reality platforms during the time period, provide access to the other game instance to such individual user.