Event-based currency

• US 9,978,211 B1
• Filed: 03/17/2017
• Issued: 05/22/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 04/18/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Kabam (Netmarble Corporation)
• Inventors: Schultz, Stephanie K., Caldarone, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Yen, Jason
• Application Number:
  US15/462,632
• Time in Patent Office: 431 Days
• Field of Search: None
• 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 2300/575 for trading virtual items
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/609 for unlocking hidden game elements, e.g. features, items, levels
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/65 for computing the condition of a game character
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/807 Role playing or strategy games
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/8094 Unusual game types, e.g. virtual cooking
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3227 Configuring a gaming machine, e.g. downloading personal settings, selecting working parameters
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3244 Payment aspects of a gaming system, e.g. payment schemes, setting payout ratio, bonus or consolation prizes
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/3255 Incentive, loyalty and/or promotion schemes, e.g. comps, gaming associated with a purchase, gaming funded by advertisements
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/326 Game play aspects of gaming systems
• 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

An approach to facilitating event-based currency is provided. A first virtual currency usable by users of a game space to purchase in-space benefits may be managed. An event in the game space that is conducted during an event time period may be managed such that, during the event time period, an event virtual currency may be distributed to one or more of the users as a reward for certain operations and/or achievements performed in the game space during the event time period. Exchanges of in-space benefits associated with the event virtual currency may be effectuated for one or more of the users. In some implementations, the event virtual currency may not available to the users after the event time period, while the first virtual currency may be available to the users during and after the event time period.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating event-based currency to users in an online game, wherein the users are associated with client devices, wherein the users include a first user associated with a first client device, the system comprising:

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

execute an instance of a game space in which the online game is played, and facilitate interaction of the users with the game space in response to user input received from the users through the client devices during gameplay;

manage a first virtual currency in the game space, wherein the first virtual currency is exchangeable for in-space benefits;

manage user accounts of the users, wherein the users accounts include inventories such that a first user account of the first user includes a first inventory, wherein the first inventory includes a first amount of the first virtual currency;

manage a predetermined event in the game space, wherein the predetermined event has a predetermined event time period, wherein the predetermined event time period occurs concurrently with the interaction of the users with the game space, wherein the machine-readable instructions are further configured such that;

during the predetermined event time period, an event-specific virtual currency is managed in the game space, wherein the event-specific virtual currency is exchangeable for in-space benefits during the predetermined event time period, wherein the in-space benefits obtained by the users in exchange for the event-specific virtual currency persist in the game space after the predetermined event time period, wherein, responsive to the first user obtaining a second amount of the event-specific virtual currency, the first inventory further includes the second amount of the event-specific virtual currency, and

after the predetermined event time period, the event-specific virtual currency is deactivated such that the event-specific virtual currency is not available to the users, wherein deactivation of the event-specific virtual currency includes transmitting communications over a network to the client devices that cause the client devices to present to the users that the event-specific virtual currency has been deactivated; and

effectuate, responsive to particular user input received from the first user through the first client device, and during the predetermined event time period, an exchange of a particular amount of event-specific virtual currency for a particular in-space benefit, wherein the first inventory is reduced by the particular amount of event-specific virtual currency, wherein the particular in-space benefit persists in the game space after the predetermined event time period,

wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions to cause view information to be transmitted to the client devices, such that views of the game space are presented to the users on display devices of the client devices, and to facilitate particular interaction of the users with the game space where the particular interaction includes the particular in-space benefit for the first user.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to transmit game state information obtained from the instance of the game space over the network to the client devices to facilitate presentation of views of the game space to the users on the client devices.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to facilitate exchanges of the first virtual currency in the game space by storing information associated with the first virtual currency on electronic storage media.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the one or more processors are further configured such that, during the predetermined event time period, event-specific virtual currency is distributed to the users in the game space as a reward for one or both of certain operations performed or achievements accomplished in the game space during the predetermined event period time.

5. The system of claim 4, wherein the one or more processors are further configured to monitor the instance of the game space to identify one or both of performance of the certain operations or accomplishment of the achievements in the game space during the predetermined event period time.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more processors are further configured such that, after the predetermined event time period, the particular interaction of the first user with the game space includes the particular in-space benefit in the game space.

7. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured by machine-readable instructions such that the event-specific virtual currency expires after the predetermined event time period.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured such that the first virtual currency is available to users during the predetermined event time period.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured to re-activate the event-specific virtual currency during a second predetermined event in the game space, wherein the second predetermined event occurs subsequent to the predetermined event.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured such that the in-space benefits associated with the event-specific virtual currency are different than the in-space benefits purchasable with the first virtual currency.

11. A computer-implemented method of facilitating event-based currency to users in an online game, wherein the users are associated with client devices, wherein the users include a first user associated with a first client device, the method being implemented on a computer system that includes one or more physical processors and storage media storing machine-readable instructions, the method comprising:

executing an instance of a game space in which the online game is played, and facilitate interaction of the users with the game space in response to user input received from the users through the client devices during gameplay;

managing a first virtual currency in the game space, wherein the first virtual currency is exchangeable for in-space benefits;

managing user accounts of the users, wherein the users accounts include inventories such that a first user account of the first user includes a first inventory, wherein the first inventory includes a first amount of the first virtual currency;

managing a predetermined event in the game space, wherein the predetermined event has a predetermined event time period, wherein the predetermined event time period occurs concurrently with the interaction of the users with the game space, wherein;

during the predetermined event time period, an event-specific virtual currency is managed in the game space, wherein the event-specific virtual currency is exchangeable for in-space benefits during the predetermined event time period, wherein the in-space benefits obtained by the users in exchange for the event-specific virtual currency persist in the game space after the predetermined event time period, wherein, responsive to the first user obtaining a second amount of the event-specific virtual currency, the first inventory further includes the second amount of the event-specific virtual currency, and

after the predetermined event time period, the event-specific virtual currency is deactivated such that the event-specific virtual currency is not available to the users, wherein deactivation of the event-specific virtual currency includes transmitting communications over the network to the client devices that cause the client devices to present to the users that the event-specific virtual currency has been deactivated;

effectuating, responsive to particular user input received from the first user through the first client device, and during the predetermined event time period, an exchange of a particular amount of event-specific virtual currency for a particular in-space benefit, wherein the first inventory is reduced by the particular amount of event-specific virtual currency, wherein the particular in-space benefit persists in the game space after the predetermined event time period;

transmitting view information to the client devices, such that views of the game space are presented to the users on display devices of the client devices; and

facilitating particular interaction of the users with the game space where the particular interaction includes the particular in-space benefit for the first user.

12. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

transmitting game state information obtained from the instance of the game space over the network to the client devices to facilitate presentation of views of the game space to the users on the client devices.

13. The method of claim 12, further comprising:

facilitating exchanges of the first virtual currency in the game space by storing information associated with the first virtual currency on electronic storage media.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising:

during the predetermined event time period, distributing event-specific virtual currency to the users in the game space as a reward for one or both of certain operations performed or achievements accomplished in the game space during the predetermined event period time.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

monitoring the instance of the game space to identify one or both of performance of the certain operations or accomplishment of the achievements in the game space during the predetermined event period time.

16. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

after the predetermined event time period, facilitating the particular interaction of the first user with the game space through use of the particular in-space benefit in the game space.

17. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

facilitating expiration of the event-specific virtual currency after the predetermined event time period.

18. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

facilitating availability of the first virtual currency to users during the predetermined event time period.

19. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

re-activating the event-specific virtual currency during a second predetermined event in the game space, wherein the second predetermined event occurs subsequent to the predetermined event.

20. The method of claim 11, further comprising:

facilitating that the in-space benefits associated with the event-specific virtual currency are different than the in-space benefits purchasable with the first virtual currency.