System and method for providing real world value in a virtual world environment

• US 7,824,253 B2
• Filed: 04/02/2008
• Issued: 11/02/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/02/2008
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Scott Edward Thompson, Thompson J. David
• Original Assignee: Scott Edward Thompson, Thompson J. David
• Inventors: Thompson, Scott Edward, Thompson, J. David
• Primary Examiner(s): Laneau; Ronald
• Application Number:
  US12/061,188
• Publication Number:
  US 20090253475A1
• Time in Patent Office: 944 Days
• Field of Search: 463/1, 463/7, 463/25, 463/42
• US Class Current: 463/7
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/12 involving interaction between a plurality of game devices, e.g. transmisison or distribution systems protocols for networked virtual reality, networked games H04L29/06034
• 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 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/792 for payment purposes, e.g. monthly subscriptions
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/822 Strategy games; Role-playing games A63F13/825, A63F13/828 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/513 server hierarchy, e.g. local, regional, national or dedicated for different tasks, e.g. authenticating, billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5513 involving billing
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/5553 user representation in the game field, e.g. avatar
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/558 by assessing the players' skills or ranking
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 2300/57 details of game services offered to the player
• CPC Class Codes: G07F 17/32 for games, toys, sports, or amusements

Abstract

A system and a method is provided wherein real world monetary or cash values are placed on virtual world avatars, avatar possessed or avatar purchasable virtual world items, environmental virtual world items and virtual world computer generated non-player characters (NPCs), such as slayable beasts, monsters, creatures, or humanoids. These NPCs or other avatars (i.e., other players'"'"' avatars) have the ability to defeat and collect the cash value of avatars and their gear, thus gaining cash value for the NPC or the avatars. This cash value is then winnable by any avatar with the skill to best the NPC or other avatar. In this system and method, a real world cash value of an avatar is established and can be increased or decreased based upon the avatar'"'"'s interaction with other avatars, the virtual world environment and/or a player'"'"'s investment of real world cash value.

Claims

1. A method of providing an online tournament, comprising:

providing by a server-computer a first avatar of a first player with an associated cash value, said cash value being stored in the server-computer;

providing by the server-computer a competition between the first avatar of the first player and a second avatar of a second player, wherein the first player and the second player access the competition via a network using respective player-computers;

determining by the server-computer a designated portion of the first avatar'"'"'s associated cash value to be transferred to the second avatar;

transferring by the server-computer the designated portion of the first avatar'"'"'s associated cash value to the second avatar; and

providing real world cash value associated with the designated portion of the first avatar'"'"'s associated cash value to the second player,

wherein;

the second avatar defeats the first avatar by winning a competition, said winning comprising the second avatar eliminating the first avatar from the competition, the second avatar accruing more points than the first avatar over a fixed time period, or the second avatar achieving a goal before the first avatar, and

the designated portion of the first avatar'"'"'s associated cash value is immediately transferred to the second avatar when the second avatar defeats the first avatar in the competition.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the competition comprises war battles, hand-to-hand combat, team vs. team combat, survival combat, sporting events, or strategy games.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein:

the first avatar is part of a first team of avatars and the second avatar is part of a second team of avatars, and

the transferring of the designated portion of the first avatar'"'"'s associated cash value to the second avatar includes, transferring said associated cash value when the second team of avatars defeats the first team of avatars.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the competition includes:

in the event a non-player character (NPC) defeats the first avatar, storing the first avatar'"'"'s cash value in association with the NPC, and

providing the value of the first avatar as a winnable prize to another avatar that defeats the NPC.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein providing the competition includes allowing real world cash value to be won regardless of a game score.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the associated cash value comprises an initial investment amount by a player of the first avatar, previous winnings from previous tournaments by the first avatar, virtual world items purchased or won by the player of the first avatar prior to the online tournament, and/or at least a portion of an entry fee for the online tournament.

7. A system for providing a competition in a virtual world environment, said system comprising a processor and an information storage device having program instructions and information recorded thereon that, when executed by the processor, control the system to:

provide a first avatar of a first player with an associated cash value;

provide a competition between the first avatar of the first player and a second avatar of a second player, wherein the first player and the second player access the competition via a network using respective player-computers;

determine a designated portion of the first avatar'"'"'s associated cash value to be transferred to the second avatar;

transfer by the server-computer the designated portion of the first avatar'"'"'s associated cash value to the second avatar; and

provide real world cash value associated with the designated portion of the first avatar'"'"'s associated cash value to the second player,

wherein;

the second avatar defeats the first avatar by winning in a competition, said winning comprising the second avatar eliminating the first avatar from the competition, the second avatar accruing more points than the first avatar over a fixed time period, or the second avatar achieving a goal before the first avatar, and

the program instructions control the system to transfer designated portion of the first avatar'"'"'s associated cash value to the second avatar when the second avatar defeats the first avatar in the competition.

8. The system of claim 7, wherein the program instructions further control the system to:

in response to a selection of a tournament received over a network from a player-computer, provide the selected tournament to the player-computer using a MMORPG server and a external content server.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the program instructions further control the system to:

receive personal information about the player and/or the player'"'"'s avatar, and

forward said information to an online role-playing game server or a external content server.

10. The system of claim 7, wherein the program instructions control the system to charge an entry fee for a tournament or other real world cash value by a computer process of authorizing payment to the external content server.

11. The system of claim 7, wherein the program instructions control the system to transmit content of the competition from n online role-playing game server to an external content server in the form of an interactive content stream.

12. The system of claim 7, wherein the competition comprises war battles, hand-to-hand combat, team vs. team combat, survival combat, sporting events, or strategy games.

13. The system of claim 7, wherein:

the first avatar is part of a first team of avatars and the second avatar is part of a second team of avatars, and

the program instructions control the system to transfer the designated portion of the first avatar'"'"'s associated cash value to the second avatar when the second team of avatars defeats the first team of avatars.

14. The system of claim 7, wherein the program instructions control the system to, in the event a non-player character (NPC) defeats the first avatar in the competition, store the value of the first avatar in association with the NPC, and provide the value of the first avatar to another avatar that defeats the NPC.

15. The system of claim 7, wherein the program instructions control the system to award real world cash value regardless of a what players score in the competition.

16. The system of claim 7, wherein the associated cash value comprises an initial investment amount by a player of the first avatar, previous winnings from previous tournaments by the first avatar, virtual world items purchased or won by the player of the first avatar prior to the online tournament, or at least a portion of an entry fee for the online tournament.