Double or nothing virtual containers

• US 9,931,570 B1
• Filed: 01/13/2017
• Issued: 04/03/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Electronic Arts Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Aftershock Services, Inc. (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Yu, Christopher, Akpan, Inyang, McNeill, David, Chyou, Wynne, Lee, Kevin
• Primary Examiner(s): Skaarup, Jason
• Application Number:
  US15/406,225
• Time in Patent Office: 445 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/35 Details of game servers
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/61 using advertising information
• CPC Class Codes: A63F 13/69 by enabling or updating specific game elements, e.g. unlocking hidden features, items, levels or versions

Abstract

A system and method for facilitating player interaction with instances of virtual containers in an online game are disclosed. After player activation of an instance of virtual container in the online game, one or more virtual items may be determined as initial payouts to be distributed to the player. One or more redetermined offers may be presented to the player such that the player may enable to pay an amount of consideration in exchange for having some or all of the items in the initial payout redetermined to improve the initial payout. Responsive to player selection of a redetermination offer, an outcome whether the player wins the reward may be determined stochastically. Distribution of virtual items may be effectuated accordance with the stochastically determined outcome.

Claims

1. A system for facilitating player interaction with virtual containers in an online game, the system comprising:

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

host the online game, wherein hosting the online games comprises managing player inventories of virtual items associated with individual players in the online game, the managed player inventories including a first player inventory associated with a first player of the on line game;

provide instances of virtual containers for player interaction in the online game, the instances of the virtual containers being associated with corresponding sets of potential items such that a first instance of a first virtual container is provided to the first player for interaction and is associated with a first set of potential items, wherein the individual potential items in the first set are associated with corresponding distribution probabilities for distribution to the first player inventory;

receive from players activation requests for activating instances of virtual containers and responsive to such activation requests, determine which one or ones of the potential items will be distributed to the players in accordance with the distribution probabilities corresponding to the potential items associated with the requested instances of the virtual containers such that responsive to an activation request from the first player for activating the first instance of the first virtual container, one or more items in the first set of potential items are determined to be distributed to the first player inventory in accordance with the distribution probabilities corresponding to the individual potential items in the first set;

responsive to the determination of the one or more items in the first set of potential items to be distributed to the first player inventory as an initial payout, effectuate presentation of an offer for redetermining one or more items in the initial payout, wherein the offer specifies that the first player may pay a first amount of consideration in exchange for having the one or more items in the initial payout redetermined, wherein the first amount of consideration includes value in addition to any value that the one or more items in the initial payout have; and

responsive to the first player accepting the offer, redetermine, stochastically or quasi-stochastically, the one or more items in the initial payout to determine an actual payout; and

distribute the initial payout and/or the actual payout to the first player inventory based on whether or not the first player accepts the offer and/or an outcome of the redetermination.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the outcome of the redetermination is increasing the quantity of the one or more items in the initial payout to be distributed to the first player inventory.

3. The system of claim 1, wherein the outcome of the redetermination is reducing the quantity of the one or more items in the initial payout to be distributed to the first player inventory.

4. The system of claim 2, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured to return the first amount of consideration to the first player if the outcome of the redetermination indicates the quantity of the one or more items in the initial payout to be distributed to the first player inventory is increased.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured such that if the redetermination outcome reduces the quantity of the one or more items in the initial payout and/or the value that the one or more items in the initial payout have presentation of a third offer and fourth offer on the client computing platform associated with the first player is effectuated, wherein

the third offer specifies that the first player may accept the redetermination outcome, and

the fourth offer specifies that the first player may pay a second amount of consideration in exchange for continuing to have the one or more items in the initial payout redetermined.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the second amount of consideration is less than or equal to the first amount of consideration.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the difference between the second amount of consideration and the first amount of consideration is proportional to the value of the one or more items in the initial payout.

8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical processors are further configured to evaluate the value of the items to be distributed to the player after the stochastic or quasi-stochastic redetermination.

9. A method for facilitating player interaction with virtual containers in an online game, the method being implemented in one or more physical processors configured to execute computer programs, the method comprising:

hosting the online game, wherein hosting the online games comprises managing player inventories of virtual items associated with individual players in the online game, the managed player inventories including a first player inventory associated with a first player of the on line game;

providing instances of virtual containers for player interaction in the on line game, the instances of the virtual containers being associated with corresponding sets of potential items such that a first instance of a first virtual container is provided to the first player for interaction and is associated with a first set of potential items, wherein the individual potential items in the first set are associated with corresponding distribution probabilities for distribution to the first player inventory;

receiving from players activation requests for activating instances of virtual containers and responsive to such activation requests, determine which one or ones of the potential items will be distributed to the players as initial payouts in accordance with the distribution probabilities corresponding to the potential items associated with the requested instances of the virtual containers such that in responsive to an activation request from the first player for activating the first instance of the first virtual container, one or more items in the first set of potential items are determined to be distributed to the first player inventory in accordance with the distribution probabilities corresponding to the individual potential items in the first set;

responsive to the determination of the one or more items in the first set of virtual items to be distributed to the first player inventory, effectuating presentation of an offer for redetermining the one or more items in the first set of virtual items to be distributed to the first player inventory as an initial payout, wherein the offer specifies that the first player may pay a first amount of consideration in exchange for having the determined one or more items in the initial payout redetermined, wherein the first amount of consideration includes value in addition to any value that the one or more items in the initial payout have; and

responsive to the first player accepting the offer, redetermining, stochastically or quasi-stochastically, the one or more items in the initial payout to determine an actual payout; and

distribute the initial payout and/or the actual payout to the first player inventory based on whether or not the first player accepts the offer and/or an outcome of the redetermination.

10. The method of claim 9, wherein the outcome of the redetermination is increasing the quantity of the one or more items in the initial payout to be distributed to the first player inventory.

11. The method of claim 9, wherein the outcome of the redetermination is reducing the quantity of the one or more items in the initial payout to be distributed to the first player inventory.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising returning the first amount of consideration to the first player if the outcome of the redetermination indicates the quantity of the one or more items in the initial payout to be distributed to the first player inventory is increased.

13. The method of claim 9, further comprising if the redetermination outcome reduces the quantity of the one or more items in the initial payout and/or the value that the one or more items in the initial payout have, effectuating presentation of a third offer and fourth offer on the client computing platform associated with the first player, wherein

the third offer specifies that the first player may accept the redetermination outcome, and

the fourth offer specifies that the first player may pay a second amount of consideration in exchange for continuing to have the one or more items in the initial payout redetermined.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein the second amount of consideration is less than or equal to the first amount of consideration.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the difference between the second amount of consideration and the first amount of consideration is proportional to the value of the determined one or more items.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising evaluating the value of the items to be distributed to the player after the stochastic or quasi-stochastic determination.