DIGITAL GAME DISTRIBUTION AND ROYALTY CALCULATION
Systems and methods of digitally distributing digital game content and tracking royalties for the digital game content may include a correlated title key, retail key, and license key. The a correlated title key, retail key, and license key may be used to generate a royalty rate. For example, a royalty rate may be generated based on the license key. Additionally, a royalty price may be generated based on the title key. Then, a royalty amount may be computed by multiplying the royalty rate and the royalty price. The royalty amount may be stored in a retailer account that corresponds to the retail key.
1 . A method of tracking royalties for a digital game content in a video game system, the method comprising:
establishing a retailer;
generating a retail key for said retailer;
receiving a license key to activate said digital game content; and
correlating said retail key and said license key.
2 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising a title key corresponding to a designation of said digital game content correlated with said retail key and said license key.
3 . The method of claim 2 , further comprising:
generating a royalty rate based on said license key and a royalty price based on said title key;
computing a royalty amount by multiplying said royalty rate and said royalty base price; and
correlating said royalty amount and said retail key.
4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said retailer comprises a retailer selected by a user of said video game system.
5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said retailer includes a retailer who sells said video game system.
6 . A method of tracking royalties for a digital game content in a video game system, the method comprising:
receiving a package of data information including a title key, a retail key, and a license key;
generating a royalty rate based on said received license key and a royalty base price based on said received title key;
computing a royalty amount by multiplying said royalty rate and said royalty base price; and
storing said royalty amount to a retailer account corresponding to said retail key.
7 . The method of claim 6 , wherein said license key includes a unique identifier based on a licensing right and a digital game content transaction option.
8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein said royalty rate varies based on said licensing right and said digital game content transaction option in said license key.
9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein said licensing right includes at least one of the following: a full version, a demonstration version, a limited assets version, and a limited time version.
10 . The method of claim 8 , wherein said digital game content transaction option includes at least one of the following: a per instance rental, a per instance purchase, a monthly rental, a retail affiliated purchase, and a gift purchase.
11 . The method of claim 6 , wherein said retail key includes a unique identifier for a retailer.
12 . The method of claim 11 further comprising:
adding said royalty amount to a cumulative royalty amount stored in said retailer account corresponding to said unique identifier for said retailer; and
distributing said cumulative royalty amount stored in said retailer account to said retailer.
13 . The method of claim 12 , wherein said cumulative royalty amount stored in said retailer account is distributed to said retailer after a predetermined reporting period.
14 . A digital game content management system that provides royalties to a retailer based on a digital game content, the system comprising:
a transaction module adapted to provide a digital game content transaction option;
a game content catalog module adapted to provide digital game content;
a selection module adapted to receive a selected digital game content transaction option and a selected digital game content from a user; and
a processor in operative communication with said transaction module, said game content catalog module, and said selection module, wherein said processor computes a royalty amount based on said selected digital game content transaction option and said selected digital game content.
15 . The system of claim 14 further comprising royalty base storage module in operative communication with said processor, wherein said royalty storage module stores a royalty base price corresponding to said digital game content.
16 . The system of claim 15 , wherein said selected digital game content option provides a royalty rate, and wherein said processor computes said royalty amount by multiplying said royalty rate by said royalty base price.
17 . The system of claim 14 , wherein said selection module receives a retailer.
18 . The system of claim 17 , further comprising a royalty account module, wherein said royalty account module stores said royalty amount.
19 . The system of claim 18 , wherein said royalty account module indexes said royalty amount to said retailer.
20 . The system of claim 14 , wherein said digital game content transaction option includes at least one of the following: a per instance rental, a per instance purchase, a monthly rental, a retail affiliated purchase, and a gift purchase.