Granted Patent B2

US 8,668,586 · App. 13/125,231 · Granted Mar 11, 2014

Abstract

Claims (63)

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:

presenting a virtual casino floor in a wagering game system, wherein the virtual casino floor includes a first avatar associated with a first wagering game player account that is logged into the wagering game system and provides access to the virtual casino floor, wherein the virtual casino floor also includes a second avatar and a virtual representation of a wagering game machine within the virtual casino floor, wherein the second avatar is associated with a second wagering game player account that is logged into the wagering game system, wherein the first avatar and the second avatar can move about the virtual casino floor, wherein the virtual casino floor includes a private location and an access object that provides access to the private location, and wherein the access object is selectable via player input for one or more of facilitating receipt of information about activity in the private location and providing access to the private location;

determining that the second avatar is inside the private location, wherein the first wagering game player account is a social contact of the second wagering game player account;

detecting an indication of information to communicate from the first avatar to the second avatar; and

communicating the information to the second avatar inside the private location of the virtual casino floor.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining selection of the virtual representation of the wagering game machine by the first avatar;

generating, in response to the selection, a virtual waiting list indicating a list of avatars waiting to play a wagering game on the virtual representation of the wagering game machine; and

placing a representation of the first avatar on the waiting list.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 further comprising:

detecting wagering game activity performed by the first avatar via the virtual representation of the wagering game machine;

generating a sound of the wagering game activity;

detecting a distance between the virtual representation of the wagering game machine and the second avatar within the virtual casino floor:

modifying a volume for the sound according to the distance between the virtual representation of the wagering game machine and the second avatar; and

presenting the sound from the perspective of the second avatar as a background effect.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising:

detecting an additional selection, by the second avatar, of the virtual representation of the wagering game machine; and

presenting to the second avatar, in response to the additional selection, a wagering game played on the virtual representation of the wagering game machine by the first avatar.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , wherein the information to communicate from the first avatar to the second avatar comprises a file that includes a recording of gaming activity performed by the first avatar during a gaming session, and wherein communicating the information to the second avatar within the virtual casino floor comprises presenting the file to the second avatar to view the gaming activity.

6. A computer-implemented method comprising:

presenting, on a display device of a wagering game machine, an access object that provides access for avatars to a private location within a virtual casino floor, wherein the avatars can move about the virtual casino floor;

determining a selection of the access object by a first of the avatars via player input, wherein the first of the avatars is located outside of the private location, wherein the first of the avatars is associated with a wagering game player account logged in to the virtual casino floor, and wherein the wagering game player account lists one or more social contacts that belong to the wagering game player account;

determining that a second of the avatars is inside the private location, wherein the second of the avatars belongs to one of the one or more social contacts; and

presenting, on the display device of the wagering game machine, to the first of the avatars, information indicating activity of the second avatar within the private location in response to the selection of the access object by the first of the avatars via the player input.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , further comprising:

determining a social status for the wagering game player account;

determining that a level of the social status is insufficient to grant the first of the avatars access to the private location;

detecting access to an advertisement by the first of the avatars associated with the wagering game player account; and

granting the first of the avatars access to the private location based on the access to the advertisement by the first of the avatars.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 , further comprising:

providing communications between the first of the avatars to the second of the avatars within the private location.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 6 further comprising:

determining that the wagering game player account possesses a level of social status sufficient to gain access to the private location;

granting access to the private location to the first of the avatars based on the level of the social status; and

granting the first of the avatars an avatar power for accessing the private location based on the level of the social status, wherein the avatar power extends beyond the private location to additional locations in the virtual representation of the wagering game venue.

10. The computer-implemented method of claim 9 , wherein the determining the that the wagering game player account possesses the level of social status sufficient to gain access to the private location comprises one or more of determining a value of social network points that the wagering game player account owns, and determining an award that the wagering game player account has received that indicates an increase to the level of the social status for a momentary amount of time.

11. One or more non-transitory computer readable mediums including instructions that, when executed by one or more machines, cause the computers to perform operations comprising:

presenting a virtual casino floor in a wagering game system, wherein the virtual casino floor includes a first avatar associated with a first wagering game player account that is logged into the wagering game system and provides access to the virtual casino floor, wherein the virtual casino floor also includes a second avatar and a virtual representation of a wagering game machine within the virtual casino floor, wherein the second avatar is associated with a second wagering game player account that is logged into the wagering game system, wherein the first avatar and the second avatar can move about the virtual casino floor, wherein the virtual casino floor includes a private location and an access object that provides access to the private location, and wherein the access object is selectable via player input for one or more of facilitating receipt of information about activity in the private location and providing access to the private location;

determining that the second avatar is inside the private location, wherein the first wagering game player account is a social contact of the second wagering game player account;

detecting an indication of information to communicate from the first avatar to the second avatar; and

communicating the information to the second avatar inside the private location of the virtual casino floor.

12. The one or more non-transitory computer readable mediums of claim 11 , further comprising:

determining selection of the virtual representation of the wagering game machine by the first avatar;

generating, in response to the selection, a virtual waiting list indicating a list of avatars waiting to play a wagering game on the virtual representation of the wagering game machine; and

placing a representation of the first avatar on the waiting list.

13. The one or more non-transitory computer readable mediums of claim 11 , the operations further comprising:

detecting wagering game activity performed by the first avatar via the virtual representation of the wagering game machine;

generating a sound of the wagering game activity;

detecting a distance between the virtual representation of the wagering game machine and the second avatar within the virtual casino floor;

modifying a volume for the sound according to the distance between the virtual representation of the wagering game machine and the second avatar; and

presenting the sound from the perspective of the second avatar as a background effect.

14. The one or more non-transitory computer readable mediums of claim 12 , the operations further comprising:

detecting an additional selection, by the second avatar, of the virtual representation of the wagering game machine; and

presenting to the second avatar, in response to the additional selection, a wagering game played on the virtual representation of the wagering game machine by the first avatar.

15. The one or more non-transitory computer readable mediums of claim 11 , wherein the information to communicate from the first avatar to the second avatar comprises a file that includes a recording of gaming activity performed by the first avatar during a gaming session, and wherein communicating the information to the second avatar within the virtual casino floor comprises presenting the file to the second avatar to view the gaming activity.

16. The one or more non-transitory computer-readable mediums of claim 11 , the operations further comprising:

determining a social status for the first wagering game player account;

determining that the social status for the first wagering game player account is sufficient to gain access to the private location; and

granting the first wagering game player account an avatar power for accessing the private location.

17. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:

determining a social status for the first wagering game player account;

determining that the social status for the first wagering game player account is sufficient to gain access to the private location; and

granting the first wagering game player account an avatar power for accessing the private location.

Assignments (9)