Game-based incentives for location-based actions
View Patent ↗Systems and methods for providing game-based incentives to users of online games as a reward for performing actions at physical locations are provided.
1. A method comprising:
receiving verification data identifying a user of a computer-implemented game and indicating performance of a location-based action by the user at a physical location that is external to the computer-implemented game, the location-based action being determined based on retrieved game state data of the computer-implemented game;
accessing an account of the user;
identifying the computer-implemented game from the account; and
crediting, using a processor of a machine, the account with a reward based on the received verification data indicating the performance of the location-based action by the user at the physical location, the reward being usable within the computer-implemented game.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the verification data further indicates when the location-based action was performed by the user.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the verification data further indicates where the location-based action was performed by the user.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the verification data further indicates how the location-based action was performed by the user.
5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location-based action is a purchase of an item at the physical location, the verification data including purchase information usable to identify the user.
6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the location-based action is a presence of the user at the physical location.
7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the verification data is based on a specified proximity of the user to the physical location.
8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the proximity is determined using a selection from a group consisting of GPS, a social networking site, a location tracking site, and a location reservation site.
9. The method of claim 6 , wherein the presence of the user is verified at the physical location based on a code located at the physical location that the user captures and transmits with their mobile device.
10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reward is a virtual item provided to a character controlled by the user in a virtual world of the computer-implemented game.
11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising generating the reward to be provided to the user.
12. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the reward based on intellectual property information associated with the location.
13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reward is a mystery prize.
14. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the location-based action based on preferences of an operator of the physical location.
15. The method of claim 1 , further comprising selecting the location-based action based on inventory of an operator of the physical location.
16. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reward is determined based on a stored attribute of the physical location.
17. A non-transitory machine readable medium storing instructions that, when executed by at least one processor of a machine, causes the machine to perform operations comprising:
receiving verification data identifying a user of a computer-implemented game and indicating performance of a location-based action by the user at a physical location that is external to the computer-implemented game, the location-based action being determined based on retrieved game state data of the computer-implemented game;
accessing an account of the user;
identifying the computer-implemented game from the account; and
crediting the account with a reward based on the received verification data indicating the performance of the location-based action by the user at the physical location, the reward being usable within the computer-implemented game.
18. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the location-based action is a purchase of an item at the physical location, the verification data including purchase information usable to identify the user.
19. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 17 , wherein the location-based action is a presence of the user at the physical location.
20. The non-transitory machine readable medium of claim 19 , wherein the verification data is based on a proximity of the user to the physical location.
21. A system comprising:
at least one processor of a machine; and
a game networking system configured to:
receive verification data identifying a user of a computer-implemented game and indicating performance of a location-based action by the user at a physical location that is external to the computer-implemented game, the location-based action being determined based on retrieved game state data of the computer-implemented game,
access an account of the user,
identify the computer-implemented game from the account, and credit, using the at least one processor, the account with a reward based on the received verification data indicating the performance of the location-based action by the user at the physical location, the reward being usable within the computer-implemented game.