IP Library Granted Patent US 10,286,301
Granted Patent B1
US 10,286,301 · App. 14/320,544 · Granted May 14, 2019

Providing virtual items configured to facilitate temporary time requirement suspension in an online game

Inventors: John Kim (San Francisco, CA); David McNeill (San Francisco, CA); Albert Wei (San Francisco, CA); Christopher Yu (San Francisco, CA)
Assignee: ELECTRONIC ARTS INC.
A63F13/12
View Patent ↗
Loading inventors, assignments & file history…
Monitor This Case
Get email alerts when status or documents change.
Order Certified Copies
Most orders are placed with the USPTO same day — all within 24 business hours.
Order via The Patent Place →
Pre-filled with this patent's details
Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,286,301
App. No.
14/320,544
Granted
May 14, 2019
Kind
B1
Abstract

A system and method for facilitating game action time requirement suspension in an online game are disclosed. Instances of time requirement suspension items may be offered for purchase in an online store associated with the online game. A given time requirement suspension item may be configured to reduce time requirements (e.g., wait-period) for game actions requested by a player during a corresponding time period subsequent to the activation of the instance of the requirement suspension item by the player. The player may activate a purchased instance of the requirement suspension item in the online game to reduce the time requirements for the game actions requested by the player during the time period.

Claims (29)

1. A system for facilitating activities in an online game, the system comprising:

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

execute an instance of a game space in which the online game takes place, and to implement the instance of the game space to generate state information that is transmitted to client computing platforms over a network, the state information facilitating presentation of views of a virtual topography of the game space to the players via the client computing platforms, wherein execution of the instance of the game space facilitates participation of players in the online game via interaction of the players with the game space and/or each other by executing game actions on behalf of the players in the game space in response to player requests, the executed game actions including game actions whose executions require wait periods for completion;

manage players accounts associated with individual players in the game space, the player accounts comprising player information regarding the individual players, the player information including information indicating balances of stored consideration associated with the individual players, the player accounts including a first player account;

provide, through a store interface, offers to sell instances of a first wait-period suspension item for purchase by the players, the first wait-period suspension item being associated with a corresponding time period;

receive from players activation requests and activate the instances of the first wait-period suspension item purchased by the players in the online game such that responsive to purchase of a first instance of the first wait-period suspension item by the first player, and further in response to a request to activate the first instance of the first wait-period suspension item from the first player, the first instance of the first wait-period suspension item is activated in the online game resulting in wait-periods for game actions requested by the first player being reduced during the time period corresponding to the first wait-period suspension item subsequent to the activation; and

in response to receiving from the first player a request to execute game actions that require wait-periods for completion subsequent to activation of the first wait-period suspension item, execute the game actions within the virtual topography of game space with reduced wait-periods during the time period.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the time period corresponding to the first wait-period suspension item is a real-world time period.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the time period corresponding to the first wait-period suspension item is a time period during which the player interacts with the game space.

4. The system of claim 1 , wherein the wait-periods for game actions requested by the first player is reduced to zero during the time period corresponding to the first wait-period suspension item subsequent to the activation.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first instance of the first wait-period suspension item is purchased by the first player for an amount of stored consideration, the stored consideration including virtual currencies, points, virtual items, and/or real-world money credits.

6. The system of claim 1 , wherein one or more physical processors configured by machine-readable instructions to sell instances of a second wait-period suspension item, the second wait-period suspension item being associated with a corresponding time period that is different from the time period corresponding to the instances of the first wait-period suspension item.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein executions of the game actions in the game space further require virtual resources for completion, and wherein activation of the first instance of the first wait-period suspension item by the first player does not alter the virtual resource requirements for executing the game actions.

8. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first wait-period item is further associated with a corresponding action type such that the game actions whose wait-periods are reduced during the time period corresponding to the first wait-period suspension item subsequent to the activation are of the corresponding action type.

9. The system of claim 8 , wherein the action type corresponding to the first wait-period suspension item includes construction, crafting, researching, training, harvesting, mining, troop marching, upgrading, or quest.

10. A method for facilitating activities in an online game, the method being implemented in one or more physical processors, the method comprising:

executing an instance of a game space in which the online game takes place, and to implement the instance of the game space to generate state information that is transmitted to client computing platforms over a network, the state information facilitating presentation of views of a virtual topography of the game space to the players via the client computing platforms, wherein execution of the instance of the game space facilitates participation of players in the online game via interaction of the players with the game space and/or each other by executing game actions on behalf of the players in the game space in response to player requests, the executed game actions including game actions whose executions require wait periods for completion;

managing players accounts associated with individual players in the game space, the player accounts comprising player information regarding the individual players, the player information including information indicating balances of stored consideration associated with the individual players, the player accounts including a first player account;

providing, through a store interface, offers to sell instances of a first wait-period suspension item for purchase by the players, the first wait-period suspension item being associated with a corresponding time period;

receiving from players activation requests and activating the instances of the first wait-period suspension item purchased by the players in the online game such that responsive to purchase of a first instance of the first wait-period suspension item by the first player, and further in response to a request to activate the first instance of the first wait-period suspension item from the first player, the first instance of the first wait-period suspension item is activated in the online game resulting in wait-periods for game actions requested by the first player being reduced during the time period corresponding to the first wait-period suspension item subsequent to the activation; and

in response to receiving from the first player a request to execute game actions that require wait-periods for completion subsequent to activation of the first wait-period suspension item, execute the game actions within the virtual topography of game space with reduced wait-periods during the time period.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the time period corresponding to the first wait-period suspension item is a real-world time period.

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the time period corresponding to the first wait-period suspension item is a time period during which the player interacts with the game space.

13. The method of claim 10 , wherein the wait-periods for game actions requested by the first player is reduced to zero during the time period corresponding to the first wait-period suspension item subsequent to the activation.

14. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first instance of the first wait-period suspension item is purchased by the first player for an amount of stored consideration, the stored consideration including virtual currencies, points, virtual items, and/or real-world money credits.

15. The method of claim 10 , further comprising selling instances of a second wait-period suspension item, the second wait-period suspension item being associated with a corresponding time period that is different from the time period corresponding to the instances of the first wait-period suspension item.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein executions of the game actions in the game space further require virtual resources for completion, and wherein activation of the first instance of the first wait-period suspension item by the first player does not alter the virtual resource requirements for executing the game actions.

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the first wait-period item is further associated with a corresponding action type such that the game actions whose wait-periods are reduced during the time period corresponding to the first wait-period suspension item subsequent to the activation are of the corresponding action type.

18. The method of claim 17 , wherein the action type corresponding to the first wait-period suspension item includes construction, crafting, researching, training, harvesting, mining, troop marching, upgrading, or quest.

Assignments (6)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Feb 28, 2018
From: AFTERSHOCK SERVICES, INC.
To: ELECTRONIC ARTS INC.
Reel/Frame 045474/0300 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Apr 11, 2017
From: KABAM, INC.
To: AFTERSHOCK SERVICES, INC.
Reel/Frame 042211/0425 →
TERMINATION OF INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY SECURITY AGREEMENT, RECORDED AT REEL/FRAME: 039268/0910 Recorded Mar 2, 2017
From: SILICON VALLEY BANK
To: KABAM, INC.
Reel/Frame 041857/0538 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Sep 21, 2016
From: MCNEILL, DAVID; WEI, ALBERT; YU, CHRISTOPHER
To: KABAM, INC.
Reel/Frame 039817/0311 →
SECURITY AGREEMENT Recorded Jul 6, 2016
From: KABAM, INC.
To: SILICON VALLEY BANK
Reel/Frame 039268/0910 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 16, 2016
From: KIM, JOHN
To: KABAM, INC.
Reel/Frame 038937/0122 →