System and method for monitoring player interactions with branded virtual objects in a virtual environment

1. A computer-implemented method comprising:

generating a game instance of a computer-implemented multiplayer online game, the game instance being associated with a virtual environment of a first player;

based on advertising campaign budget data, causing at least one branded virtual object to be displayed for selection by the first player, the branded virtual object representative of a real-world entity providing a real-world activity related to goods or services provided by the real-world entity;

in the event of the branded virtual object being selected by the first player, updating the virtual environment of the first player to include the branded virtual object;

causing a graphical user interface to be displayed on a client device of a second player to allow the second player to visit the virtual environment of the first player including the branded virtual object; and

upon interaction by the second player with the branded virtual object, causing a virtual activity to be performed in the virtual environment, the virtual activity corresponding to the real world activity associated with the real-world entity and wherein the second player expends a determinable amount of character energy when interacting with the branded virtual object and the first player collects virtual currency when interacting with the branded virtual object.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the real-world activity comprises the real-world entity providing goods to customers and the virtual activity comprises vending corresponding virtual goods to virtual characters in the virtual environment.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the branded virtual object is a virtual building for placement in the virtual environment, the virtual building corresponding to a real-world building and the real-world activity being identifiable by the structure of the real-world building.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the branded virtual object corresponds to a virtual vehicle configured to traverse virtual roads of the virtual environment, the virtual activity being virtual driving of the virtual vehicle in the virtual environment.

5. The method of claim 1 , comprising auctioning an opportunity to present the branded virtual object and the associated virtual activity to the first player.

6. The method of claim 5 , comprising:

accessing a database including a plurality of branded virtual objects;

retrieving a branded virtual object corresponding to a successful bidder bidding in an auction for presentment of the branded virtual object to players in the multiplayer online game; and

presenting the branded virtual object to the first player for selection and placement in the virtual environment of the first player.

7. The method of claim 1 , comprising monitoring removal of a branded virtual object by the first player and updating the virtual environment of the first player so that the branded virtual object is no longer viewable in the virtual environment of the first player.

8. The method of claim 1 , comprising monitoring the interaction with the branded virtual object by each of a plurality players visiting the virtual environment of the first player and updating a branded object count in a database.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the multiplayer online game includes a plurality of un-branded virtual objects each having a predefined shape and dimension for selective placement in the virtual environment, each branded virtual object having associated measurement parameters corresponding to an-unbranded virtual object.

10. The method of claim 1 , comprising causing a plurality of branded virtual objects to be presented to the first player, each branded virtual object corresponding to a different real-world entity.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein at least two branded virtual objects of the plurality of branded virtual objects corresponds to competing real-world entities that perform a substantially similar real-world activity.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the real-world activity is vending a consumable good to a person and the corresponding virtual activity is vending a virtual consumable good to a virtual character.

13. The method of claim 1 , comprising providing in-game rewards to the first player in the event of the second player interacting with the branded virtual object in the virtual environment of the first player.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the virtual environment includes a plurality of different object categories, each object category corresponding to a different virtual activity.

15. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

identifying placement constraints associated with two competing real-world entities; and

restricting the proximity of placement in the virtual environment of the virtual objects from the two competing entities based on the placement constraints.

16. The method of claim 1 , comprising:

monitoring if the first player identifies an unbranded virtual object in the virtual environment of the first player; and

presenting at least one branded virtual object to the first player for replacement of the unbranded virtual object in the virtual environment.

17. A gaming system comprising:

at least one database to store a plurality of game instances and at least one branded virtual object; and

at least one processor-implemented game engine configured to:

access the database to generate a game instance of a computer-implemented multiplayer online game, the game instance being associated with a virtual environment of a first player;

based on advertising campaign budget data, cause the branded virtual object to be displayed for selection by the first player, the branded virtual object representative of a real-world entity providing a real-world activity related to goods or services provided by the real-world entity;

in the event of the branded virtual object being selected by the first player, update the virtual environment of the first player in the database to include the branded virtual object;

cause a graphical user interface to be displayed on a client device of a second player to allow the second player to visit the virtual environment of the first player including the branded virtual object; and

upon interaction by the second player with the branded virtual object, cause a virtual activity to be performed in the virtual environment, the virtual activity corresponding to the real world activity associated with the real-world entity and wherein the second player expends a determinable amount of character energy when interacting with the branded virtual object and the first player collects virtual currency when interacting with the branded virtual object.

18. The system of claim 17 , wherein an opportunity to present the branded virtual object and the associated virtual activity to the first player is auctioned.

19. A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions which, when executed by one or more processors perform operations comprising:

generating a game instance of a computer-implemented multiplayer online game, the game instance being associated with a virtual environment of a first player;

based on advertising campaign budget data, causing at least one branded virtual object to be displayed for selection by the first player, the branded virtual object representative of a real-world entity providing a real-world activity related to goods or services provided by the real-world entity;

in the event of the branded virtual object being selected by the first player, updating the virtual environment of the first player to include the branded virtual object;

causing a graphical user interface to be displayed on a client device of a second player to allow the second player to visit the virtual environment of the first player including the branded virtual object; and

upon interaction by the second player with the branded virtual object, causing a virtual activity to be performed in the virtual environment, the virtual activity corresponding to the real world activity associated with the real-world entity and wherein the second player expends a determinable amount of character energy when interacting with the branded virtual object and the first player collects virtual currency when interacting with the branded virtual object.

20. The non-transitory machine-readable storage medium of claim 19 , wherein an opportunity to present the branded virtual object and the associated virtual activity to the first player is auctioned.