Controlling player-to-player commerce in video game environment
Players of a video game can enter contracts and engage in various simple or complex financial transactions employing credit systems such as credit cards, other financial instruments and other mechanisms to facilitate the enforcement of such contracts. Default on agreements by players or player characters can result in financial penalties which the video game system can apply.
1. A method performed by a computer, the method comprising:
providing, by a Video Game Central Server, a virtual environment that is accessible to one or more players;
receiving, by the Video Game Central Server, real world financial information from a player;
maintaining, by the Video Game Central Server, the real world financial information in a player account associated with the player;
receiving, by the Video Game Central Server, a request to incur a financial obligation from the player;
providing, by the Video Game Central Server, the player with the option to satisfy the financial obligation with virtual funds or real world funds
providing, by the Video Game Central Server, the player with a virtual price for the item, wherein the virtual price indicates the cost of the item in virtual funds; and
providing, by the Video Game Central Server, the player with a real world price for the item, wherein the real world price indicates the cost of the item in real world funds.
2. The method of claim 1 further comprising:
determining that the player does not have sufficient virtual funds to cover the virtual price; and
penalizing the player.
3. The method of claim 2 wherein penalizing the player comprises
using the real world financial information to receive real world funds to cover the financial obligation.
4. The method of claim 3 wherein
the real world financial information includes a credit card number and further comprising
charging the real world fee to the credit card.
5. The method of claim 2 wherein penalizing the player comprises
altering an appearance of a player character associated with the player.
6. The method of claim 3 further comprising
using, by the Video Game Central Server, the real world financial information to obtain real world funds in order to satisfy the financial obligation.
7. The method of claim 6 further comprising
locking, by the Video Game Central Server, the real world price on the credit card.
8. The method of claim 6 further comprising
using, by the Video Game Central Server, the real world financial information to determine if the player has sufficient real world funds to cover the financial obligation.
9. The method of claim 8 further comprising
determining that the player does not have sufficient real world funds to cover the real world financial obligation; and
penalizing, by the Video Game Central Server, the player.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein penalizing the player comprises
suspending the player's account.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein penalizing the player comprises
liquidating one or more virtual assets owned by the player.
12. The method of claim 11 further comprising
distributing, by the Video Game Central Server, the proceeds of the liquidation to creditors associated with the financial obligation.
13. The method of claim 12 wherein, if proceeds of the liquidation are not sufficient to cover the financial obligation owed to the creditors, the method further comprises distributing, by the Video Game Central Server, the proceeds of the liquidation in ratio to the obligation for each creditor compared to the total outstanding balance.
14. The method of claim 12 wherein, if proceeds of the liquidation are not sufficient to cover the financial obligation owed to the creditors, the method further comprises distributing, by the Video Game Central Server, the proceeds of the liquidation in a priority order.
15. The method of claim 14 wherein the method further comprises
receiving, by the Video Game Central Server, payment from a creditor for the right to become a priority creditor.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the payment is received at the time the player incurs the financial obligation.
17. The method of claim 14 further comprising
determining, by the Video Game Central Server, the priority order based on the date the financial obligation was incurred.
18. The method of claim 14 further comprising
determining, by the Video Game Central Server, the priority order based on whether the creditor is a player character that is controlled by the player.
19. An apparatus comprising:
a processor; and
a tangible computer readable medium in communication with the processor;
in which the tangible computer readable medium stores instructions which, when executed by the processor, direct the processor to
provide, by a Video Game Central Server, a virtual environment that is accessible to one or more players;
receive, by the Video Game Central Server, real world financial information from a player;
maintain, by the Video Game Central Server, the real world financial information in a player account associated with the player;
receive, by the Video Game Central Server, a request to incur a financial obligation from the player;
provide, by the Video Game Central Server, the player with the option to satisfy the financial obligation with virtual funds or real world funds
provide, by the Video Game Central Server, the player with a virtual price for the item, wherein the virtual price indicates the cost of the item in virtual funds; and
provide, by the Video Game Central Server, the player with a real world price for the item, wherein the real world price indicates the cost of the item in real world funds.