US 11,596,862 B2Granted

System and method for rotating drop rates in a mystery box

AssigneeKabam, Inc.

InventorsLuc Pieron, Thomas Baxter, Henry Rull

Life of this patent

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Abstract

A system and method configured to enhance gameplay between users in an online game and to provide enhanced interest in virtual goods associated with collections of virtual goods through the ability to rotate drop rates associated with these virtual goods from time to time. The system and method includes the provision of functionality which allows providers of online games to periodically rotate drop rates associated with mystery boxes in order to maintain and/or generate additional interest in specific mystery boxes. As a result, it is possible for game operators to enhance revenue opportunities associated with these boxes even in the case where such boxes have been available for a relatively lengthy period of time and/or where players would have otherwise lost interest in specific boxes.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A system for facilitating chance-based in-game virtual item distribution of stochastically selected awards to in-game inventories of users of an online game, the system comprising:

one or more physical computer processors configured by machine readable instructions to:
execute an instance of the online game and to implement the instance of the online game to facilitate participation in the online game by the users via client computing platforms;
maintain in-game inventories of virtual items under the control of the users, wherein the in-game inventories include a first in-game inventory under the control of a first user, wherein the first in-game inventory includes one or more instances of a first probability item bundle associated with a first set of potential awards usable in the online game, the first set of potential awards including a first individual award and a second individual award, wherein the first individual award is associated with a first distribution probability and the second individual award is associated with a second distribution probability, wherein the first distribution probability dictates the chance of the first probability item bundle obtaining the first individual award upon activation by the first user, wherein the second distribution probability dictates the chance of the first probability item bundle obtaining the second individual award upon activation by the first user, wherein the one or more instances of the first probability item bundle include a first instance and a second instance;
receive a first activation request from the first user for one instance of the first probability item bundle;
responsive to the first activation request, stochastically select a first individual selected award from the first set of potential awards in accordance with the first and second distribution probabilities associated with the individual potential awards from the first set of potential awards;
distribute the first individual selected award to the first in-game inventory;
adjust, in response to one or more predetermined triggering criteria being met, one or both of the first distribution probability and/or the second distribution probability, wherein the one or more predetermined triggering criteria are determined based on previous purchases of the first probability item bundle by the first user;
receive a second activation request from the first user for the second instance of the first probability item bundle;
responsive to the second activation request, stochastically select a second individual selected award from the first set of potential awards in accordance with the adjusted distribution probabilities associated with the individual potential award from the first set of potential awards;
and
distribute the second individual selected award to the first in-game inventory.

8 more elements

A computer-implemented method for facilitating chance-based in-game virtual item distribution of stochastically selected awards to in-game inventories of users of an online game, the method being implemented in a computer system that includes one or more processors executing computer program components, the method comprising:

executing an instance of the online game and implementing the instance of the online game to facilitate participation in the online game by the users via client computing platforms;
maintaining inventories of virtual items under the control of the users, wherein the in-game inventories include a first in-game inventory under the control of a first user, wherein the first in-game inventory includes one or more instances of a first probability item bundle associated with a first set of potential awards usable in the online game, the first set of potential awards including a first individual award and a second individual award, wherein the first individual award is associated with a first distribution probability and the second individual award is associated with a second distribution probability, wherein the first distribution probability dictates the chance of the first probability item bundle obtaining the first individual award upon activation by the first user, wherein the second distribution probability dictates the chance of the first probability item bundle obtaining the second individual award upon activation by the first user, wherein the one or more instances of the first probability item bundle include a first instance and a second instance;
receiving a first activation request from the first user for one instance of the first probability item bundle;
responsive to the first activation request, stochastically selecting a first individual selected award from the first set of potential awards in accordance with the first and second distribution probabilities associated with the individual potential awards from the first set of potential awards;
distributing the first individual selected award to the first in-game inventory;
adjusting, in response to one or more predetermined triggering criteria being met, one or both of the first distribution probability and/or the second distribution probability, wherein the one or more predetermined triggering criteria are determined based on previous purchases of the first probability item bundle by the first user;
receiving a second activation request from the first user for the second instance of the first probability item bundle;
responsive to the second activation request, stochastically selecting a second individual selected award from the first set of potential awards in accordance with the adjusted distribution probabilities associated with the individual potential awards from the first set of potential awards;
and
distributing the second individual selected award to the first in-game inventory.

7 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 17/241,028Filed 26 Apr 2021 · continuation
Priority: 5 Jun 2014
Published: US 2021/0275916 A19 Sep 2021
Granted: 7 Mar 2023
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.

Classification9 codes

A63F 13/45
Video games, i.e. games using an electronically generated display having two or more dimensions: controlling the progress of the video game
A63F 13/69
Generating or modifying game content before or while executing the game program, e.g. authoring tools specially adapted for game development or…:…
G06Q 30/0209
Discounts or incentives, e.g. coupons or rebates: incentive being awarded or redeemed in connection with the playing of a video game
G06Q 30/0641
Electronic shopping [e-shopping]: utilising user interfaces specially adapted for shopping

Family

Application14/297,368Parent of this continuation · filed 5 Jun 2014
Application16/425,773Parent of this continuation · filed 29 May 2019
US 10,307,666 B2Parent of this continuation · filed 4 Jun 2019
US 2021/0275916 A1Pre-grant publication · published 9 Sep 2021
US 10,987,581 B2Parent of this continuation
US 2015/0352436 A1Published application
US 2019/0275422 A1Published application
US 11,596,862 B2This patent

From the US filing history. Foreign family members aren’t listed.