Valuation of Third-Party Generated Content Within a Video Game Environment

A method, comprising:

• receiving a third-party generated virtual item for a video game, wherein the third-party generated virtual item is provided via one or more files generated using software that is external to the video game and the third-party generated virtual item is made available to players of the video game;
• analyzing the one or more files to detect predefined objective properties of the third-party generated virtual item;
• calculating a rarity score for the third-party generated virtual item based, at least in part, upon the predefined objective properties and corresponding weights assigned to the predefined objective properties;
• assigning a rarity level for the third-party generated virtual item based, at least in part, on the calculated rarity score, the rarity level influencing one or more video game actions involving the third-party generated virtual item;
• providing information regarding the assigned rarity level of the third-party generated virtual item;
• and
• adjusting the weights responsive to changing consumer preferences in the video game as users purchase other virtual items having other predefined objective properties, the adjusted weights being used to calculate further rarity scores that apply to further video game actions involving further third-party generated virtual items.

A computer storage media storing computer-readable instructions that, when executed, cause a computing device to:

• receive a third-party generated virtual item for a video game, wherein the third-party generated virtual item is provided via one or more files generated using software that is external to the video game and the third-party generated virtual item is made available to players of the video game;
• analyze the one or more files to detect one or more predefined objective properties of the third-party generated virtual item;
• calculate a rarity score for the third-party generated virtual item based, at least in part, upon the one or more predefined objective properties and one or more corresponding weights assigned to the one or more predefined objective properties;
• assign a rarity level for the third-party generated virtual item based, at least in part, on the calculated rarity score, the rarity level influencing one or more video game actions involving the third-party generated virtual item;
• provide information regarding the assigned rarity level of the third-party generated virtual item;
• and
• adjust the weights responsive to changing consumer preferences in the video game as users purchase other virtual items having other predefined objective properties, the adjusted weights being used to calculate further rarity scores that apply to further video game actions involving further third-party generated virtual items.