Conversion/transfer of non-negotiable credits to in-game funds for in-game purchases

A method comprising:

• a computer, comprising hardware and software executing on the hardware, establishing an account for in-game credits provided by an entity to an account holding user, wherein the entity owns or controls a computer game, wherein the account holder plays the computer game to earn at least a portion of the in-game credits, wherein the in-game credits are non-negotiable credits, wherein the entity is a unit that has a legal and separately identifiable existence, wherein the non-negotiable credits have redemption restrictions imposed by the entity, wherein the entity restricts transfers of granted ones of the non-negotiable credits, wherein the transfer restrictions by the entity prevent the account holding user from transferring granted ones of the non-negotiable credits in that user's possession to others without permission from the entity;
• the computer detecting game play occurrences in the computer game earning a quantity of in-game credits, wherein the quantity of in-game credits from the interactions are added to the account, wherein in absence of a conversion operation that converts the in-game credits to entity-independent funds, a commerce partner does not accept the in-game credits for out-of-game purchases or out-of-game discounts with the commerce partner, wherein the commerce partner is not the entity, wherein the conversion operation is explicitly permitted by terms of an agreement established between the entity and the commerce partner, wherein the entity independent funds are independent of the redemption restrictions that were imposed upon the non-negotiable credits;
• and
• the computer subtracting a quantity of the in-game credits from the account, the subtracted quantity of in-game credits corresponding to a quantity of entity independent funds resulting from the conversion operation that converts the in-game credits to a quantity of the negotiable or entity independent funds in in accordance with terms of the agreement mutually established by the commerce partner and the entity, wherein the commerce partner is compensated by the entity for granting the entity independent funds to the account holding user in exchange for the non-negotiable credits.

A method comprising:

• a computer, comprising hardware and software executing on the hardware, providing a computer game, which one or more users play, wherein the computer game is owned or controlled by a commerce partner, wherein the one or more users comprise an account holder;
• the computer providing the account holder with one or more in-game purchasing options, wherein the one or more in-game purchasing options are for one or more in-game purchases of one or more of:
• a virtual good for the computer game, an unlocking of a feature of the computer game for the account holder, an advance in the computer game for the account holder, additional experience points for a player character of the account holder in the computer game, additional in-game gold or in-game currency for the account holder, or combinations thereof, wherein the in-game purchasing options requires the account holder to have accumulated a designated quantity of in-game funds in a game account maintained or owned by the commerce partner for the account holder;
• the computer receiving a converted quantity of in-game funds resulting from a conversion of a set of non-negotiable credits into the converted quantity of in-game funds, wherein the non-negotiable credits are stored in an credit account maintained by an entity for the account holder, wherein the non-negotiable credits are not able to be directly used for the in-game purchases until the non-negotiable credits are converted to in-game funds, wherein the entity is a unit that has a legal and separately identifiable existence, wherein the non-negotiable credits have redemption restrictions imposed by the entity, wherein the entity restricts transfers of granted ones of the non-negotiable credits, wherein the transfer restrictions by the entity prevent the account holder from transferring granted ones of the non-negotiable credits in that user's possession to others without permission from the entity, wherein the commerce partner is a unit that has a legal and separately identifiable existence, wherein the commerce partner is not the entity, wherein the commerce partner is associated with the entity in some commercial activity, wherein the conversion operation is explicitly permitted by terms of an agreement established between the entity and the commerce partner, wherein the in-game funds are entity independent funds, wherein the entity independent funds are independent of the redemption restrictions that were imposed upon the non-negotiable credits, wherein the entity independent funds are possessed by the account holder;
• and
• the computer adding the converted quantity of in-game funds to the game account, which increases an ability of the account holder to make the one or more in-game purchases.