Assigning non-homogenized tokens (nfts) to conceptual asset designs in creative games

Abstract

Methods and systems are provided for receiving virtual assets designed by a user, rendering virtual assets in a virtual marketplace, and allowing other users to provide feedback. Feedback from other users is evaluated to calculate a value of the virtual asset. Based on the value, access to the virtual asset is provided to allow the virtual asset to be incorporated into the video game for use during play of the game. An NFT is generated for a virtual asset to allow tracking of use of the virtual asset in a video game.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This disclosure relates to providing virtual assets in video games, and more particularly, to providing virtual assets designed by one or more users for use in video games. Background Technology

[0002] As video games gain popularity, developers constantly seek ways to keep users engaged. To enhance user engagement, developers experiment with and design new games, redesign existing games by incorporating new features and special effects, and introduce new game characters. These new characters or assets are designed to include special skills, unique appearances, special or multiple abilities, and other characteristics to capture users' attention and interest. With the increasing demand for video games, the need for new designs or concepts for game assets / characters also increases.

[0003] It is against this backdrop that the proposed implementation scheme is put forward. Summary of the Invention

[0004] Implementations of this disclosure relate to systems and methods for providing virtual assets included in video games. The design of virtual assets is not solely the responsibility of the video game developers but is also open to other users, including both users and non-users of the video game. User-designed virtual assets are presented in virtual showcases within a virtual marketplace for developers of various video games to view, market, and provide feedback. A user interface is provided alongside the virtual showcases for developers to provide feedback. In addition to developers with interactive capabilities, the virtual marketplace is also open to other users to provide their feedback, such as comments, likes, dislikes, ratings, etc. Feedback from different users regarding different virtual assets can be used to determine the market dynamics of the virtual assets displayed in the virtual showcases. Developers can use these market dynamics to identify virtual assets with the best, most popular, or most innovative designs and incorporate these identified virtual assets into their ongoing video games or existing video games.

[0005] Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are minted for each virtual asset designed for a user. The NFTs minted for virtual assets are stored on a blockchain and used to track the use of the corresponding virtual asset by other users, including developers. Virtual assets can be game characters used to represent players in a video game when incorporated into the game, or they can be game assets that can be included in one or more game scenes within the video game. Virtual assets are designed to include multiple characteristics that define them. These characteristics can include rendering characteristics that define how the virtual asset is rendered in the video game, and interaction characteristics that define how the virtual asset behaves in response to interactions during gameplay. These characteristics and other details of the virtual asset are maintained as metadata within the NFTs minted for the virtual asset.

[0006] The blockchain used to store NFTs for virtual assets can be a proprietary blockchain available to users / non-users of a selected video game, or a public blockchain available to a wide range of video games. The proprietary blockchain can be hosted within a local area network (LAN) accessible to users / non-users (e.g., members) and available within that LAN. The LAN can be a cloud-based network where the video game runs on a cloud server and is accessed by members of the network. Allowing users and non-users (i.e., non-developers) of the video game to design virtual assets reduces the burden of content creation for developers. Furthermore, minting NFTs for virtual assets designed by users other than developers allows users to market their designs and receive design compensation, further incentivizing users and encouraging them to create additional virtual assets. Opening up the design aspects of virtual assets to users allows developers to focus on developing the video game, leaving the design aspects of the virtual assets used in the video game to the users. It provides users with the freedom to innovate on virtual assets they also like to see in the video game, in addition to those designed by developers.

[0007] In one implementation, a method for including virtual assets within a video game is disclosed. The method includes receiving virtual assets designed by a specific user for use in the video game. The virtual assets are designed to include multiple characteristics. The virtual assets are presented in a user-accessible virtual marketplace within the video game, and feedback is received from the users of the video game. The feedback is evaluated to calculate a value indicating the level of acceptance of the virtual assets among the users. Based on the value of the virtual assets, access to the virtual assets is provided to allow their inclusion in the video game for use during gameplay. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are minted for the virtual assets. The NFTs minted for the virtual assets are stored on a blockchain and used to track the use of the virtual assets in the video game.

[0008] In another implementation, a method is disclosed. This method includes receiving a virtual asset designed by a user for use in one or more video games. The virtual asset is designed to include multiple characteristics. A non-fungible token (NFT) is generated for the virtual asset. The NFT of the virtual asset is stored in a blockchain and includes metadata providing details of the virtual asset. The virtual asset with the generated NFT is presented for sale in a virtual marketplace accessible to the developers of one or more video games. The virtual marketplace includes a virtual gallery for presenting multiple virtual assets designed by different users (including the virtual asset designed by that user) and a user interface for trading the multiple virtual assets presented in the virtual gallery. An offer is received from one or more developers of the video games for the user-designed virtual asset. In response to accepting the offer, the virtual asset is transferred to the developers of the video games. The transfer of the virtual asset includes sharing a location link of the virtual asset with the developers and updating the NFT of the virtual asset in the blockchain with the transfer details. The location link provides the developers with access to the virtual asset used for inclusion in the video games.

[0009] In another implementation, a method is disclosed. This method includes providing a virtual marketplace accessible to players of multiple video games. The virtual marketplace is configured to display and manage multiple virtual assets designed by multiple users, each virtual asset being designed to include a distinct set of characteristics. Activity received from multiple players and directed towards each virtual asset in the virtual marketplace is evaluated to calculate the value of the virtual asset. The value associated with each virtual asset indicates the level of demand for said virtual asset among players of the multiple video games. Based on the values ​​calculated for the multiple virtual assets, a selection of a specific virtual asset among the multiple virtual assets displayed in the virtual marketplace is received. In response to this selection, access to the specific virtual asset is provided to allow it to be incorporated as a game asset into the video games. Incorporation is completed such that the game asset exhibits a distinct set of characteristics during gameplay of the video games. Non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are minted for the specific virtual asset to allow tracking of the specific virtual asset's usage in the video games. The NFTs are minted to include metadata containing details of the user who created the specific virtual asset and a distinct set of characteristics associated with the specific virtual asset.

[0010] Other aspects and advantages of this disclosure will become apparent from the following detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrates the principles of this disclosure by way of example. Attached Figure Description

[0011] This disclosure can be best understood with reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

[0012] Figure 1A A simplified operational flow of a method for including virtual assets within a video game, according to one implementation of this disclosure, is shown.

[0013] Figure 1B A simplified operational flow for a method of including virtual assets within a video game, according to an alternative implementation of this disclosure, is shown.

[0014] Figure 1C A simplified operational flow for including virtual assets within a video game, according to yet another implementation of this disclosure, is shown.

[0015] Figure 2 A simplified block diagram of a virtual asset marketing engine for presenting and marketing virtual assets for use in video games, according to an implementation of this disclosure, is shown.

[0016] Figure 3 A simplified view of a virtual marketplace, according to one implementation of this disclosure, is shown, having a virtual showroom for displaying virtual assets designed by multiple users and a user interface for marketing the virtual assets. Detailed Implementation

[0017] In the following description, numerous specific details are set forth to provide a thorough understanding of this disclosure. However, those skilled in the art will understand that this disclosure may be practiced without some or all of these specific details. In other instances, well-known process steps have not been described in detail so as not to obscure this disclosure.

[0018] As video games gain popularity, developers are eager to create new games with unique effects, features, and challenges within game environments, as well as game characters / assets with unique appearances, characteristics, and abilities to excite users and keep them engaged and interested. However, with the increasing popularity of video games, developers always bear the burden of developing new ones. To alleviate the demands on developers and to make video games more personalized for users, users are encouraged to create and submit their own designs for virtual assets to be included in the video game. The various implementations discussed in this paper encourage users to create their own designs for virtual assets and display them in a virtual marketplace for other users to comment on. Feedback from other users is evaluated to determine the market dynamics (i.e., the level of acceptability) of the user-designed virtual assets. Based on feedback from other users, video game developers can determine whether to include user-designed virtual assets in the video games they are developing or have already designed.

[0019] As mentioned above, encouraging video game users (i.e., non-developers) to design virtual assets for inclusion in video games not only reduces the burden on developers but also makes video games more personalized for users. User participation in the design of virtual assets encourages greater user engagement in video games. By allowing users to market their virtual asset designs in virtual marketplaces, user design is incentivized, thereby encouraging users and other users to participate in and join video games.

[0020] Having a general understanding of this disclosure, the specific details of this disclosure will now be described with reference to the various figures.

[0021] Figure 1A This diagram illustrates a simplified operational flow for incorporating user-designed virtual assets into a video game in one implementation. The virtual assets are designed by the user and provided for implementation in one or more video games. In some implementations, the user designing the virtual assets can be a player, viewer, content provider, or any other user who is not a developer of the video game. In alternative implementations, the user can be a developer who wants to test the video game's user base to understand the new design concept before implementing it into the video game. The user-designed virtual assets are received at a server accessible to one or more video games, as shown in Operation 101. The server can be a standalone game server or a cloud server as part of a cloud gaming system hosting one or more video games. The user uses any design tools available to them to design the virtual assets. As part of designing the virtual assets, the user defines asset characteristics to define how the virtual assets will look, how they will behave, how they will interact with other virtual assets and virtual game characters, and how they will respond to external stimuli such as input from users within the video game.

[0022] The virtual assets received from the user are verified to ensure that the user is an authorized user permitted to access the server to upload virtual assets and the design must at least meet the design guidelines established for user-developed content as defined on the server. After successful user authentication, the virtual assets are uploaded to a virtual marketplace accessible to multiple users of the video game, as shown in Operation 102. In some implementations, the virtual marketplace is provided next to the game title of the video game, or it can be provided on the server and accessed by multiple users of the video game. In one implementation, the virtual marketplace includes a virtual gallery and a user interface. The virtual gallery is designed to display user-designed virtual assets next to other virtual assets designed by other users. The user interface is designed to allow other users, including players, viewers, game developers, video game sponsors, video game content providers, other virtual asset designers, etc., to view, provide feedback, purchase, sell, and trade each virtual asset displayed in the virtual gallery. Feedback from users can include comments, likes, dislikes, ratings, etc. for each virtual asset, and the user interface provides options to provide such feedback.

[0023] Other users access the user interface to provide their feedback by visiting a virtual marketplace rendered on the server or next to the video game's title. Feedback regarding virtual assets is received from other users at the virtual marketplace's user interface, as shown in Operation 103, and this feedback is forwarded to the virtual asset marketing engine executed on the server. Figure 2 (As shown in the diagram) for further processing. The virtual asset marketing engine evaluates feedback from other users to calculate the value of the virtual assets displayed in the virtual showroom, as shown in operation 104. For example, the virtual asset marketing engine examines each piece of feedback to determine various attributes associated with the feedback, such as type, user identifier, user reputation, and the context of the content included in the feedback, and calculates the value of each virtual asset based on these attributes. Each of the aforementioned attributes can be weighted, and the value of the virtual asset is calculated based on the weighted attributes. For example, feedback from a reputable user can have a higher weight than feedback from a less well-known user. Similarly, "like" or "favorite" comments can have a higher weight than text comments. Therefore, virtual assets that receive a greater number of positive comments and likes can have a higher value than virtual assets that receive fewer comments or a greater number of negative comments and dislikes.

[0024] Based on the values ​​calculated for each virtual asset, user-designed virtual assets are selected, and access to these virtual assets is provided for incorporation into the video game, as shown in Operation 105. Virtual assets can be incorporated as game assets or game characters. Game assets can be incorporated into one or more game scenes. As part of the incorporation, game assets are blended into one or more game scenes and defined with interactive properties that include the asset characteristics defined for the virtual asset. For example, interactive properties can define how the game asset must react / behave in the game scene when user input provided during gameplay is directed at the game asset within the game scene.

[0025] In addition to incorporating virtual assets into video games, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are minted for these virtual assets, as shown in Operation 106. NFTs can be minted for game assets using either a proprietary blockchain or a publicly available blockchain. NFTs are used to track virtual assets within the video game.

[0026] Figure 1B A simplified operational flow is illustrated for an alternative method of including user-designed virtual assets within a video game in one implementation. In this implementation, the method begins at operation 111, where users are provided with a virtual marketplace to showcase the virtual assets they have designed. The virtual marketplace is designed to be rendered alongside the game titles of multiple video games available on a server. As mentioned above, the server can be a standalone server, or it can be part of a network of server computing devices (i.e., part of a wide area network), or it can be part of a cloud gaming system hosting multiple video games. The virtual marketplace includes a virtual gallery for showcasing the virtual assets designed by multiple users and a user interface for receiving activities related to each virtual asset from multiple users. When a user creates a virtual asset, the user can upload the virtual asset to the virtual gallery.

[0027] The user interface provided in the virtual marketplace receives activities related to each virtual asset displayed in the virtual showroom, as shown in Operation 112. Activities may include feedback such as comments, likes, dislikes, etc., as well as activities such as buying, selling, and trading virtual assets. The user interface is provided to facilitate such activities by offering options for commenting on, selling, buying, and trading virtual assets. The activities provided at the user interface are evaluated to determine the market dynamics of each virtual asset uploaded to the virtual marketplace. Market dynamics can be used to determine which virtual assets users value most, which virtual assets users buy or trade most frequently, which virtual assets have the best design or are popular with users, etc. Activities related to each virtual asset are used to determine values ​​indicating the level of acceptability and demand for the virtual asset among multiple users, as shown in Operation 113.

[0028] In some implementations, machine learning algorithms are used to determine the value of each virtual asset. The machine learning algorithm uses feedback for each virtual asset to train an AI model and uses the output from the AI ​​model to calculate the value of the corresponding virtual asset. Based on the calculated value, a specific virtual asset is selected from the virtual assets displayed in the virtual market, as shown in Operation 114.

[0029] In response to the selection of a value-based virtual asset, access to the virtual asset is provided, as shown in Operation 115. Access to the virtual asset allows it to be incorporated (i.e., inserted) as a game asset into one or more game scenes of the video game. The virtual asset is incorporated into the game scene according to its defined properties. These properties are defined to specify how the virtual asset appears and behaves in response to user input from within the game scene.

[0030] As part of incorporating virtual assets as game assets into video games, non-fungible tokens (NFTs) are minted for these virtual assets, as shown in Operation 116. NFTs for virtual assets are minted to include metadata providing details of the virtual asset and stored on a blockchain. NFTs can be minted and stored using either a generally available blockchain or a proprietary blockchain. NFTs are used to track the use of virtual assets (i.e., game assets) within video games.

[0031] Figure 1C A simplified operational flow is shown for an alternative method in one implementation for including user-designed virtual assets within a video game. The method begins at operation 121, where a virtual asset is received from the user. The user designs the virtual asset and includes asset properties that define how the virtual asset must behave or interact when included in the video game.

[0032] Mint an NFT for the newly created virtual asset, as shown in Operation 122. The NFT for the virtual asset includes metadata that provides details of the virtual asset, such as the creator of the virtual asset (i.e., the user who created it), the virtual asset creation date, the NFT creation date, the current owner, several attributes, the price, the asset's transaction history, and a location link to the virtual asset.

[0033] User-designed virtual assets with associated NFTs are uploaded to a virtual marketplace, as shown in Operation 123. The virtual marketplace can be located on a server (such as a cloud gaming server accessible to users of multiple video games). In some implementations, the user is the video game developer. Uploading virtual assets involves displaying them in a virtual gallery defined within the virtual marketplace and activating a user interface for the virtual asset to receive feedback from users. Feedback may include purchase offers (i.e., bids) in addition to comments, likes, dislikes, ratings, sales offers, and trade offers.

[0034] The developer receives bids from one or more video game developers to purchase virtual assets displayed in a virtual marketplace, as shown in operation 124. In some implementations, the virtual assets may be offered for sale in the virtual marketplace, and the user interface may include options for allowing users to submit bids to purchase the virtual assets. In some implementations, one or more developers may bid to purchase user-designed virtual assets, enabling the developers to include the virtual assets in video games they have already designed or are designing. Developers may demonstrate interest in purchasing virtual assets based on market dynamics at the virtual marketplace, where market dynamics may be determined based on the quantity and type of activity from multiple users at the virtual marketplace. In alternative implementations, developers may bid to purchase virtual assets based on their own interests.

[0035] The process involves evaluating bids from developers and identifying bids from specific developers for the purchase of virtual assets, as shown in Operation 125. In response to the identification of a bid from a developer, ownership of the virtual asset is transferred to the developer, as shown in Operation 126. This transfer of ownership from the user who designed the virtual asset to the developer whose bid was agreed upon includes a location link to the virtual asset included in the metadata of the NFT shared with the developer. Furthermore, the ownership of the virtual asset in the NFT maintained in the blockchain is updated to reflect the change of ownership from user to developer. The location link provides the developer with access to the virtual asset. Access to the virtual asset enables the developer to control its use (including incorporating it into video games they have developed or are developing), maintain it as a collectible, display it on the marketplace, share it with other users, and / or trade it.

[0036] Figure 2A simplified block diagram of a virtual asset marketing engine 205, in one implementation, for marketing user-designed virtual assets for use in one or more video games 201, is shown. The virtual asset marketing engine 205 includes multiple sub-engines configured to perform specific functions, including authenticating users who design and provide virtual assets, verifying user-provided virtual assets, evaluating virtual assets to ensure they are designed to meet established standards (e.g., do not contain prohibited symbols / marks, are not represented in unacceptable ways, etc.), assessing the level of interest expressed by users in the virtual assets, minting non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for the virtual assets, and providing specific users with access to the virtual assets to allow them to control their use of the virtual assets (including their use in one or more video games 201). Some of the sub-engines of the virtual asset marketing engine 205 include a user authentication engine 202, a virtual asset receiving engine 203, a virtual asset evaluation engine 206, a virtual marketplace rendering engine 209, an event evaluation engine 210, a virtual asset selection engine 214, a virtual asset assignment engine 218, and a non-fungible token minting engine 219, to name just a few. The virtual asset marketing engine 205 is configured to run on a server, such as a cloud server 200 as part of a cloud gaming system or a server as part of a server network. The virtual asset marketing engine 205 communicatively connects to multiple video games 201 hosted on one or more other servers in the cloud gaming system or server network to exchange data related to virtual assets.

[0037] The user authentication engine 202 of the virtual asset marketing engine 205 is used to authenticate users who access the cloud server 200 to market virtual assets designed by them or designed by another user and acquired through them. Users can be players, viewers, or content providers who designed the virtual assets for inclusion in the video game. Alternatively, users can be developers who designed the virtual assets and wish to receive feedback to determine the level of acceptability of the virtual assets to users of the video game 201. The user authentication engine 202 accesses the user profiles of authorized users maintained at the cloud server 200 to authenticate users. The user profiles of authorized users identify users who are allowed to access and monitor their virtual assets at the cloud server 200. After successful user authentication by the user authentication engine 202, information related to the user and the virtual assets designed or marketed by the user are forwarded to the virtual asset receiving engine 203 for virtual asset authentication.

[0038] The Virtual Asset Receiving Engine 203 receives virtual assets designed or marketed by users and examines them to ensure that the virtual asset design conforms to the standards established for one or more video games 201. The Virtual Asset Receiving Engine 203 examines the design to ensure that it follows the design standards and requirements of one or more video games 201, and that the virtual asset characteristics meet the requirements of different video games 201. The verified virtual asset design and characteristics are then forwarded to the Virtual Asset Evaluation Engine 206.

[0039] The virtual asset evaluation engine 206 evaluates the characteristics of virtual assets to determine whether the virtual assets being provided by the user are designed to be included in one or more video games 201, and identifies the location, game scene, and method of including the virtual asset in one or more video games. As part of the evaluation, the virtual asset evaluation engine 206 evaluates the type (207) of the virtual asset to determine whether the virtual asset is designed to be used as a game asset in one or more game scenes or to represent a player's game character in the video game. In addition, the virtual asset's characteristics (208) are evaluated to determine which of the virtual asset's characteristics are rendering characteristics, which are interactive characteristics, etc. Rendering and interactive characteristics are used to render and manipulate virtual assets during gameplay. For example, appearance, design, color, shadow / lighting, shape, size, movement versus stillness, etc., are rendering characteristics that can be used to present virtual assets in the game scene of a video game, and interactive characteristics that define the physical and dynamic aspects of virtual assets (i.e., how virtual assets move (distance, direction of movement, etc.), how they react to external stimuli, etc.) can be used to define how virtual assets behave / interact in the video game. Details obtained from evaluating various characteristics (including the identity, type, rendering, and interactive features of the virtual asset) are used to define the metadata of the virtual asset. Based on the evaluation of the virtual asset, the virtual asset evaluation engine 206 identifies video games 201 available on cloud server 200 that are compatible with the virtual asset.

[0040] The virtual marketplace rendering engine 209 is configured to use the types and characteristics of virtual assets when they are uploaded to multiple user-accessible virtual marketplaces of video games 201. In some implementations, the virtual marketplace is rendered at cloud server 200 next to the game titles of multiple video games 201. In alternative implementations, the virtual marketplace is rendered at cloud server 200 and is user-accessible to video games 201. As described, users can be players, viewers, developers, content providers, content sponsors, etc. The virtual marketplace is designed to include a virtual showroom for displaying virtual assets designed and / or presented by users, and a user interface with options for commenting on virtual assets and facilitating transactions (such as buying, selling, exchanging) of virtual assets. As described, virtual assets can be used as game characters or game assets. The virtual showroom may include separate sections for displaying virtual assets that can be used as game characters and virtual assets that can be used as game assets, or all virtual assets may be rendered in a single section.

[0041] Activity evaluation engine 210 collects, examines, and processes activities provided at the user interface for virtual assets displayed in the virtual showroom. Activities can be provided by users at each virtual asset and can be used to determine the level of interest expressed by the users. Therefore, each activity is processed to identify the user providing the activity, the type of activity provided, and other details of the activity. For example, activities related to virtual assets can be purchases, sales, transactions / exchanges, or feedback. Feedback can take the form of selection options (e.g., checkboxes or radio buttons) indicating likes, dislikes, or scores on an evaluation scale, or may include comments. When an activity includes feedback in the form of comments, the comments are examined to identify keywords and the context of those keywords to determine the intent of the user providing the comment. Activities for each virtual asset displayed in the virtual showroom are used to calculate the value of the virtual asset. Activity evaluation engine 210's value calculation engine 211 is used to calculate the value. Value calculation engine 211 includes user evaluation engine 212 and asset value calculation engine 213. The value of each virtual asset is calculated by first evaluating the user who generated the activity and then evaluating the activity itself. User evaluation engine 212 is used to evaluate the user who provided each activity. For example, the user evaluation engine 212 uses the history of user-provided activity to determine a user's reputation within the video game community. If a user is highly respected within the video game community, any activity provided by that user is more valued than activity provided by other, less well-known users.

[0042] An asset value calculation engine 213 is used to evaluate each user's activity for virtual assets displayed in the virtual marketplace. In one implementation, a machine learning (ML) algorithm 216 is used to evaluate activity for each virtual asset and calculate the value of each virtual asset. In some implementations, the ML algorithm 216 is used to generate and train an artificial intelligence (AI) model using the characteristics of virtual assets as nodes and the interrelationships between attributes of activities related to different characteristics as edges between consecutive pairs of nodes. The attributes of activities capture market dynamics and provide insights into which attributes are currently effective among different users. Some user-preferred attributes may differ from others. For example, viewers may prefer appearance, players may prefer the capabilities of virtual assets or how resilient virtual assets are (e.g., their ability to survive attacks), and developers may prefer the popularity of virtual assets among users.

[0043] Each activity is analyzed to identify its type, the users providing the activity, etc., and the total number of such activities received for that virtual asset is increased. Each activity can be weighted based on its type. Based on the analysis, the strength of edges on consecutive node pairs is adjusted up or down (i.e., strengthened or weakened based on the received activities), and outputs indicating relevance to different characteristics for different users are identified. For example, for players, the capabilities of a virtual asset may be important. Therefore, outputs related to activities associated with the same capabilities are selected to identify the virtual asset with the best or most relevant capabilities for video games among the multiple virtual assets available in the virtual marketplace. In another example, developers may value the popularity of virtual assets among users. Therefore, outputs related to the most frequently received activities are selected to identify the most popular virtual assets among users. In yet another example, for players, the design of a virtual asset may be important or relevant. In this example, outputs related to activities associated with the appearance of the virtual asset are selected to identify the newest virtual assets.

[0044] User-provided activity serves as feedback defining the market dynamics of each virtual asset, and is used to train an AI model, dynamically improving its output to reflect the current market dynamics of the virtual assets in the virtual market. The AI ​​model can be designed to be trained periodically or when a predefined number of activities are detected in the virtual market.

[0045] Based on the evaluation of activities received at the virtual marketplace, asset value calculation engine 213 calculates the value of each virtual asset in the virtual showroom using the output from the AI ​​model, and, as described, selects outputs from the AI ​​model corresponding to the characteristics (e.g., appearance, abilities, resilience, etc.) of the associated virtual asset. In some implementations, the value of each virtual asset is calculated based on the type of activity identified in the AI ​​model output, the number of activities of each type, the reputation of the user providing each type of activity, the characteristics resolved in the activity, etc. A list of variables used as functions for calculating values ​​is provided as an example, and other variables may also be included in the value calculation based on variables identified or included in the output. The value calculated for each virtual asset is forwarded to virtual asset selection engine 214 for virtual asset selection.

[0046] The virtual asset selection engine 214 compares the values ​​of all virtual assets in the virtual marketplace to identify specific virtual assets designed by a particular user for inclusion in a video game. This specific virtual asset is identified as most relevant to characteristics identified for a specific user group. Access to the identified specific virtual asset with its unique characteristics is provided to enable its inclusion in the video game. Developers use the type and characteristics of the specific virtual asset to update the video game's code. As described, the specific virtual asset can be a game character representing a player in the video game, or it can be a game asset included in the game scene of the video game.

[0047] When a specific virtual asset is a game character, incorporating that virtual asset into the video game involves adjusting the video game's code to present the specific virtual asset as a game character on the user interface used to render other game characters for the player to select. Characteristics can be broadly categorized into rendering characteristics and interactive characteristics. The adjusted code ensures that the game character renders according to rendering characteristics (e.g., size, shape, color, appearance, movement or stillness) when selected by the player, and behaves alongside other game characters and assets during gameplay according to interactive characteristics defined for the virtual asset.

[0048] Specific virtual assets can be game assets, such as game objects that players use to interact with the game scene (e.g., weapons, tools, etc.), or game assets provided as obstacles or as part of the game scene (e.g., idols, features, etc.). When a specific virtual asset is a game asset, incorporating the game asset into the video game involves identifying one or more game scenes in which the game asset can be used / inserted, and adjusting the code of the identified game scenes to include the game asset. Similar to game characters, the video game's code is adjusted to render the game asset according to rendering characteristics and to behave according to interaction characteristics, allowing players to view and interact with the game asset within the game scene. When a virtual asset is a game object, incorporating the game asset involves assigning the game asset to a player to allow the player to use the game asset to interact in the game. The assignment of the game asset results in an increase in the player's game ranking. Furthermore, the assigned game asset can be shared with other players, either within or outside the video game. In some implementations, an increase in game ranking may include any or a combination of asset value, skill level, game rank, game bonuses, and game assets.

[0049] In addition to evaluating virtual assets and providing developers with access to virtual assets used in video games, the Virtual Asset Marketing Engine 205 also mints non-fungible tokens (NFTs) for one or all of the virtual assets displayed in the virtual gallery. The NFT minting engine 219 uses a publicly available or proprietary blockchain to mint NFTs for one or all of the virtual assets. The minted NFTs are stored on the blockchain and used to track the use of the corresponding virtual assets designed by the user. In some implementations where NFTs are minted for each virtual asset, NFTs are minted as soon as the virtual asset is uploaded to the virtual marketplace by the designer (i.e., the user who created the virtual asset) to enable tracking of the virtual asset's use both within and outside the video game available on cloud server 200. In some implementations, the NFTs for each virtual asset are stored on a separate blockchain 219a, and the corresponding NFTs for the virtual asset are updated when the virtual asset is used. For example, whenever a virtual asset is used in a transaction (e.g., buying, selling, trading, etc.) outside or within the video game, the NFTs of the virtual asset are updated to track such use. In an alternative implementation, after identifying specific virtual assets to be included in the video game by matching characteristics associated with the video game's users (e.g., players, developers, viewers, etc.), NFTs are minted for the specific virtual assets to enable tracking of the virtual assets' use within the video game.

[0050] When virtual assets, such as game characters, are incorporated into a video game and a player selects a game character from a user interface that includes selectable game characters, the game character is assigned to the player. This assignment allows the player to control the game character's interactions within the video game via game input. Information related to the player's selection of the game character to represent them in the video game and the assignment of the game character to the player is recorded in an NFT. The updated NFT of the virtual asset lists the player as the current owner. When a player transfers, sells, or trades a virtual asset to a second player in the video game, the NFT of the virtual asset is updated to record the second player as the current owner. Similarly, when a developer purchases a game character, the developer is given access to the game character to allow the developer to include the game character in one or more video games developed by the developer.

[0051] In some implementations, after virtual assets have been incorporated as game assets into the video game's game environment, activities associated with the virtual assets are tracked. When the activity related to the virtual assets is the purchase, sale, or trade of the virtual assets within the video game, the NFT is updated to reflect the change of ownership of the virtual assets to a new owner. A user can initiate an exchange of a first virtual asset for a second virtual asset. In this example, the NFTs of both the first and second virtual assets are updated to reflect the details of the exchange and change of ownership. Furthermore, the first virtual asset is removed from the user's game assets, and the second virtual asset is assigned to the user by increasing the game assets to reflect the addition of the second virtual asset. In some implementations, when the activity from the user in the video game is trading virtual assets for extra lives, exchanging them for other game bonuses, or improving their game ranking in the video game, the NFT of the virtual asset is updated to show that the user is no longer the owner of the virtual asset, and the virtual asset is deassigned from the user.

[0052] In some implementations, a first user designs a virtual asset and places it in a virtual marketplace to understand how the market reacts to the newly designed virtual asset (i.e., market dynamics). When a second user (e.g., a user outside the video game, a game developer, a player, or a viewer of the video game) expresses interest in the virtual asset, the virtual asset is transferred from the first user (i.e., the creator of the virtual asset) to the second user, and the NFT is updated to reflect that the second user is the current owner. As part of the transfer, a location link to the virtual asset is shared with the second user to allow the second user full access to the virtual asset. The second user can choose to keep the virtual asset as a collectible, share the virtual asset with other users, or include the virtual asset in the video game. For example, the second user could be the developer of the video game and include the virtual asset in a portion of the video game. The second user could personally test the virtual asset in that portion and / or share that portion of the video game with other users to allow them to test the virtual asset and provide their feedback. The second user's use of the virtual asset is recorded in the NFT to provide a history of ownership and use.

[0053] In some implementations, virtual assets are transferred to a first user for a period of time, and after that period expires, the virtual asset is returned to the virtual marketplace to allow other users to purchase or otherwise access it. This allows the first user, as well as other users with access rights, to test newly designed virtual assets, while allowing the user who designed the virtual asset to determine the level of acceptability (i.e., demand) of their product in the market. In some implementations, if the virtual asset is available in the virtual marketplace and no other user has expressed interest in purchasing or otherwise accessing it within a predefined time period, the virtual asset can be purchased or otherwise accessed by the first user again. In some implementations, the virtual marketplace used to showcase virtual assets is configured to be accessible only to the user who designed the virtual asset and the developers of one or more video games. In alternative implementations, the virtual marketplace is accessible only to the designers of the virtual asset and players of multiple video games. In other implementations, the virtual marketplace is open to all users, including those with and without access to the video games. In some implementations, in response to receiving activity from multiple users, the video games played by the multiple users are identified, and each user in the video games is provided with access to virtual assets for inclusion in the respective video game. In these implementations, distinct NFTs are generated for the virtual assets in each user's video game to allow tracking of the virtual assets' use within the respective video game.

[0054] Figure 3An example virtual marketplace 300, which can be provided in one implementation for displaying user-designed virtual assets, is shown. As previously described, the virtual marketplace 300 includes a virtual showroom 301 for displaying multiple user-designed virtual assets and a user interface 302 rendered next to the virtual showroom 301 for receiving user interactions. The user interface identifies the type and characteristics of the respective virtual assets, as well as user feedback received from multiple users. The multiple users providing feedback can be players, viewers, content providers, developers, etc., of one or more video games, or other users unrelated to the video games. The user interface 302 also provides options for providing actions for each virtual asset. Actions indicate the user's intent, such as buying, selling, trading, or collecting the virtual asset. Depending on the user's expressed intent, appropriate actions are taken, such as including the virtual asset in the video game, transferring ownership of the virtual asset to the user, updating the generated NFT for the user to reflect the intent, etc.

[0055] The various implementations described in this article provide multiple ways to allow users to design virtual assets for inclusion in video games, thereby reducing the burden on developers. Virtual marketplaces help users easily market their goods (i.e., virtual assets), thus increasing user engagement in video games. Minting NFTs makes it easy to track the use and ownership of virtual assets, while also providing multiple ways to incentivize users and offer even more ways to keep users engaged in video games.

[0056] It should be noted that the cloud server 200 can communicate with other servers located remotely or as part of a cloud gaming website via a network, which may include a local area network (LAN), a wide area network, a cellular network (e.g., 4G, 5G, etc.), or any other type of data network (including the Internet), and such communication can be made via wired or wireless connections. Embodiments of this disclosure can be practiced using a variety of computer system configurations, including handheld devices, microprocessor systems, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, minicomputers, mainframe computers, mobile devices, etc. The virtual asset marketing engine 205 can be software executing on any one or more servers on the network. Embodiments of this disclosure can also be practiced in a distributed computing environment where tasks are performed by remote processing devices linked via wired or wireless networks.

[0057] One or more embodiments may also be made as computer-readable code on a computer-readable medium. A computer-readable medium is any data storage device capable of storing data that can subsequently be read by a computer system. Examples of computer-readable media include hard disk drives, network attached storage (NAS), read-only memory, random access memory, CD-ROM, CD-R, CD-RW, magnetic tape, and other optical and non-optical data storage devices. The computer-readable medium may include computer-readable tangible media distributed across network-coupled computer systems, enabling the distributed storage and execution of computer-readable code.

[0058] Although the foregoing embodiments have been described in slightly more detail for clarity of understanding, it will be apparent that certain variations and modifications may be practiced within the scope of the appended claims. Therefore, the embodiments of the invention should be considered illustrative rather than restrictive, and are not limited to the details given herein, but may be modified within the scope and equivalents of the appended claims.

[0059] It should be understood that the various implementations defined herein can be combined or assembled into a particular implementation using the various features disclosed herein. Therefore, the examples provided are merely some possible examples and are not limited to a variety of implementations that can be defined by combining various elements. In some examples, some implementations may include fewer elements without departing from the spirit of the disclosed or equivalent implementations.

Claims

1. A method for including a virtual asset in a video game, comprising: receiving the virtual asset designed by a particular user for use in the video game, the virtual asset being defined to include a plurality of properties; presenting the virtual asset in a virtual marketplace accessible to users of the video game and receiving feedback; evaluating the feedback received from the users of the video game for the virtual asset at the virtual marketplace, the feedback from the users being used to calculate a value indicative of a level of acceptance of the virtual asset among the users of the video game; as well as providing access to the virtual asset based on the value of the virtual asset to allow incorporation of the virtual asset into the video game for use during play of the video game, Wherein providing said access comprises minting a non-fungible token (NFT) for said virtual asset and sharing a location link of said virtual asset for incorporation, said NFT of said virtual asset being stored in a blockchain and used to track usage of said virtual asset in said video game.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the blockchain used to store the NFT of the virtual asset is a proprietary blockchain.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the blockchain used to store the NFT of the virtual asset is a public blockchain.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual marketplace comprises a showroom space for displaying the virtual assets to the users and a user interface rendered adjacent to the showroom space, the user interface being configured to facilitate the purchase, sale and trading of the virtual assets and to receive the feedback from the users, wherein the feedback includes comments and activities indicating the acceptability of the virtual asset, and Wherein evaluating the feedback from the user includes evaluating the comments and the activities included in the feedback to calculate the value of the virtual asset.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual marketplace is rendered next to a game title of the video game or next to content of the video game presented at the user's client device, wherein the video game is accessed from a cloud server for the user to play and view.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is a player of the video game and the virtual asset is a game character used to represent the player in the video game, The virtual assets incorporated into the above include: presenting the game character alongside a plurality of game characters on a user interface presented within the video game for selection by the player of the video game; as well as In response to receiving a selection of the game character by the player, the game character is included in the video game to be manipulated using input provided by the player, the game character exhibiting the one or more characteristics in response to the input received from the player during play of the video game.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the user is a player of the video game, The virtual asset is incorporated as a game asset into one or more game scenes of the video game to allow the player of the video game to interact with the game asset, and the game asset exhibits the one or more characteristics defined by the specific user in response to interaction from the player during play of the video game.

8. The method of claim 7, wherein the one or more characteristics of the game asset are defined to improve a player's game ranking in response to the player interacting with the game asset.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein improving the game ranking of the player comprises increasing any one or a combination of the player's asset value, skill level, game level, game bonuses, and game assets in the video game.

10. A method as claimed in claim 1, wherein incorporating the virtual asset includes associating the virtual asset as a game asset to the first user in response to the first user purchasing the virtual asset in the virtual marketplace, the purchase of the virtual asset increasing the game assets of the first user in the video game, wherein the first user is a player of the video game.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the virtual market is used to display virtual assets designed by selected users among the users including the specific user, wherein evaluating the feedback received from the user comprises identifying the virtual asset designed by the particular user for incorporation into the video game based on the value calculated for each of the virtual assets displayed in the virtual marketplace, and The value of each virtual asset displayed in the virtual marketplace is periodically calculated using reviews received from the users.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the virtual asset designed by the particular user is incorporated into a plurality of video games including the video game.

13. A method comprising: receiving a virtual asset designed by a particular user for use in one or more video games, the virtual asset being defined to include a plurality of characteristics; minting a non-fungible token (NFT) for the virtual asset, the NFT for the virtual asset being stored in a blockchain and including metadata providing details of the virtual asset; presenting the virtual asset with the minted NFT for sale in a virtual marketplace accessible to developers of the one or more video games, the virtual marketplace comprising a virtual showroom for presenting a plurality of virtual assets designed by different users including the virtual asset designed by the particular user and a user interface for trading the plurality of virtual assets presented in the virtual showroom; receiving bids from one or more developers of the one or more video games for the virtual asset designed by the particular user; as well as Upon accepting the bid from a developer of a video game, transferring the virtual asset to the developer, the transfer comprising sharing a location link of the virtual asset with the developer and updating the NFT of the virtual asset in the blockchain with details of the transfer, the location link providing the developer with access to the virtual asset for inclusion in the video game.

14. The method of claim 13, wherein transferring the virtual asset comprises providing the developer with the access to the virtual asset to allow the developer to incorporate the virtual asset into the video game such that interaction with the virtual asset in the video game is based on the plurality of characteristics.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the virtual asset is a game character used to represent a player of the video game.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the virtual asset is a game asset for use in one or more game scenes, the game asset being rendered according to the plurality of characteristics to allow a player to interact with the game asset.

17. A method comprising: providing a virtual marketplace accessible to players of a plurality of video games, the virtual marketplace being configured to display and manage a plurality of virtual assets designed by a plurality of users, each virtual asset in the plurality of virtual assets being associated with a distinct set of characteristics; evaluating activity received for each of the virtual assets at the virtual marketplace to calculate a value for each of the virtual assets, the value associated with each of the virtual assets being indicative of a level of demand for each of the virtual assets among the players of the plurality of video games; receiving a selection of a specific virtual asset from among the plurality of virtual assets displayed in the virtual marketplace based on the values ​​calculated for the plurality of virtual assets, the specific virtual asset being designed by a specific user among the plurality of users; and providing access to the particular virtual asset for incorporation as a game asset into a video game of the plurality of video games in response to the selection, such that the game asset exhibits the set of distinct characteristics associated with the particular virtual asset during play of the video game, Providing access includes minting a non-fungible token (NFT) for the game asset to allow tracking of use of the game asset in the video game, the NFT being minted to include metadata having details of the specific user who created the specific virtual asset corresponding to the game asset and the set of distinct characteristics associated with the specific virtual asset.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the selection is received from a developer of the video game, and Wherein the incorporation comprises inserting the game asset into one or more game scenes of the video game such that the game asset exhibits the set of distinct characteristics associated with the particular virtual asset during game play in response to input received from one or more players of the video game.

19. The method of claim 17, wherein the virtual marketplace includes a virtual showroom for displaying the plurality of virtual assets and a user interface rendered adjacent to the virtual showroom, the user interface having options for receiving feedback and facilitating the purchase, sale, and trading of each of the plurality of virtual assets in the virtual marketplace, wherein evaluating the activity comprises evaluating purchase, sale, or trade requests and comments included in feedback received for each of the plurality of virtual assets, and Wherein said evaluating of said activity is performed periodically.

20. A method as claimed in claim 17, wherein incorporating the specific virtual asset includes updating the NFT of the specific virtual asset to include details of activities performed at the virtual marketplace, and when the activities include the purchase or sale or trading of the specific virtual asset, the update to the NFT reflects the change in ownership of the specific virtual asset.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising updating the NFT of the particular virtual asset to include details related to the action performed during play of the video game when the action performed during play of the video game is a trade or loss or purchase or sale of the particular virtual asset within the video game, or receiving ownership of the particular virtual asset during play of the video game, and Wherein the particular virtual asset is traded in exchange for another virtual asset or a game-related bonus.

22. The method of claim 17, wherein incorporating the specific virtual asset comprises: The particular virtual asset is assigned to the first player in response to a purchase or trade activity initiated by the first player resulting in acquisition of the particular virtual asset.

23. The method of claim 17, wherein incorporating the particular virtual asset as the game asset comprises assigning the game asset to a first player for use in the video game within a predefined time period in response to detecting a selection by the first player of the particular virtual asset associated with the game asset at the virtual marketplace, the game asset exhibiting the set of distinct characteristics defined for the particular virtual asset when the first player interacts with the game asset within the video game; and After expiration of the predefined time period, the game asset is returned to the virtual marketplace as the particular virtual asset for use by other players of the video game.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein assigning the particular virtual asset comprises updating the NFT of the virtual asset to reflect that the first player is the current owner of the particular virtual asset; and In response to returning the particular virtual asset to the virtual marketplace, the NFT of the particular virtual asset is updated so that the first player is no longer the current owner.

25. The method of claim 17, wherein evaluating the activity further comprises: identifying video games played by the plurality of users that offer the activity for the particular virtual asset at the virtual marketplace; as well as Providing access to the specific virtual asset to allow the specific virtual asset to be incorporated as a game asset into one or more game scenes in each of the identified video games for use by the multiple users, wherein the incorporation includes defining a different NFT for the specific virtual asset in each of the identified video games, and the different NFTs for the specific virtual asset are used to track the use of the specific virtual asset within the corresponding video game.

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