Stochastic Virtual Container Pricing to Preserve Item Value
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Solution Overview
Problem
Traditional sales promotions, such as direct discounting of virtual item prices, lead to short-term profit gains but result in long-term negative effects like decreased sales and altered user perception of item value.
Innovation Solution
A system that uses virtual containers where users can purchase a chance to obtain virtual items at a reduced price through container instances, mitigating the negative effects of direct discounting by offering a chance to acquire desirable items at a lower cost without changing the regular item prices.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If traditional sales promotions (direct discounting) are used to boost short-term profits, then short-term profits increase, but long-term profitability decreases and user perception of item value is altered
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the virtual item into two components: a container (promotional element) and the virtual item itself. The container is sold at a discounted price to provide short-term profit boost, while the virtual item maintains its regular price and value perception. This segmentation allows the promotional aspect to be separated from the core product, enabling short-term gains without compromising long-term profitability or item value perception.
Solution Approach 2:
The container acts as an intermediary between the promotional discount and the virtual item. Instead of directly discounting the virtual item price, the container serves as a mediator that provides the discount mechanism while preserving the original item price and value. The container instance mediates the transaction, allowing users to obtain virtual items at effectively lower costs without the item itself being discounted, thus maintaining long-term profitability.
2Productivity
If direct discounting of virtual item prices is applied, then sales volume increases temporarily, but sales decrease for a longer period after promotion ends
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the offer into a container and a virtual item, the patent creates a temporary promotional mechanism (container) that does not permanently alter the value proposition of the virtual item. The container provides the temporary sales boost, while the virtual item's price and value remain intact, preventing the prolonged sales decrease that occurs with direct discounting.
Solution Approach 2:
The container is prepared and sold in advance as a promotional vehicle. Users purchase the container instance before needing the virtual item, and the container is activated at the point of need. This preliminary action allows the promotion to be front-loaded without creating long-term negative effects, as the container's promotional value is exhausted after single use.
3Reliability
If virtual containers are used to offer discounted prices, then user perception of item value is preserved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The container can be implemented as a copy or wrapper around the virtual item mechanism. Instead of fundamentally changing how virtual items are sold, the container replicates the item acquisition function while adding promotional pricing. This copying approach maintains user perception of item value while introducing the promotional mechanism through a familiar interface.
Solution Approach 2:
The container instance serves multiple functions: it acts as a promotional vehicle, a pricing mechanism, and an item delivery vehicle. By making the container multi-functional, the patent reduces the need for separate systems for promotion management and item delivery, thereby limiting the increase in system complexity while preserving user perception of item value.
Data Source
AI summary
An approach to facilitating pricing of virtual containers is provided. Item prices associated with obtaining item instances of virtual items in a game space may be determined. Probabilities that container instances of virtual containers will provide individual ones of the item instances of the virtual items upon activation by users in the game space may be determined. Container prices to be associated with obtaining the container instances of the virtual containers may be determined based on the determined item prices and/or the determined probabilities. A store interface may present offers to the users to purchase the container instances of the virtual containers at the determined container prices.