Virtual Item Offers Using Affiliation Thresholds and Potency Scaling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing virtual item distribution systems in online games focus solely on individual user status or level, lacking mechanisms to leverage collective user actions for enhanced item potency and revenue generation.
Innovation Solution
A system that distributes virtual items to users only after a threshold number of users within an affiliation satisfy conditions, with item potency increasing with user participation, and item distribution contingent on collective acceptance, incentivizing social pressure for purchase.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If virtual items are made available to individual users based on their status or level, then users can access items according to their personal progress, but the system cannot leverage collective user actions to enhance item potency or increase revenue
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines individual user actions with collective affiliation actions to determine item availability and potency. Instead of basing distribution solely on individual status, the system merges individual purchase decisions with group affiliation participation, where item potency increases as more affiliation members satisfy purchase conditions. This resolves the contradiction by enabling adaptability through collective action while maintaining a manageable distribution mechanism through affiliation-based grouping.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent implements dynamic item potency that changes based on the number of affiliation members who satisfy purchase conditions. As more users within an affiliation purchase or commit to purchasing virtual items, the potency of those items increases. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to leverage collective user actions to enhance item value without requiring a fundamentally complex distribution mechanism, as the changes occur automatically within the existing affiliation framework.
2Productivity
If virtual items are distributed only after threshold conditions are met, then revenue generation and user engagement are enhanced through social pressure, but user access to items is delayed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary actions where users can commit to purchasing virtual items in advance, satisfying conditions ahead of time. Users within an affiliation can indicate their intent to purchase, which counts toward the threshold requirement even before the actual transaction is complete. This allows the system to prepare for threshold fulfillment and reduce delays, as the preliminary commitments are tracked and can quickly translate into actual purchases once the threshold is approached.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent provides feedback to users about the current state of threshold fulfillment within their affiliation. Users can see how many other affiliation members have purchased or committed to purchasing virtual items, creating social pressure and awareness of progress toward the threshold. This feedback mechanism accelerates threshold achievement by motivating users to act, thereby reducing the time delay while maintaining revenue generation benefits.
3Adaptability or versatility
If item potency increases with the number of users satisfying conditions, then user engagement and revenue are enhanced, but the system cannot distribute items until all conditions are fully met
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic item potency that adjusts continuously as more affiliation members satisfy purchase conditions. Rather than requiring all conditions to be fully met before any distribution occurs, the system allows items to be distributed with increasing potency as the threshold is approached and exceeded. This dynamic approach enhances user engagement and revenue while simplifying operation, as items become available progressively rather than requiring complete threshold fulfillment before any distribution.
Data Source
AI summary
Participation by multiple users in an online game through client computing platforms associated with the users is facilitated. User accounts associated with the users indicate affiliations having a functional significance between users. Presentation of offers to sell virtual items are provided to users having a first affiliation and to users having a second affiliation. The virtual items associated with the offers are distributed to the users having a first affiliation upon an indication that a threshold number of users having the first affiliation have accepted the offer and are not distributed to users having a second affiliation upon an indication that a threshold number of users having the second affiliation have not accepted the offer.