U.S. Patent No. 8,821,260: System and method for granting in-game bonuses to a user
Issued September 2, 2014, to Kabam Inc.

Priority Date November 6, 2012

Summary:

U.S. Patent No. 8,821,260 describes a system and method for granting in-game bonuses to a player connected to in-game items or other in-game features. For example, equipping a magic hat will give the player's character +3 Magic bonus. Often, a player's character will outgrow an item as their character levels up. The '260 Patent allows for players to upgrade an item to enhance the bonus. However, a failed upgrade could break the item which would decrease the bonus. 

Abstract:

Disclosed herein is technology for providing in-game bonuses to a user's in-game persona. The technology involves virtual items that provide quality-based bonuses and level based bonuses. The technology provides systems and methods for upgrading an item's level and enhancing the item's quality. If an upgrade or enhancement is unsuccessful, the item may be broken and the quality bonuses and level bonuses may be decreased until the item is repaired.

Illustrative Claim:

1. A method, executed on a computer processor, for granting bonuses to a user's in-game persona, the method comprising: defining an interface that allows a user to place a first virtual item in a first slot within the interface, the virtual item comprising a first quality value and a first level value; receiving input by the user to place the first virtual item in the first slot; establishing, responsive to reception of the input, a set of one or more quality bonuses based on the first quality value; establishing, responsive to reception of the input, a level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses based on the first level value; causing the interface to offer the user the ability to upgrade the first virtual item; assigning a percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded; causing the interface to present an indication of the percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded; causing the interface to offer the user the ability to increase the percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded by providing a second virtual item; causing the interface to present an indication of the increased percentage likelihood of the first virtual item being upgraded in response to the user providing a second virtual item; determining, responsive to an acceptance of the offer, whether the first virtual item is upgraded or broken; increasing the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses responsive to the first virtual item being upgraded; decreasing each of the one or more quality bonuses and the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses responsive to the first virtual item being broken; and providing each of the one or more quality bonuses and the level bonus for each of the one or more quality bonuses to the user's in-game persona.

Researched By: Andrew F. Thomas