Online game environment that facilitates binding contracts between player characters

Abstract

A system and method to allow players of a video game to form sponsorship contracts with one another such that a first player can agree, explicitly or implicitly, to provide a second player with an initial playing advantage in return for deferred compensation. The deferred compensation may be based on the second player's performance in the game.

1 . A server that is operable to: 
 communicate with a plurality of game devices, wherein each game device allows at least one respective player to access the server;    facilitate play of a game between the plurality of players;    identify a first player as a sponsor;    identify a second player as a sponsoree;    create a contract between the sponsor and the sponsoree;    provide, to the sponsoree, an initial benefit from the sponsor based on the contract; and    allocate, to the sponsor, a plurality of periodic benefits based on the contract and on the sponsoree's performance in play of the game.    
   
   
       2 . The server of  claim 1 , in which the server is further operable to: 
 grant rewards to the sponsoree based on the sponsoree's game play; and    wherein at least some of the plurality of periodic benefits allocated to the sponsor represent a portion of the rewards granted to the sponsoree during game play.    
   
   
       3 . The server of  claim 1 , in which the server is further operable to maintain a database including sponsorship information.  
   
   
       4 . The server of  claim 3  in which the server is further operable to create and maintain a player account for each player.  
   
   
       5 . The server of  claim 1  where the server is further operable to provide a list of available pending sponsorship contracts.  
   
   
       6 . The server of  claim 1  where the server is further operable to identify one or more prerequisites for entering into a given sponsorship contract.  
   
   
       7 . The server of  claim 6  wherein the prerequisite includes one or more game criteria that must be met by a player before entering into the given sponsorship contract.  
   
   
       8 . The server of  claim 6  wherein the server is further operable to determine whether a player has fulfilled the requirements.  
   
   
       9 . The server of  claim 8  wherein the server is further operable to create the sponsorship contract upon a determination that the player has fulfilled the requirements.  
   
   
       10 . A method comprising: 
 providing a video game accessible to a plurality of game players;    identifying a first game player as desirous of becoming a sponsor;    identifying a second game player as desirous of becoming a sponsoree;    forming a sponsorship contract between the first and second player;    identifying the first player as having a sponsorship status of sponsor;    identifying the second player as having a sponsorship status of sponsoree;    providing an initial benefit to the sponsoree; and    allocating one or more deferred benefits to the sponsor based on the contract and on the sponsoree's performance in play of the game.    
   
   
       11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising: 
 providing a game account for the sponsor;    providing a game account for the sponsoree;    monitoring the game play of the sponsor and sponsoree; and    altering the game accounts of the sponsor and sponsoree according to the terms of the sponsorship contract.    
   
   
       12 . The method of  claim 10  where at least some of the terms of the sponsorship contract are determined by the sponsor and sponsoree.  
   
   
       13 . The method of  claim 10  where the performance by the sponsoree that triggers payment of a deferred benefit to the sponsor is accessing a more difficult level in the game.  
   
   
       14 . The method of  claim 10  where the performance by the sponsoree that triggers a periodic benefit to the sponsor is accumulation of one or more items.  
   
   
       15 . A method comprising: 
 providing a video game accessible to a plurality of players;    forming a sponsorship contract between a sponsor and a sponsoree;    providing an initial benefit to the sponsoree;    providing an initial detriment to the sponsor; and    providing a periodic benefit to the sponsor based on the sponsorship contract and the sponsoree's performance in the game.    
   
   
       16 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising allowing another player to replace the sponsor or sponsoree in the sponsorship contract upon fulfillment of a condition.  
   
   
       17 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising identifying a contract price for the sponsorship contract.  
   
   
       18 . The method of  claim 17  further comprising identifying a buyout price for the sponsorship contract.  
   
   
       19 . The method of  claim 18  where the buyout price is determined by a central game server.  
   
   
       20 . The method of  claim 15  further comprising receiving a first offer from a first player desirous of becoming the sponsor in the sponsorship contract.