Task which are shared among players in a video game

Abstract

Embodiments of the invention permit characters in an online video game to provide assistance to other characters, and to advertise offers to help other characters. In an embodiment, the game tracks the amount of helpfulness of each character and permits rewards to be received based on the amount of helpfulness provided.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method performed by a computer, the method comprising:
 communicating, by the computer, with a plurality of game devices to provide a virtual video game environment,
 wherein each game device allows at least one respective player to access the computer, 
 wherein each of the players controls at least one player character; 
 wherein the plurality of player characters interact with one another and 
 wherein the virtual video game environment includes a plurality of game parameters that are completed by the player characters as the player characters progress through the game; 
   identifying, by the computer, game parameters which can be completed by receiving help from another player character;   providing, to a first player character of the plurality of player characters, a list of player characters who are able to give help to the first player character;   permitting, by the computer, a second player character from the list of player characters to provide help to the first player character.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 determining if a player character received help from another player character on a game parameter; and 
 allowing the player character to complete the game parameter if the player character received help from another player character. 
 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2  further comprising
 preventing the player character from completing the game parameter if the player character has not received help from another player character. 
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising:
 determining whether the first player character successfully completes a first game parameter. 
 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 4  further comprising:
 providing a benefit to the second player character based on whether the first player character successfully completes a first game parameter. 
 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising
 identifying a maximum number of player characters that can complete a parameter without help. 
 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 6  further comprising:
 determining if the maximum number has been reached; and 
 allowing a player character to complete the parameter alone if the maximum number has not been reached. 
 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  further comprising,
 if the maximum number has not been reached, determining if a player character received help with the game parameter; and 
 if the player character has received help with the game parameter, allowing the player character to complete the parameter. 
 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein if the player character did not receive help with the game parameter, preventing the player character from completing the parameter. 
     
     
         10 . A method performed by a computer, the method comprising:
 providing, by the computer, a virtual video game environment wherein a plurality of player characters interact with one another;   providing, by the computer, to a first player character of the plurality of player characters, a list of player characters who are able to give help to the first player character;   permitting, by the computer, a second player character from the list of player characters to provide help to the first player character; and   permitting, by the computer, the first player character to complete a game parameter due to the help provided by the second player character.   
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  further comprising:
 providing a benefit to the second player character based on helpfulness of the second player character. 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11  wherein providing a benefit to the second player character comprises:
 providing a benefit to the second player character if the first player character is a specific type of character. 
 
     
     
         13 . An apparatus comprising:
 a computer in communication with a plurality of game devices, wherein the computer provides to the game devices a virtual game environment comprising a plurality of game parameters;
 wherein each game device allows at least one respective player to access the computer, 
 wherein each of the players controls at least one player character and the plurality of player characters are configured to interact with the virtual game environment; 
   a first database in communication with the computer, wherein the first database is configured to track the helpfulness of the player characters as they interact with the virtual game environment;   a second database in communication with the computer, wherein the second database is configured to determine when a first player character has given help to a second player character; and   a third database in communication with the computer, wherein the third database is configured to determine when a first player character has received help from a second player character;   in which the computer is programmed to perform the following steps:
 providing to a first player character of the plurality of player characters, a list of player characters who are able to give help to the first player character; 
 permitting a second player character from the list of player characters to provide help to the first player character; 
 determining whether the first player character successfully completes a first game parameter; and 
 providing a benefit to the second player character based on whether the first player character successfully completes a first game parameter. 
   
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 13  further comprising
 a fourth database in communication with the computer, wherein the fourth database is configured to identify those game parameters for which the second player character is allowed to give help. 
 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 14  further comprising
 a fifth database in communication with the computer, wherein the fifth database is configured to identify those game parameters for which the second player character is allowed to give help. 
 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15  wherein the identity of the game parameters for which the computer permits the second player character to give help is based, at least in part, on the game parameters which the second player character has successfully completed. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the computer permits the second player character to give help for a given game parameter only if the second player character has successfully completed the game parameter. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 16  wherein the second player character can only give help for a given game parameter if the second player character successfully completed the game parameter without receiving help from another player character. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 13  in which the computer is programmed to determine values for acts of helpfulness that occur in the game environment. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19  wherein the values are dependant upon whether the first player character who has received help successfully completes the game parameter for which the help was intended.