Apparatus and method with physical location check-in that triggers a status change in a virtual game

Abstract

A computer readable storage medium includes executable instructions to receive a check-in indication from a physical location with a corresponding virtual location in a virtual game. An attribute in the virtual game is altered based upon the check-in indication. The attribute may be earned points for a user, a virtual object earned by a user or an enhanced popularity measure for the virtual location.

1 . (canceled) 
     
     
         2 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to perform operations, the operations comprising:
 detecting that a player has checked-in at a real-world physical location to unlock a virtual resource for access by the player; and   unlocking the virtual resource for access by an additional player independently of a checking-in of the additional player at the real-world physical location based on a determination that the additional player has a specified relationship with the player.   
     
     
         3 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 2 , wherein the virtual resource is a virtual item and the unlocking of the virtual resource includes making the virtual item available to the additional player for a restocking of a virtual location corresponding to the real-world physical location. 
     
     
         4 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 2 , the operations further including providing a virtual object to the user based on the indication of the presence of the user at the physical location. 
     
     
         5 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 2 , the operations further including providing the player with a first reward and a second reward, the providing of the player with first reward being in response to the detecting the player has checking in at the real-world physical location to unlock the virtual resource for access by the player, the providing of the player with the second reward being in response to the unlocking of the virtual resource for access by the additional player, the first reward being greater than the second reward. 
     
     
         6 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 5 , the operations further comprising providing a third reward to the additional player, the providing of the third reward to the additional player being in response to the additional player unlocking the virtual resource for access by the additional player. 
     
     
         7 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 6 , wherein the first reward includes a first amount of virtual currency, the second reward includes a second amount of virtual currency, and the third reward includes a third amount of virtual currency, the first amount being greater than the third amount and the third amount being greater than the second amount. 
     
     
         8 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 5 , the operations further comprising receiving an offer from a merchant associated with the real-world physical location to provide the player with a fourth reward based on an amount of referral points the player earns and the second reward includes at least some of the amount of the referral points. 
     
     
         9 . A system comprising:
 at least one processor;   a virtual game module implemented by the at least one processor and configured to:   detect that a player has checked-in at a real-world physical location to unlock a virtual resource for access by the player; and   unlock the virtual resource for access by an additional player independently of a checking-in of the additional player at the real-world physical location based on a determination that the additional player has a specified relationship with the player.   
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the virtual resource is a virtual item and the unlocking of the virtual resource includes making the virtual item available to the additional player for a restocking of a virtual location corresponding to the real-world physical location. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 9 , the operations further including providing a virtual object to the user based on the indication of the presence of the user at the physical location. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 9 , the operations further including providing the player with a first reward and a second reward, the providing of the player with first reward being in response to the detecting the player has checking in at the real-world physical location to unlock the virtual resource for access by the player, the providing of the player with the second reward being in response to the unlocking of the virtual resource for access by the additional player, the first reward being greater than the second reward. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 12 , the operations further comprising providing a third reward to the additional player, the providing of the third reward to the additional player being in response to the additional player unlocking the virtual resource for access by the additional player. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 13 , wherein the first reward includes a first amount of virtual currency, the second reward includes a second amount of virtual currency, and the third reward includes a third amount of virtual currency, the first amount being greater than the third amount and the third amount being greater than the second amount. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 12 , the operations further comprising receiving an offer from a merchant associated with the real-world physical location to provide the player with a fourth reward based on an amount of referral points the player earns and the second reward includes at least some of the amount of the referral points. 
     
     
         16 . A method comprising:
 detecting that a player has checked-in at a real-world physical location to unlock a virtual resource for access by the player; and   unlocking the virtual resource for access by an additional player independently of a checking-in of the additional player at the real-world physical location based on a determination that the additional player has a specified relationship with the player, wherein at least one of the detecting and unlocking is performed by at least one processor.   
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the virtual resource is a virtual item and the unlocking of the virtual resource includes making the virtual item available to the additional player for a restocking of a virtual location corresponding to the real-world physical location. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16 , the operations further including providing a virtual object to the user based on the indication of the presence of the user at the physical location. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 16 , the operations further including providing the player with a first reward and a second reward, the providing of the player with first reward being in response to the detecting the player has checking in at the real-world physical location to unlock the virtual resource for access by the player, the providing of the player with the second reward being in response to the unlocking of the virtual resource for access by the additional player, the first reward being greater than the second reward. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , the operations further comprising providing a third reward to the additional player, the providing of the third reward to the additional player being in response to the additional player unlocking the virtual resource for access by the additional player. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein the first reward includes a first amount of virtual currency, the second reward includes a second amount of virtual currency, and the third reward includes a third amount of virtual currency, the first amount being greater than the third amount and the third amount being greater than the second amount.