Systems and Methods for Creating and Maintaining Real Money Tournaments for Video Games

Abstract

A system and method of awarding a participant with a real or virtual prize over a network, the system and method comprising present one or more details of a match in the session application to the participant over the network to the remote participant computer for selection of the match, wherein the match is associated with at least one prize type, receive a request from the participant to join the match, the request including a participation type associated with the participant and participant characteristics, determine participant eligibility to participate in the match and receive the at least one prize type associated with the match by comparing the prize type, participation type, and the participant characteristics with a set of eligibility requirements for the match, if the participant is eligible and achieves a win condition then award the participant the prize associated with the match and the prize type.

1 . A computer-implemented method of awarding users based on continuously monitored sessions, the method comprising:
 providing, by a computing system, a session application to a plurality of participants for installation on a plurality of remote participant computers, the plurality of participants including a one or more participants, each participant from a remote participant computer, the remote participant computer being located in a geographical location;   providing, through the computing system via the session application on the remote participant computer, one or more details of a computerized online experience for presentation to a participant on a remote participant computer;   receiving, by the computing system, a request generated using the session application on the remote participant computer, the request including a participant type and participant characteristics of the participant, the participant characteristics including at least one persistent characteristic and at least one temporary characteristic, wherein the geographical location is a persistent characteristic of the participant;   receiving, by the computing system a win condition based on online interactions performed by a participant of the computerized online experience;   for each participant of the computerized gaming match, continuously monitoring a session created by the participant, the monitoring comprising, periodically receiving online interactions performed by the participant and evaluating the specified win condition based on the received online interactions of the participant;   determining, by the computing system, whether the participant satisfies the received win condition based on the online interactions of the participant performed during one or more continuously monitored sessions;   responsive to the participant satisfying the condition, sending the participant an award.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 modifying the win condition to include one or more regional restrictions for compliance with local regulatory standards of the geographical region of the participant.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 2 , further comprising:
 replicating the modified match condition for a plurality of future online interactions to conduct the future online interactions with regulatory compliance of participants, the regulatory compliance conforming to the geographical region of each participant.   
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the win condition is further based on one or more of: the time at which the participant was playing, the location of the participant, or the session length for which the participant has been playing. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the award is determined based on a geographical region of the participant, wherein a first participant in a first geographical region is eligible for a first award and a second participant in a second geographical region is eligible for a second award. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the online interaction comprises multiple sessions, wherein session characteristics of the participant are excluded from consideration in eligibility calculation. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein sending the award comprises sending a virtual prize to the participant in the session application over the network. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein sending the award comprises initiating delivery of a physical prize from a third-party prize provider to the participant. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computing system determines eligibility of the participant based on a condition determined based on the geographical region. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 verifying the location of the participant during a session to determine whether the participant is still eligible during the session.   
     
     
         11 . A system for enhancing online gaming systems using continuously monitored sessions, the system comprising:
 a computer processor; and   a non-transitory computer readable storage storing instructions that when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to perform steps comprising:
 providing, by a computing system, a session application to a plurality of participants for installation on a plurality of remote participant computers, the plurality of participants including a one or more participants, each participant from a remote participant computer, the remote participant computer being located in a geographical location; 
 providing, through the computing system via the session application on the remote participant computer, one or more details of a computerized online experience for presentation to a participant on a remote participant computer; 
 receiving, by the computing system, a request generated using the session application on the remote participant computer, the request including a participant type and participant characteristics of the participant, the participant characteristics including at least one persistent characteristic and at least one temporary characteristic, wherein the geographical location is a persistent characteristic of the participant; 
 receiving, by the computing system a win condition based on online interactions performed by a participant of the computerized online experience; 
 for each participant of the computerized gaming match, continuously monitoring a session created by the participant, the monitoring comprising, periodically receiving online interactions performed by the participant and evaluating the specified win condition based on the received online interactions of the participant; 
 determining, by the computing system, whether the participant satisfies the received win condition based on the online interactions of the participant performed during one or more continuously monitored sessions; 
 responsive to the participant satisfying the condition, sending the participant an award. 
   
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the win condition is further based on one or more of: the time at which the participant was playing, the location of the participant, or the session length for which the participant has been playing. 
     
     
         13 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the award is determined based on a geographical region of the participant, wherein a first participant in a first geographical region is eligible for a first award and a second participant in a second geographical region is eligible for a second award. 
     
     
         14 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the online interactions continue across multiple sessions, wherein session characteristics of the participant are excluded from consideration in eligibility calculation. 
     
     
         15 . The system of  claim 11 , wherein the instructions cause the computer processor to perform steps comprising.
 modifying the win condition to include one or more regional restrictions for compliance with local regulatory standards of the geographical region of the participant; and   replicating the modified match condition for a plurality of future online interactions to conduct the future online interactions with regulatory compliance of participants, the regulatory compliance conforming to the geographical region of each participant.   
     
     
         16 . A non-transitory computer readable storage medium storing instructions that when executed by a computer processor, cause the computer processor to perform steps comprising:
 providing, by a computing system, a session application to a plurality of participants for installation on a plurality of remote participant computers, the plurality of participants including a one or more participants, each participant from a remote participant computer, the remote participant computer being located in a geographical location;   providing, through the computing system via the session application on the remote participant computer, one or more details of a computerized online experience for presentation to a participant on a remote participant computer;   receiving, by the computing system, a request generated using the session application on the remote participant computer, the request including a participant type and participant characteristics of the participant, the participant characteristics including at least one persistent characteristic and at least one temporary characteristic, wherein the geographical location is a persistent characteristic of the participant;   receiving, by the computing system a win condition based on online interactions performed by a participant of the computerized online experience;   for each participant of the computerized gaming match, continuously monitoring a session created by the participant, the monitoring comprising, periodically receiving online interactions performed by the participant and evaluating the specified win condition based on the received online interactions of the participant;   determining, by the computing system, whether the participant satisfies the received win condition based on the online interactions of the participant performed during one or more continuously monitored sessions;   responsive to the participant satisfying the condition, sending the participant an award.   
     
     
         17 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the win condition is further based on one or more of: the time at which the participant was playing, the location of the participant, or the session length for which the participant has been playing. 
     
     
         18 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the award is determined based on a geographical region of the participant, wherein a first participant in a first geographical region is eligible for a first award and a second participant in a second geographical region is eligible for a second award. 
     
     
         19 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the online interactions continue across multiple sessions, wherein session characteristics of the participant are excluded from consideration in eligibility calculation. 
     
     
         20 . The non-transitory computer readable storage medium of  claim 16 , wherein the instructions cause the computer processor to perform steps comprising.
 modifying the win condition to include one or more regional restrictions for compliance with local regulatory standards of the geographical region of the participant; and   replicating the modified match condition for a plurality of future online interactions to conduct the future online interactions with regulatory compliance of participants, the regulatory compliance conforming to the geographical region of each participant.