Validating a Player's Real-World Location using Activity Within a Parallel-Reality Game

Abstract

Systems and methods for linking real world activity, such as real world commercial activity or real world data collection activity, with a location-based parallel reality game are provided. In particular, a game server hosting a parallel reality game can modify, update, or add to game data stored in a game database associated with the parallel reality game to include certain game features in the parallel reality game linked with real world activity in the real world. The game features can be linked with activities in the real world such that player actions associated with the game features in the virtual world can lead to or encourage activity in the real world, such as commercial activity and/or data collection activity in the real world. A one-time password may be used to validate a player's location in the real world and to enable controlled access to game features in the virtual world.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A computer-implemented method for providing content in a parallel-reality game, the method comprising:
 receiving, from a client device, a request to access controlled content available during a gaming event in the parallel-reality game, the gaming event scheduled over a time range and located at a real-world location, the request including a real-world location of the client device;   determining whether the real-world location of the client device is in proximity to the real-world location of the gaming event;   responsive to determining that the real-world location of the client device is in proximity to the real-world location of the gaming event, providing an input option for inputting a password to the client device;   receiving, from the client device, a one-time password via the input option;   validating the one-time password; and   providing, in response to validating the one-time password, the controlled content to the client device during the scheduled time range of the event.