Patent ID: 8128500
Filing Date: 2012-03-06
Classification: A63F

Abstract:
1. A method of providing a virtual presentation including a virtual item in an environment other than a natural environment of the virtual item, the method comprising: using a computer system, validating a registration code associated with a real-world item representing a living creature that breaths gaseous air for respiration as part of a registration process that associates the virtual item with a user as an interactive character to be controlled by the user in navigating the virtual presentation; storing, in a non-transitory computer memory provided to the computer system, the natural environment of the living creature and, based on said validating, providing at least one virtual room representing the natural environment of the living creature in the virtual presentation as determined, wherein the natural environment is a gaseous environment; transmitting content over a communication network to be used for displaying the virtual item in the virtual room representing the natural environment of the living creature with a user computer: wherein the virtual item represents the real-world item in the virtual presentation; storing, in the non-transitory computer memory provided to the computer system, at least one additional virtual room representing an unnatural environment of the living creature in the virtual presentation, wherein the unnatural environment of the living creature is different than the natural environment of the living creature and the at least one additional virtual room is made accessible to the virtual item only after validation of another registration code associated with a second real-world item that represents a second living creature that naturally exists in said unnatural environment of the living creature; establishing a relationship with the computer system between the virtual item and an environment extension tool that enables the virtual item to exist in the at least one additional virtual room representing the unnatural environment of the living creature, wherein the environment extension tool comprises a virtual air bubble representing gaseous air dissolved in the virtual presentation that envelops at least a portion of the virtual item while the virtual item is in the unnatural environment; transmitting content over the communication network to be used for displaying the virtual item provided with the environment extension tool in the virtual room representing the unnatural environment of the living creature, wherein an appearance of the virtual item in the virtual presentation changes to include the environment extension tool in response to movement of the virtual item from the virtual room representing the natural environment to the at least one additional virtual room representing the unnatural environment; transmitting content for making a second virtual room representing the unnatural environment available for purchase after the at least one additional room representing the unnatural environment is made accessible to the virtual item; and transmitting content over the communication network to be used for displaying a virtual schematic that includes an area of the virtual presentation comprising the virtual room representing the natural environment, the at least one virtual room representing the unnatural environment and the second virtual room representing the unnatural environment, if purchased.