Patent ID: 8128487

Claim:
A method comprising the steps of: a computer conducting a plurality of virtual games within a virtual environment; the computer measuring at least one factor of a plurality of factors of participation in a virtual game of the plurality of virtual games by a participant of the virtual environment controlling a virtual game player avatar graphically displayed in a human form in the virtual environment, the plurality of factors including a virtual distance that the virtual game player avatar is to a location of the virtual game in the virtual environment, an amount of time that the virtual game player avatar spends at the virtual game, an amount of time that the participant spends away from a keyboard of the participant during the virtual game, a number of referrals made by the participant that result in another participant of the virtual environment participating in the virtual game, a number of acceptances of offers made by the participant to teleport a virtual game player avatar controlled by another participant of the virtual environment to the virtual game, and an amount of time spent in chat activity by the participant during the virtual game; and the computer calculating an amount of virtual money to transfer from a virtual account in the virtual environment belonging to a creator of the virtual game to a virtual account in the virtual environment belonging to the participant based upon said measured at least one factor.